Customer Reviews

2000 Solved Problems in Discrete Mathematics

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have no idea why the only reviewer (before me) gave this book a one star rating. Perhaps he was confused because it is not intended to explain discrete mathematics, rather it's intended to be a companion to a traditional discrete mathematics textbook. As a source of hundreds of solved problems it is absolutely invaluable. If you want extra practice or the examples in your class's textbook aren't enough, buy this.

The problems in this book were arranged the way that leads readers understand simple concepts first, then bring you to problems and applications. In addtion, my professor Dr. Mott (he wrote one of the top selling discrete book) recommanded this book to me as well. I found it VERY helpful.

Yes, I think it servers as an aid to textbooks. You cannot teach yourself discrete math by reading it.

By the way, it doesn't have alot Hamiltionian cycle examples in there.

Computer science has been the primary catalyst transforming the status of this once-obscure field of discrete mathematics into state-of-the-art information, and required knowledge. Switching circuits, programming languages, expert systems and their underlying logic, to name but a few computer-related topics, each rely upon the results from this field as a foundation. There is a proliferation of books on graph theory, discrete mathematics, and even set theory and mathematical logic, for this reason.

A paucity exists, however, of texts facilitating a newcomer in verifying the lessons presumably learned through formal education or through self-study. Schaum's solved problems books are invaluable for this purpose. The more recent n'000 solved problem books are beneficial to any willing to invest the effort and time required to attempt the numerous problems posed.

The discrete mathematics book reviews subjects ranging from fundamentals of logic and set theory, to lattices, combinatorics, as well as abstract algebra and the basics of the theory of languages. There are a variety of questions, from recalling definitions, to number-crunching, to providing sketches or fragments of proofs. These are typically in a progressive problem-solving form, which lends itself to becoming a programed course. The book easily and quietly supplements any standard, classic, or assigned works from the field.

Gradually the questions in this work will be perceived as increasingly basic, perhaps some sections too basic now - however that is only because the book has served its purpose, as a foundation for other more practical, detailed, or complex assignments or problems.

While reading through other works in this field, make note and observe how most have numerous exercises suffixed to each chapter, and yet how few actually provide comprehensible solutions to them. The true value of Schaum's series of solved problems books then becomes more evident.

This book is more than just a bunch of math problems with answers. It is also instructive. Within each topic, the questions progress so as to build up your ability to handle more complex problems. Some sections begin with brief definitions. Some present theorems or lemmas, following by the proofs. I needed to prepare for an doctoral prelim. exam in discrete mathematics. This book, along with Schaum's Easy Outline: Discrete Mathematics, got me through.

I was strugging in my discrete math class, this book helped me get the practice I needed.

This is a great book. I found it very helpful when trying to grasp an in depth understanding of this material. This of course is no replacement for a standard text book, but the combination of this guide and a text book will be greatly beneficial. This is due to fact that the explanations are somewhat limited in the guide and the examples are limited in the text book.

I recently purchased this book for a discrete math class I was attending at UMD. This was no help in practicing iteration, induction, or summation. The only good point about this book is that it gives plenty of examples for visuals (i.e. set theory, graphs, and trees).

For a subject as useless as discrete math, this book helps with learning how to solve homework problems.

Here is another example of a discrete math book that fails to explain with enough concrete examples and insight. Sure, it might be a problem solver book, but it still doesn't help a person much who has difficulty with this subject.