Book Description
Elayn Martin-Gay's success as a developmental math author starts with a strong focus on mastering the basics through well-written explanations, innovative pedagogy and a meaningful, integrated program of learning resources. The revisions to this edition provide new pedagogy and resources to build reader confidence and help readers develop basic skills and understand concepts. Features incorporation of AMATYC and NCTM standards-reflected in an increased emphasis on visualization graphing, and data analysis. In addition, Martin-Gay's 4-step problem solving process-Understand, Translate, Solve and Interpret-is integrated throughout. Also includes new features such as Study Skills Reminders, "Integrated Reviews", and "Concept Checks." For those in need of a graphing utility resource in intermediate algebra, and for readers who need to prepare for advanced algebra or finite math.
Customer Reviews:
Intermediate Algebra Book.......2007-02-17
I was very impressed with how fast the book arrived. It also arrived in great condition. I would definately consider doing business with this vendor again.
Book needs more explanations and less fluff.......2005-06-04
Book needs more explanations on problems and less "Study habit reminders" and other fluffy stuff that I just skip over. What student has time to read the "extra optional stuff"?
In my humble opinion, this book doesn't explain problems well.
It doesn't explain WHY. It assumes you know WHY problems are solved in certain ways.
For example, on page 110, she throws a property at you:
"If A is a positive number, then | X |
< a is equivalent to -a
< X
< a."
It would really help me understand this property if I knew WHY| X |
< a is equivalent to -a
< X
< a.
The answer book should explain more also - especially for problems that are different from the examples.
I do like the idea of concept checks though.
Sometimes complex.......2003-09-29
This book covers many problems but lacks descriptive solutions. I could not get a good concept of how to solve the problems because most of the solutions were broken into several sections. This book does give some of the answers but again it does lack descriptive solutions.
I can't wait to get this book!.......2003-09-17
In my pre-algebra I and II classes, we used Martin-Gay's books. They were wonderful! They're easy to understand and follow with plenty of exercises. I was looking forward to using her books for Intermediate Algebra. I was extremely disappointed to find that the college switched to a different book...one that isn't helpful at all. I'm planning on using Martin-Gay's book along side our college textbook we now have. Hopefully, the lightbulb will be going on much quicker!
Very Complete.......2003-03-07
This book won't let you get stuck, it explains all concepts clearly. It offers a good beginning algebra review, and gives you a thorough dose of the tougher stuff.
Book Description
This book is designed to describe fundamental algorithmic techniques for constructing drawings of graphs. Suitable as a book or reference manual, its chapters offer an accurate, accessible reflection of the rapidly expanding field of graph drawing.
Customer Reviews:
Not the best book ever..........2007-09-30
This graph drawing book is, according to my lecturer, one of the few books on this subject. There is a different book too, written by some japanese authors. The drawback of the latter book is that it is too technical sometimes, while this book discusses intuitively understandable algorithms.
But, there are also some major drawbacks concerning this book. Not all chapters are equally good: some are horrible to read while others are very understandable.
Furthermore, the book is not printed anymore, so you just purchase a black-and-white copy of the original book with some fancy cover. Since the book is just copied, some pictures do not look like the way they should and one picture isn't shown at all. This results in some difficulties understanding the pictures and discussed material. I purchased one of the cheaper variants of the book, maybe the more expensive ones are printed versions.
Also, the book is absolutely not free of mistakes!
To conclude: the book is probably OK for understanding the basics of graph drawing, considering what's for sale. But beware of the drawbacks of this book and use it with care.
Who is this book for?.......2003-08-10
I am a mathematician/computer scientist quite interested in the subject matter, but the book is almost useless, since it mostly discusses ad hoc methods, and avoids proving any of the actual theorems in the subject. Unfortunate, since there is certainly room for a good book on the subject.
Not useful for me, maybe for other people.......2003-05-20
To me the book is not useful, because I need to draw graphs in which the distance between two connected vertices is fixed. The book doesn't mention any method to handle graphs with such a restriction, although the chapter on force-directed methods inspired me to use something similar. If you draw graphs without that restriction, the book might be useful to you - that's why I'm careful and give it 4 stars.
