Ask HN: Good textbooks or resources for learning Abstract Algebra?
Anyone who’s studied abstract algebra have any favorite textbooks or resources for learning it? I want to better understand both the symbology and the concepts, particularly those that are prereqs to cryptography and category theory. I would love to find a “Calculus Made Easy” or “SICP” equivalent for abstract algebra - a text that explains it really well.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_algebra
Algebra by "Mac Lane & Birkhoff" was my favorite textbook in college. Really thorough and not quite as dry as Dummit.
(https://www.amazon.com/Algebra-Chelsea-Publishing-Saunders-L...)
Mac Lane was also the father of category theory.
Not sure that you'll find any "Made Easy"-type (abstract) algebra texts, but my college textbook was "Introduction to Abstract Algebra", by W. Keith Nicholson, for what it's worth.
If you don't get any better suggestions try Dummit and Foote.
MIT ocw Abstract Algebra course