Book excerpt: As the field of economics becomes ever more specialized and complicated, so does the mathematics required of economists. With Mathematics for Economists, expert mathematician Viatcheslav V. Vinogradov offers a straightforward, practical textbook for students in economics--for whom mathematics is not a scientific or philosophical subject but a practical necessity. Focusing on the most important fields of economics, the book teaches apprentice economists to apply mathematical algorithms and methods to economic analysis, while abundant exercises and problem sets allow them to test what they've learned.