I disagree with Viv. R who said it doesn't contain pseudo code, because the book contains quite some of it, though not in every chapter. But even lack of pseudo code doesn't bother me, because for an experienced mathematical programmer that should be no problem.
Good Theory .. but.......2000-12-03
The book has a solid theoretical explanation of most of the popular graph drawing algorithms. So, if you want an explanation of these algorithms from a mathematical point of view, this book is for you.
If you are like me, and want to approach these problems from an 'algorithmic' viewpoint. I.e I want to know how to write planarization, Orthogonal layout algorithms... This book will disappoint you big time...Most of the algorithms are presented in a mathematical form (not a psuedocode form).. It is a huge leap to convert algorithms in this book to code.
Overall, I rate this book a 3 because, it is the ONLY book on this subject. Therefore, I cant compare it with anything else.
My advice is :- math major = BUY, computer major = PASS, after all this book is not cheap -
Very complete, authoritative.......1999-04-01
Well organized, very complete, authoritative. Thanks to the authors for compiling and adding to a most interesting and valuable area of study.
Book Description
Intended for a 2-semester sequence of
Introductory and
Intermediate Algebra where students get a solid foundation in algebra with early and frequent exposure to functions and an empasis on modeling with full integration of the graphing calculator. The goal is to prepare them for success in College Algebra or their next math course.
Book Description
"Andreescu's 51 'introductory problems' and 51 'advanced problems,' all novel, would nicely supplement any university course in combinatorics or discrete mathematics. This volume contains detailed solutions, sometimes multiple solutions, for all the problems, and some solutions offer additional twists for further thought . . . "—CHOICE
102 Combinatorial Problems consists of carefully selected problems that have been used in the training and testing of the USA International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) team. The text provides in-depth enrichment in the important areas of combinatorics by systematically reorganizing and enhancing problem-solving tactics and strategies. The book gradually builds combinatorial skills and techniques and not only broadens the student's view of mathematics, but is also excellent for training teachers.
Customer Reviews:
A well selected and organized problem set in combinatorics........2003-01-13
This is an excellent training source in combinatorics for mathematics olympiads and contests.
Problems in this book are divided into 2 sets, with each set containing 51 problems. Problems in the first set are introductory ones (hence, relatively easy), and that in the second set are advanced problems (And harder, much harder indeed in the last few problems). Problems are very well selected and carefully organized according to their difficulty and technic involved. They span from the very easy first some enumerative problems to the really hard IMO-level, even notorious National-MO problems. Moreover, problems are up-to-date hence it avoids well-known cliche problems. The book is published in the end of 2002, and in this book some of the 102 problems are selected from the IMO that year!
As a regular lecturer of Taiwan's IMO team, I highly recommend this problem book.
Book Description
Combining a careful selection of topics with coverage of their genuine applications in computer science, this book, more than any other in this field, is clearly and concisely written, presenting the basic ideas of discrete mathematical structures in a manner that is understandable.
Limiting its scope and depth of topics to those that readers can actually utilize, this book covers first the fundamentals, then follows with logic, counting, relations and digraphs, functions, order relations and structures, trees, graph theory, semigroups and groups, languages and finite-state machines, and groups and coding.
With its comprehensive appendices and index, this book can be an excellent reference work for mathematicians and those in the field of computer science.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent text.......2007-10-01
I am reviewing the 5th edition. This is an excellent text, easy to learn from, with a crystal clear presentation. I've found few errors in this edition and the ones that I have found are non-substantive typos, nothing more. Each chapter is broken out into digestible sections, and each section is followed by a wealth of problems. The problems are progressive, starting out very easy, but none of them are too hard to do: the authors' intent is clearly to build the reader's skill with the material. The problems are a mix of routine computations and some proofs. Answers to all odd numbered problems are given in the back of the book, making the text valuable for self-study.
I disagree with the reviewer who criticized the book on the basis of the institutional affiliations of the authors. The text should be judged on its merits: If you're looking for a terse, densely compacted thicket of mathematical symbolism, then this is not your book. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a clear, solid presentation that flows naturally from one topic to the next, then this is the book you should purchase.
