luch commented on Principles of mathematical analysis by Walter Rudin
One of the canonical undergraduate texts, this is my first time opening it, and… i must say, i'm impressed. I've read several undergraduate analysis texts, but this is probably the one i've enjoyed most. Of course, it may be that things look different because of the experience i already have, but, still, i think it's a wonderful read. The presentation is clear and efficient, and there are some stylistic choices that feel right to me. For example, Rudin's definition of the "upper limit" of a sequence (or its "lime superieur," or its "limsup") is in terms of the limit points of said sequence thought of as a set, rather than in terms of the limit of the sequence of suprema of tails of the sequence, which is the usual definition (and which i have /always/ found cumbersome to think about). This definition may be less efficient in terms of actually /calculating/ the upper limit of a sequence, but it is amazingly efficient for writing proofs that utilize this tool. There are myriad other examples present that also feel refreshingly clear to me, but… well, perhaps you get the idea.
I've read nearly the first three chapters of this text, and i look forward to reading more.