Discrete and Combinatorial Mathematics: An Applied Introduction (4th Edition) (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Provides an introductory survey in both discrete & combinatorial mathematics. Intended for the beginning student designed to introduce a wide variety of applications & develop mathematical maturity of the student by studying an area that is so different form the traditional coverage in calculus & different equations. DLC: Mathematics.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 791 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley Publishing Company; 4th edition (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201199122
• ISBN-13: 978-0201199123
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.8 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #829,780 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A math book that's actually understandable, April 24, 2000

By	wonderrat "wonderrat" (Mountain View, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Finally! A math book which is acutally well written, has enough examples to illustrate key concepts, and has enough problems to keep the math student busy. Discrete mathematics is a fairly involved subject and books on the topic range from relatively basic to extremely difficult treatises which only a PhD or a math professor could understand. Discrete and Combinatorial Mathematics : An Applied Introduction by Ralph Grimaldi is a book which will appeal to both sides of the spectrum. The book is written so that most undergraduate students will have little difficulty understanding, but graduate students will also find it indispensable as a reference. The illustrated examples are actually relevant to the homework problems, which is often missing in mathematical texts. Finally, the book does not try to overwhelm the reader with lofty proofs or stilted language. Each chapter builds on the previous subjects learned. That's all I can ask for in a math text. I like the coverage of combinatorics in the first chapter, which does a better job than many probability textbooks. And be sure to understand Euclid's theroem and the examples given in the book. Quite a few high-tech companies will ask you about the problem Grimaldi gives as an example of Euclid's theorem in their job interviews.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars #1 discrete math book, April 2, 2004

By A Customer

The book is very well-written, clear and precise. I have read a couple of other books for discrete math courses, but found nothing exciting there; mostly frustrating errors, bad examples and confusion. Grimaldi's book covers pretty much everything you need to understand and apply in Discrete Mathematics. The exercises are well designed, in increasing difficulty. For most of the exercises, one can find similar examples in the text. Parts 1 and 2 of the book are by far the best read in Fundamentals and Enumeration I have ever encountered. Section 11 of Part 3 is a very nice introduction to Graph Theory. My only suggestion for improvement is some revision of sections 12 and 13 on graph algorithms - these can be simplified in terms of notation and description. Part 4 is for more advanced readers; it is usually used in a second course in Discrete mathematics. However, without being as exhaustive as the first three parts, the fourth part is presented with the same clarity and detail as the other three. I would strongly recommend this book not only to anyone who teaches Discrete mathematics, but also to any student who studies Discrete mathematics from a different book. If you are frustrated about the material; Grimaldi's book would give you the understanding and clarity you need. Definitely a five star product!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ideal for self study, January 25, 2006

By	Tomas Selnekovic (Bratislava, SLOVAKIA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Discrete and Combinatorial Mathematics: An Applied Introduction, Fifth Edition (Hardcover)

Excellent book, carefully chosen examples, ideal for self study. I like it very much. My advice is not to skip any section or solved examples or you might be lost.