Canned methods, sloppy...........2004-02-28
THe credentials of the authors speak in bounds... Drexel University and Georgia Perimeter College???!?!?! GPC is a 2-year. Anyways, all that aside, the presentation of the material is horrible. Obviously, the background of these authors is that of 1,2,3 methods, with absolutely no concept of any concepts behind the material. The problems/examples are unrelated to the material in the chapters, and no preparation was given to answer them. Our professor even said that he emailed the writer to change the wording in a few questions, the writer agreed wholeheartedly, and yet the question remained in the next edition....
IN the age of Chubb Institute and quickie-degree schools, this book would do fine. Math, in my opinion, while can be learned with these methods, is useless without the knowledge of how it came about, why it is used, and theory or explanation/background. This book provides none of this. I do not recommend it to anyone. ESPECIALLY not one of "beginner" status(...)
A fine and useful book........2002-01-07
I have never been a math wizard, but I really enjoyed this book, and have kept it around because it is so helpful.
I appreciate the organization of the book. If you want to study a chapter out of sequence, the opening page tells you which earlier chapters are necessary to understand the new one. The exercises in each section are progressive - you can understand the topic with the first few problems, and by the time you work through the section you will REALLY understand it.
I used the fourth edition, published in 2000, so perhaps there are some inaccuracies in the earlier edition. I found few examples of wrong answers.
Difficult, Innacurate, but Topical.......1999-04-11
The textbook is difficult to understand and many of the answers in the back of the book are wrong. Also it addresses lots of good topics but mostle hard to understand.
Great Reference for Abstract Algebra and Real Analysis!.......1999-03-11
I thought that it was easy to read, the examples weren't difficult to follow and the definitions and proofs were great! I used it many times as a reference for Abstract Algebra (that book was awful) and Intro to Real Analysis. Great buy and a keeper for all students of Mathematics! Also, there is a reference of mathematical symbols in case you should forget what something means.
Book Description
A Path to Combinatorics for Undergraduates is a lively introduction not only to combinatorics, but also to mathematical ingenuity, rigor, and the joy of solving puzzles. This unique approach to combinatorics is centered around unconventional, essay-type combinatorial examples, followed by a number of carefully selected, challenging problems and extensive discussions of their solutions. Topics encompass permutations and combinations, binomial coefficients and their applications, bijections, inclusions and exclusions, and generating functions. Each chapter features fully-worked problems, including many from Olympiads and other competitions, as well as a number of problems original to the authors; at the end of each chapter are further exercises to reinforce understanding, encourage creativity, and build a repertory of problem-solving techniques.
The authors' previous text,
102 Combinatorial Problems, makes a fine companion volume to the present work, which is ideal for Olympiad participants and coaches, advanced high school students, undergraduates, and college instructors. The book's unusual problems and examples will interest seasoned mathematicians as well.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting and Clear.......2006-03-23
The book is written very clearly and presents a lot of combinatorial subjects by very interesting examples.
Book Description
The Fourth Edition of Yoshiwara and Yoshiwara's MODELING, FUNCTIONS, AND GRAPHS: ALGEBRA FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS includes content found in a typical algebra course, along with introductions to curve-fitting and display of data. Yoshiwara and Yoshiwara focus on three core themes throughout their textbook: Modeling, Functions, and Graphs. In their work of modeling and functions, the authors utilize the Rule of Four, which is that all problems should be considered using algebraic, numerical, graphical, and verbal methods. The authors motivate students to acquire the skills and techniques of algebra by placing them in the context of simple applications that use real-life data.
Customer Reviews:
This Book is Larger than Tolstoy's "War and Peace".......2006-09-05
Dear Average Reader,
Math is my best subject, but it might as well be my worst because this is absolutely the worst text book I've ever seen. If I could meet the authors, Mr. and Mrs. Yoshiwara, I would ask them why they believe the best way for a student to learn college algebra is by providing him with an 8.5-by-10.5-inch hardcover text at 2 inches thick containing almost 1000 pages and a CD ROM, an 8.5-by-11-inch softcover "work book" an inch thich with 350 pages, and an 10-by-8-inch softcover "solution manual" another inch thick with 425 pages.
