"Is the 4th edition of Spivak's Calculus different enough from the 3rd to matter?" is one of the most-asked questions about the book, and the answers on forums are mostly guesses. As the publisher of both editions, here is the actual answer.
The Short Answer
The 4th Edition (2008) is the same book as the 3rd Edition (1994) in structure, approach, and chapter order. It is not a rewrite. What changed is that the 4th Edition is corrected, has additional problems, and has an updated Suggested Reading section. It is the final edition Michael Spivak prepared, and the only one currently in print from Publish or Perish.
What Is the Same
- The chapters. Both editions have the same 29 chapters in the same five parts, from the Basic Properties of Numbers through the Construction of the Real Numbers. If a course syllabus refers to "Chapter 7," it means the same chapter in either edition. The full 4th Edition table of contents is online.
- The exposition. The text of the chapters is essentially unchanged. Spivak's voice, his order of ideas, and his proofs are the same in both.
- The core problems. The problem sets that made the book famous carry over. This is why a single Combined Answer Book serves both editions.
What Changed in the 4th Edition
- Corrections. Errata accumulated over the fourteen years the 3rd Edition was in print — typographical slips, small errors in problems, and clarifications — were folded into the text.
- Additional problems. New problems were added, developed with Ted Shifrin, in the same spirit as the originals. Because problems were added, numbering can differ in places between the two editions; the Combined Answer Book covers both editions so that a reader of either can find the right solution.
- Updated Suggested Reading. The annotated reading list at the back of the book was brought up to date.
- Production. The 4th Edition is a 696-page hardcover, and the copies we ship today are printed and bound to the standard described on the product page.
Which Edition Should You Use?
If you are taking a course, match your instructor's edition for problem numbers. In practice nearly every course now uses the 4th.
If you are studying on your own, use the 4th. It is the corrected text, it has the most problems, and it is the edition the Answer Book and our online index are built around. There is no reason to seek out a 3rd Edition except price on the used market, and the savings are usually small.
If you already own the 3rd Edition, you do not need to replace it. The mathematics is the same. The Combined Answer Book will work with your copy, and the only things you are missing are the added problems and the corrections.
A Note on Other Printings
You may also see a 3rd Edition published by Cambridge University Press for markets outside North America, and various international reprints of both editions. The text of those is the same as the corresponding Publish or Perish edition. The hardcover 4th Edition sold on this site is the publisher's own printing; digital editions are available only from us, as an official Readium LCP eBook or in a print and digital bundle.
Further reading: How to self-study Spivak's Calculus · Table of contents · Index · Calculus, 4th Edition · Answer Book
Still using a 3rd Edition? Tell us in the comments — we are always interested in how far these books travel.
