Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great text on discrete mathematics especially for non-math majors, August 9, 2006
I used an earlier edition of this textbook in a discrete mathematics class that was required for those of us with a non-CS background enrolled in a MSCS program at Virginia Tech, and I found this to be an excellent and complete book on the subject. If you find yourself enrolled in a class using this book, you can be sure of two things - your instructor knows how to select good textbooks and also it won't matter if your instructor is a good teacher since this book does all of the work for him/her.
If you are enrolled in a class on discrete math and this textbook is not assigned, might I suggest you get a used copy of the previous edition. It is just as good as this current edition and used copies can easily be found dirt cheap. If you buy a copy of a previous edition the topics you'd be missing that are new to this edition would be expected value, conditional probability, Bayes' theorem, modular arithmetic, Fermat's little theorem and the Chinese remainder theorem, and RSA cryptography.
The author has included illuminating examples of all concepts throughout the textbook, defined all terms, and makes sure that each new concept introduced builds on previously explained material. Subjects covered include the logic of computation, including the predicate logic that is necessary for fully understanding artificial intelligence, methods of proof including the method of induction and also the terminology of sequences, number theory and combinatorics, O-notation and the calculation of the efficiency of algorithms, graph theory and discrete structures, and an introduction to concepts from the theory of computation. There are many exercises included, with the solutions to selected exercises in the back of the book.
This book only assumes mathematical maturity at the level of precalculus, excluding trigonometry. I highly recommend this text especially to students who are transitioning to computer science from some other discipline and need a firm foundation in the basics of that field. You'll find it useful as a foundational text for studying artificial intelligence, the theory of algorithms, mathematical models of computation, and the theory of computation. Another useful book on this subject is the "Schaum's Outline of Discrete Mathematics".
The table of contents are as follows:
1. The Logic of Compound Statements
2. The Logic of Quantified Statements
3. Elementary Number Theory and Methods of Proof
4. Sequences and Mathematical Induction
5. Set Theory
6. Counting
7. Functions
8. Recursion
9. O-Notation and the Efficiency of Algorithms
10. Relations
11. Graphs and Trees
12. Finite State Automata and Applications
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Redundancies and Excessive Prose Detract from High Quality, October 10, 2000
Suzanne Epp is an excellent writer and no one could accuse her of skimping on content. However there is such a thing as overkill. Certain sections badly need trimming and clarity: teaching from this book I spend a fair amount of time "boiling things down" to essential points which are often only implied or hidden among a proleration of examples. For example, entire sections are devoted to facets of predicate logic and arguments. This wouldn't prove redundant were it not for the fact that there is much duplication between the points mentioned in predicate logic and the points mentioned in propositional logic. I've seen less redundant and and more perspicuous presentations on logic in other texts. The homework problems for the large part seem a bit trivial. The reader again senses too much quantity of detail with little organizational clarity. Fewer and more substantive examples would prove helpful. The book seems ideal for a liberal arts college, there is plenty of text but much is mathematical style over substance. The reader, however, will at least be left with a clear conceptual understanding of salient topics in discrete math.
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Almost perfect....., October 22, 2004
For anyone having a bit of a problem getting used to formal proofs and number theory, this book is the best I've seen for the beginner, hands down. If you've gotten into one of the top math programs in the country, you will do OK without this book; but as for the rest of us, this book may prevent a lot of grief. It moves slowly and clearly through basic methods of proof and number theory, and it builds confidence quickly. Dr. Epp has written a great book, and the only drawback (which isn't her fault) is the price. If you are pretty good at math through Calculus but got thrown for a loop trying to understand proofs and more formal mathematics, this is probably the book for you (as it was for me).
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