I deduce from these books that college algebra must be the most complicated thing to learn in the history of mankind. In fact, I actually shudder before these books. The reason I shudder is not because I believe algebra must be this difficult, but because I can't think of a worse undertaking than what I'll witness inside these pages.
Forget the $115 + $45 + sales tax price (as of Fall 2006). First, no person in a college program could possibly have enough time in his semester to completely read these books. I seriously doubt anyone would ever attempt, or could be able, to read these books in his entire life. This assessment comes from just the threat of the sheer size of so many pages, and a CD ROM.
Second, the book is merely acceptable at best. For instance, the first question of the first excercise asks how many weeks are between week 5 and week 9? Five, of course. I'll count them: week 5, week 6, week 7, week 8, and week 9. My math teacher insisted I was wrong, but that's not my point: why would anyone publish a textbook so reckless that the answer of its questions must be assumed in definition?
Let me explain. I suggest to my friend we could go get some lunch together. He says he didn't bring much money. So, I take the change out of my pocket and hold it in my hand. Then, I instruct my friend to do the same. I count my money, and he counts his. We add them together and we get our answer. We have just 95 cents BETWEEN the two of us.
Here's another one. There are five people sitting between me and that actor from television. I wasn't counting him, nor me. Following this interpretation means there are three weeks between weeks 5 and 9. That is because weeks 6, 7, and 8 are between weeks 5 and 9: three weeks. Logically, one should not assume an interpretation without facts.
Here's a question similar to one from the book which my class studied. I go to the grocery store for cola. A 2-liter of cola costs $1.70. A 3-liter of cola costs $2.25. Therefore, the 2-liter is 85 cents per liter, and the 3-liter is 75 cents per liter. Because the price of the 3-liter is a better bargain, I go to the cashier. I pay 75 cents and leave. Since it's impossible for anyone to buy one liter from a 3-liter, I know this math doesn't account for the view of who's doing the shopping.
Here's a math problem not in the Yoshiwara text. A doctor once asked the mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell a question. He asked, "Where does it hurt?" Russell says, "In my mind." This book will be doing that, too.
Here's a math question from the book. What is the cost of 10 feet of fabric at $5.79 per yard? It's an easy question to answer: $19.30. But, this same question in the book, Excercise A.1, number 5, reads exactly like this:
Question 5. Dress fabric is sold (from bolts with a standard width) for $5.79 per yard.
a. Write an expression for the nubmer of yards of fabric in terms of the number of feet of the fabric. (There are 3 feet in a yard.)
b. Write an expression for the cost of the fabric in terms of the number of feet.
c. Find the cost of 10 feet of fabric.
Let me give you MY VERSION of this question a second time.
Question 5. "What is the cost of 10 feet of fabric at $5.79 per yard?"
Notice the simplicity of my version of their question?
First, what does it want to know when it wants something "in terms" of something else? What is this? What are terms? Every math problem will result in writing a term. Factually, it's impossible to do any math class homework without writing a term. This wording has no logic.
Second, why does the book have to tell me to "write an expression?" I always write expressions for all math homework. I cannot solve the problem without forming an expression. Does it ask me to write the expression I form? Well, my college professor told me to do that anyway. He called it, "Homework." All math teachers want students to write the expression they think. How else do students perform homework: writing it really is the only way! This book is full of trite statements!
Third, all the questions in the book ask questions with the same confusion I mention. They have traded in the normal style of algebra text book homework where the question is posed as a question, and NOT posed as an instruction, telling me what to do. In the Yoshiwara book, all questions are formed as instructions; meaning, it has no questions in the book. Therefore, the main objective of the Yoshwara text is to force conformity upon students. The famous MENSA International, the intellectual exchange with IQ tests, forms questions with question marks ending their sentences. Their logic quizzes do not expect members to follow statements of instruction. Therefore, I can extrapolate: the Yoshiwara text uses no proper test of logic, nor does it use any logic in its test design.
