Discrete Mathematics (5th Edition)

The strong algorithmic emphasis of Discrete Mathematics is independent of a specific programming language, allowing students to concentrate on foundational problem-solving and analytical skills. Instructors get the topical breadth and organizational flexibility to tailor the course to the level and interests of their students.

Algorithms are presented in English, eliminating the need for knowledge of a particular programming language. Computational and algorithmic exercise sets follow each chapter section and supplementary exercises and computer projects are included in the end-of-chapter material. This Fifth Edition features a new Chapter 3 covering matrix codes, error correcting codes, congruence, Euclidean algorithm and Diophantine equations, and the RSA algorithm.

MARKET: Intended for use in a one-semester introductory course in discrete mathematics.

After having a chance to complete half of this book in my Discrete Math course (mind you, I'm not a math major) I have definitely gained respect for ISU's math department.

I'm not sure if most authors really teach classes, or if they write books to fulfill their publishing requirements. I can tell you that the authors of Discrete math had the students in mind.

I've found this book to have exceptional examples, and well-explained, READABLE prose.

If you wanted to pick up a copy for self study, this would be a good book.... Yes a professor would be nice, but these guys did a good enough job that the book stands alone.


Good except for its coverage of mathematical induction   May 25, 2003
Lee G. Gilman (Charlotte, NC, USA)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

The discrete math course at our university is a sort of "rite of passage" for math majors- it introduces students to the idea of proofs, as well as basic set and graph theory and combinatorics. It is an introduction to the abstract aspect of mathematics. This book serves this purpose well, with a number of examples and drawings to illustrate concepts. However, this book explained induction in a manner that confused me. Also, our department wasn't too fond of this book- they switched to another after one semester. Still, I don't think it's too bad- unless the current book that the department uses is that much better.


No logic, few proofs makes it inappropriate as a textbook   June 25, 2004
Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States(cashbacher@yahoo.com))
11 out of 13 found this review helpful

If you are looking for a book for a course in discrete mathematics where the emphasis is on graph theory, then this book will probably satisfy your needs. However, for any other type of course, it will most certainly prove to be inadequate. Nearly half the book is devoted to graph theory, and while many theorems are listed, very few are proven. The working computer scientist may find that acceptable, but most mathematicians will find it inadequate. Logic and the basics of proof are relegated to an appendix.
The first chapter covers some combinatorics and the basics of algorithmic analysis, which is meant to be a primer. However, it requires the use of set terminology, set notation and basic counting techniques. Since set theory is covered in chapter 2 and counting techniques in chapter 7, I consider the order to be inappropriate. Recurrence relations, circuits and finite state machines are also covered in other chapters.
There are a large number of exercises and the solutions to the odd numbered ones are included. Sets of problems to be solved by programming a computer are given at the end of each chapter, some of which are easy, but many of which are hard. Only students who have had a programming course could be expected to be able to do any of them without significant help.
This is a book that does not satisfy my requirements for a discrete mathematics textbook. I consider logic to be a critical topic that must be covered, so I will not consider using any book where predicate and propositional logic are not covered in depth. While I do not expect my students to construct rigorous proofs, I do expect them to be able to construct simple proofs and follow some of the relevant more complicated ones.