Synopses & Reviews
Combinatorics is a subject of increasing importance because of its links with computer science, statistics, and algebra. This textbook stresses common techniques (such as generating functions and recursive construction) that underlie the great variety of subject matter, and the fact that a constructive or algorithmic proof is more valuable than an existence proof. The author emphasizes techniques as well as topics and includes many algorithms described in simple terms. The text should provide essential background for students in all parts of discrete mathematics.
Synopsis
A textbook in combinatorics for second-year undergraduate to beginning graduate students.
Table of Contents
Preface; 1. What is combinatorics?; 2. On numbers and counting; 3. Subsets, partitions, permutations; 4. Recurrence relations and generating functions; 5. The principle of inclusion and exclusion; 6. Latin squares and SDRs; 7. Extremal set theory; 8. Steiner triple theory; 9. Finite geometry; 10. Ramseyâs theorem; 11. Graphs; 12. Posets, lattices and matroids; 13. More on partitions and permutations; 14. Automorphism groups and permutation groups; 15. Enumeration under group action; 16. Designs; 17. Error-correcting codes; 18. Graph colourings; 19. The infinite; 20. Where to from here?; Answers to selected exercises; Bibliography; Index.