I told a friend of mine I thought the Yoshiwara algebra text was excessive. He said, your teacher would know more than you about the qualifications of the textbook for his class. The statement is correct, but it unfortunately only accounts for one person's beliefs, and is inconsiderate to the students'. I scored highest in my last two math classes, but I know I don't know nothing, so I gently reminded him, although my teacher is a professional instructor, that I am a professional student who has to read the text. My friend suggested I study from an alternate algebra text, but I told him that action doesn't make much sense since I will have to complete problems from the Yoshiwara text for my instructor anyway. To form a pun, I figure I don't need more problems.
Math has always been my best subject, to which I have always done well. I had a higher grade score in my last two algebra courses than anyone else in my classes. But, since I have to study from Yoshiwaras' book, I'm thinking of suicide.
The Yoshiwara text is only in line with that new logic that says people are using their vision to learn, more than reading books to learn. My English teacher told me about that new logic. It's like being on crack, or watching MTV. At least, the book tries to adapt to what my English teacher calls the mind of an MTV generation. If this book follows that logic, it's because there's very little simplicity. It's a major undertaking. It's a barrage of math principle with a prerequisite of a master's degree. It was designed by math professors with total interest in math and a blatant disregard to life and logic. They didn't make it to learn math from it; they made it to look like it's the most complete text on algebra that ever existed, only in order to make its existence necessary, for no sane person would read it.
Judging from the text questions I read and the quantity of text, I bet the authors want to teach students to "pump out" math answers without having to think.
No one should ever be forced to study a math text larger than a New York City phone book.
Book Description
This book fills a need for a thorough introduction to graph theory that features both the understanding and writing of proofs about graphs. Verification that algorithms work is emphasized more than their complexity. An effective use of examples, and huge number of interesting exercises, demonstrate the topics of trees and distance, matchings and factors, connectivity and paths, graph coloring, edges and cycles, and planar graphs. For those who need to learn to make coherent arguments in the fields of mathematics and computer science.
Customer Reviews:
Not bad.......2007-05-18
We used this for a Computer Science class on Graph Theory, and I remember more than one student complaining about the book. Generally speaking, what people found most disconcerting about the text was its level of abstraction, and "lack of motivation" for the theorems provided. In my experience, these complaints are frequently leveled by non-mathematicians at books that are clearly NOT non-mathematical; West's book falls into this category. This is, first and foremost, a book for mathematicians.
As pointed out by other reviewers, the book isn't perfect. There are a lot of errors, although you can obviously deal with these if you read the errata. West also has the habit of sometimes presenting a theorem completely out of the blue, which can cause some confusion. That said, the book does a very good job overall. Graph theory is an exceptionally beautiful subject, but it's easy to obscure that in a theorem/proof/theorem didactic haze. West has an agenda, and therefore the book has a discernible structure, which brings out the beauty of the area. The chapters on coloring and planar graphs are particularly strong, although the most interesting chapter for me was the one on additional topics; the sections on matroids, Ramsey theory, random graphs and spectral graph theory, while far from comprehensive, provide good introductions. Another strong aspect of the book are the exercises; these range from very easy to very difficult, the latter being from major papers in graph theory. The hints section at the end of the book is quite helpful here.
Overall, a very good book. I didn't know anything about graph theory before I started reading it, but I had a professor to help me through the rough spots, so perhaps it's not exactly ideal for self-study. If you've been exposed to the basics before though, it's definitely worth taking a look at.
Good middling book.......2005-10-11
The treatment is logically rigorous and impeccably arranged, yet, ironically, this book suffers from its best feature: it is comprehensive. As a book becomes more encyclopedic, it becomes less useful for pedagogy. Introduction to Graph Theory is somewhere in the middle. It is an adequate reference work and an adequate textbook. Steering a middle course, the book is bound to dissatisfy people with specific needs, but readers needing both a reference and a text will find the book satisfying.
If you buy it for pedagogical purposes, be prepared to consult other works for a more intuitive approach. Introduction to Graph Theory presents few models, relying instead on logically rigorous development. Personally, I'm for both, but that takes up space, meaning less material can be covered.
I'm glad I bought the book, and I will keep it for a future reference.
Graph lovers' book.......2005-05-26
West is enthusiastic about graph theory. I do not recommend this book for independent study, nor would I recommend it for a first-time student of graph theory. It is called "Introduction to Graph Theory", not because it is an appropriate introductory text for new students, but because it covers a broad area of the subject. I recommend it for a student who has read at least one lower-level introductory text and would like to round out their knowledge of graph theory in a more in-depth way.
