A Journey Through Discrete Mathematics

This collection of high-quality articles in the field of combinatorics, geometry, algebraic topology and theoretical computer science is a tribute to Jiří Matoušek, who passed away prematurely in March 2015. It is a collaborative effort by his colleagues and friends, who have paid particular attention to clarity of exposition – something Jirka would have approved of. The original research articles, surveys and expository articles, written by leading experts in their respective fields, map Jiří Matoušek’s numerous areas of mathematical interest.

Journey into Discrete Mathematics is designed for use in a first course in mathematical abstraction for early-career undergraduate mathematics majors. The important ideas of discrete mathematics are included—logic, sets, proof writing, relations, counting, number theory, and graph theory—in a manner that promotes development of a mathematical mindset and prepares students for further study. While the treatment is designed to prepare the student reader for the mathematics major, the book remains attractive and appealing to students of computer science and other problem-solving disciplines. The exposition is exquisite and engaging and features detailed descriptions of the thought processes that one might follow to attack the problems of mathematics. The problems are appealing and vary widely in depth and difficulty. Careful design of the book helps the student reader learn to think like a mathematician through the exposition and the problems provided. Several of the core topics, including counting, number theory, and graph theory, are visited twice: once in an introductory manner and then again in a later chapter with more advanced concepts and with a deeper perspective. Owen D. Byer and Deirdre L. Smeltzer are both Professors of Mathematics at Eastern Mennonite University. Kenneth L. Wantz is Professor of Mathematics at Regent University. Collectively the authors have specialized expertise and research publications ranging widely over discrete mathematics and have over fifty semesters of combined experience in teaching this subject.

The goal of this book is to showcase the beauty of mathematics as revealed in nine topics of discrete mathematics. In each chapter, properties are explored through a series of straightforward questions that terminate with results that lie at the doorstep of a field of study. Each step along the way is elementary and requires only algebraic manipulation. This frames the wonder of mathematics and highlights the complex world that lies behind a series of simple, mathematical, deductions. Topics addressed include combinatorics, unifying properties of symmetric functions, the Golden ratio as it leads to k-bonacci numbers, non-intuitive and surprising results found in a simple coin tossing game, the playful, trick question aspect of modular systems, exploration of basic properties of prime numbers and derivations of bewildering results that arise from approximating irrational numbers as continued fraction expansions. The Appendix contains the basic tools of mathematics that are used in the text along with a numerous list of identities that are derived in the body of the book. The mathematics in the book is derived from first principles. On only one occasion does it rely on a result not derived within the text. Since the book does not require calculus or advanced techniques, it should be accessible to advanced high school students and undergraduates in math or computer science. Senior mathematicians might be unfamiliar with some of the topics addressed in its pages or find interest in the book's unified approach to discrete math.

Topics covered in Discrete Mathematics have become essential tools in many areas of studies in recent years. This is primarily due to the revolution in technology, communications, and cyber security. The book treats major themes in a typical introductory modern Discrete Mathematics course: Propositional and predicate logic, proof techniques, set theory (including Boolean algebra, functions and relations), introduction to number theory, combinatorics and graph theory.An accessible, precise, and comprehensive approach is adopted in the treatment of each topic. The ability of abstract thinking and the art of writing valid arguments are emphasized through detailed proof of (almost) every result. Developing the ability to think abstractly and roguishly is key in any areas of science, information technology and engineering. Every result presented in the book is followed by examples and applications to consolidate its comprehension. The hope is that the reader ends up developing both the abstract reasoning as well as acquiring practical skills.All efforts are made to write the book at a level accessible to first-year students and to present each topic in a way that facilitates self-directed learning. Each chapter starts with basic concepts of the subject at hand and progresses gradually to cover more ground on the subject. Chapters are divided into sections and subsections to facilitate readings. Each section ends with its own carefully chosen set of practice exercises to reenforce comprehension and to challenge and stimulate readers.As an introduction to Discrete Mathematics, the book is written with the smallest set of prerequisites possible. Familiarity with basic mathematical concepts (usually acquired in high school) is sufficient for most chapters. However, some mathematical maturity comes in handy to grasp some harder concepts presented in the book.

