Discrete Mathematics (4th Edition) [Hardcover]

John A. Dossey (Author), Albert D. Otto (Author), Lawrence E. Spence (Author), Charles Vanden Eynden (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321079124 | ISBN-13: 978-0321079121 | Publication Date: October 10, 2001 | Edition: 4

For one or two term introductory courses in discrete mathematics. This book provides an accessible introduction to discrete mathematics through an algorithmic approach that focuses on problem-solving techniques with woven techniques of proofs into the text as a running theme. Each chapter has a problem-solving corner that shows students how to attack and solve problems. The topics are based upon the recommendations of various professional organizations, including those of the MAAs Panel on Discrete Mathematics in the First Two Years, the NCTMs Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, and the CBMSs recommendations for the mathematical education of teachers. Although designed for a one-semester course, the book contains more material then can be covered in either one semester or two quarters. Consequently, instructors will have freedom to choose topics tailored to the particular needs and interests of their students. The sequence of chapters allows considerable flexibility in teaching a course from this book. Although this book assumes only the familiarity with logic and proofs ordinarily gained in high-school geometry, Appendix A is provided for those who prefer a more formal treatment. If this appendix is covered, it may be taught at any time as an independent unit or in combination with Chapter 9. The exercise sets in this book have been designed for flexibility. Many straightforward computational and algorithmic exercises are included after each section. These exercises give students hands-on practice with the concepts and algorithms of discrete mathematics and are especially important for students whose mathematical backgrounds are weak. Other exercises extend the material in the text or introduce new concepts not treated there. At the end of each chapter, a set of supplementary exercises is provided. Historical comments have been also added and enhanced to put the material in context. These are included at the end of each chapter. Chapters 3 and 4 have been rewritten so as to give the breadth-first search algorithm a more prominent role. Many examples in these chapters have been rewritten to be more useful to instructors who do not wish to discuss the details of the formal presentations of the algorithms. Each chapter ends with a set of computer projects related to its content, algorithmic or otherwise. These are purposely stated in general terms, so as to be appropriate to students using various computing systems and languages.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 600 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley; 4 edition (October 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321079124
• ISBN-13: 978-0321079121
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #450,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Review of Discrete Mathematics (4th Edition), March 21, 2006

By 

lone73 "David" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discrete Mathematics (4th Edition) (Hardcover)

I used this book for a sophomore level Discrete Math class in the CS program at Park university. It was pretty difficult to understand for everybody in the class including myself and I've had math through Calc III. It was apparently not written for that level student.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars No logic, few proofs makes it inappropriate as a textbook, June 24, 2004

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Discrete Mathematics (4th Edition) (Hardcover)

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.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Inadequate for a textbook, March 8, 2004

By 

Seungwoo Hwang (Albany, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Discrete Mathematics (4th Edition) (Hardcover)

While this book by Dossey may serve as a self-teaching book for surveying topics in discrete mathematics, it is not thorough enough even for an introductory course, thus inadequate for a textbook. FYI, I am currently taking a discrete mathematics course using a popular textbook "Discrete mathematics and its applications" by Rosen.

The most basic foundation of discrete mathematics is logic and proof. This part is found in the very first chapter of Rosen book. On the contrary, Dossey book covers that part in the appendix! While one may read the appendix first, doing so is still not helpful because all the proof in this book are not based on the arguments in the appendix. Also, the appendix does not cover quantifier at all. As a result, one cannot build a concrete foundation, and without it, your understanding of discrete mathematics will not go far.

I do not like all aspects of Rosen book (there are some issues, as can be seen from its review), nor I like books with high level of mathematical sophistication, but I am glad that my instructor did not choose this Dossey book as a textbook.

Also, its price is too high for its relatively slim volume.