Note: This is a custom edition of Levin's full Discrete Mathematics text, arranged specifically for use in a discrete math course for future elementary and middle school teachers. (It is NOT a new and updated edition of the main text.)This gentle introduction to discrete mathematics is written for first and second year math majors, especially those who intend to teach. The text began as a set of lecture notes for the discrete mathematics course at the University of Northern Colorado. This course serves both as an introduction to topics in discrete math and as the "introduction to proof" course for math majors. The course is usually taught with a large amount of student inquiry, and this text is written to help facilitate this.Four main topics are covered: counting, sequences, logic, and graph theory. Along the way proofs are introduced, including proofs by contradiction, proofs by induction, and combinatorial proofs.While there are many fine discrete math textbooks available, this text has the following advantages: - It is written to be used in an inquiry rich course.- It is written to be used in a course for future math teachers.- It is open source, with low cost print editions and free electronic editions.

Topics covered in Discrete Mathematics have become essential tools in many areas of studies in recent years. This is primarily due to the revolution in technology, communications, and cyber security. The book treats major themes in a typical introductory modern Discrete Mathematics course: Propositional and predicate logic, proof techniques, set theory (including Boolean algebra, functions and relations), introduction to number theory, combinatorics and graph theory.An accessible, precise, and comprehensive approach is adopted in the treatment of each topic. The ability of abstract thinking and the art of writing valid arguments are emphasized through detailed proof of (almost) every result. Developing the ability to think abstractly and roguishly is key in any areas of science, information technology and engineering. Every result presented in the book is followed by examples and applications to consolidate its comprehension. The hope is that the reader ends up developing both the abstract reasoning as well as acquiring practical skills.All efforts are made to write the book at a level accessible to first-year students and to present each topic in a way that facilitates self-directed learning. Each chapter starts with basic concepts of the subject at hand and progresses gradually to cover more ground on the subject. Chapters are divided into sections and subsections to facilitate readings. Each section ends with its own carefully chosen set of practice exercises to reenforce comprehension and to challenge and stimulate readers.As an introduction to Discrete Mathematics, the book is written with the smallest set of prerequisites possible. Familiarity with basic mathematical concepts (usually acquired in high school) is sufficient for most chapters. However, some mathematical maturity comes in handy to grasp some harder concepts presented in the book.

The advent of fast computers and the search for efficient algorithms revolutionized combinatorics and brought about the field of discrete mathematics. This book is an introduction to the main ideas and results of discrete mathematics, and with its emphasis on algorithms it should be interesting to mathematicians and computer scientists alike. The book is organized into three parts: enumeration, graphs and algorithms, and algebraic systems. There are 600 exercises with hints andsolutions to about half of them. The only prerequisites for understanding everything in the book are linear algebra and calculus at the undergraduate level. Praise for the German edition ... This book is a well-written introduction to discrete mathematics and is highly recommended to every student ofmathematics and computer science as well as to teachers of these topics. --Konrad Engel for MathSciNet Martin Aigner is a professor of mathematics at the Free University of Berlin. He received his PhD at the University of Vienna and has held a number of positions in the USA and Germany before moving to Berlin. He is the author of several books on discrete mathematics, graph theory, and the theory of search. The Monthly article Turan's graph theorem earned him a 1995 Lester R. Ford Prize of theMAA for expository writing, and his book Proofs from the BOOK with Gunter M. Ziegler has been an international success with translations into 12 languages.

Written by a pair of math teachers and based on their classroom notes and experiences, this introductory treatment of theory, proof techniques, and related concepts is designed for undergraduate courses. No knowledge of calculus is assumed, making it a useful text for students at many levels. The focus is on teaching students to prove theorems and write mathematical proofs so that others can read them. Since proving theorems takes lots of practice, this text is designed to provide plenty of exercises. The authors break the theorems into pieces and walk readers through examples, encouraging them to use mathematical notation and write proofs themselves. Topics include propositional logic, set notation, basic set theory proofs, relations, functions, induction, countability, and some combinatorics, including a small amount of probability. The text is ideal for courses in discrete mathematics or logic and set theory, and its accessibility makes the book equally suitable for classes in mathematics for liberal arts students or courses geared toward proof writing in mathematics.