I have two problems with this book. They both stem from the fact that it reads more like a collection of journal articles than like a cohesive text book. One is that his notation is very specific--he does not always use the most common form of notation, and this means that dipping into the book is difficult. The second problem for me is that West defines many things that I do not feel need defining. Rather than using a short description of a certain type of graph whenever he refers to it, he will give it a label. Again, this makes dipping into his text rather difficult, especially since many of the things he defines are not generally given a definition. Both of these would be perfectly reasonable for a journal article, but seem rather out of place in a large textbook--his definitions particularly clutter up his work. Perhaps West is more used to writing papers than textbooks.
Having said that, West is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. His exercises are wonderful, marked with a (-) for easy, a (+) for difficult, a (!) for particularly instructive, and a (*) for problems based on optional material. Several of the (!) problems I have worked required me to actually look up the paper that they are based on for the final solution--which is possible due to his excellent citations. His index of works cited is an education in itself, and any student wishing to pursue a specific area in greater depth will find his book an wonderful gateway.
My perspective: I am an undergraduate student doing summer research in graph theory, working under a professor.
Just a pile of theorems without much insight.......2004-12-04
This book is an average book on graph theory. Although the author is an authority in the field, he seems to just have collected a bunch of theorems and put them together "a la" copy-and-paste, without filling up the gaps with useful insights. Intuition is always the key on a book that claims to be introductory, and this book lacks a lot of that. Probably useful as a reference book, but again not as "Introduction to Graph Theory" (and to be used as a "handbook of graph theory" it would need much more material.
Pretty good.......2004-03-03
Level of the book: 3rd-4th year undergrad or 1st-2nd year grad (pretty big range).
Don't let other reviews fool you. This book does an excellent job covering the material at hand, especially given the task West set out to achieve. The book basically stands alone thanks to thorough appendices and a fair amount of examples, plus lots of problems (mostly proofs). Because this material is proof-based, I cannot suggest that this book could stand alone, but that someone else should review problems and such.
When I first was reading this book, I ignored the appendices, and that was my downfall. Once I started using all the tools in this book, things started coming together. Because of the intricate design, I would recommend this book only to people who are serious about a thorough introduction to graph theory. That is, actually proving many of the theorems that play a central role in this introduction. For a simple introduction to concepts, I would recommend Trudeau's book, "Introduction to Graph Theory," which is a good read and introduces a few of the ideas and definitions of graph theory, but does not focus on proofs.
My only major quarrel with this book is that it is completely void of color! This would be EXTREMELY useful in this book because many of the diagrams are complicated and different color labels would make things much clearer (instead of bolding lines and such). The increased price of the book would certainly be worth the clarity from color. There are also some typos throughout the book, but none too major (that have been noticed).
Overall, I would highly recommend this book over any other, but consider waiting until an edition with color comes out.
Book Description
This book emphasizes combinatorial ideas including the pigeon-hole principle, counting techniques, permutations and combinations, Pólya counting, binomial coefficients, inclusion-exclusion principle, generating functions and recurrence relations, and combinatortial structures (matchings, designs, graphs). The volume provides a complete examination of combinatorial ideas and techniques. For individuals interested in combinatorial concepts.
Customer Reviews:
nice accessable text.......2007-04-15
Most (but not all) of the copious errors in earlier editions have been fixed.
(Brualdi maintains an errata list on his website.) I like this book a lot,
it has a nice, relaxed style of exposition and the choice of topics is good
for an introductory course.
Interesting Problems, Too Many Mistakes.......1999-01-04
I used the book to guide me through a Combinatorics class I took in the summer of 1998. The author has presented some very interesting problems like prove that of any 10 points chosen withen an equlateral triangle of side length 1, there are 2 whose distance apart is at most 1/3 that use some interesting techniques such as the pigeonhole principal. The book, however contained too many mistakes. My professor said on average there is one mistake per page and he wasn't exagerating either. Luckily with his help, we corrected the many mistakes and then were successfully able to use the book. I notice that the author has written a new edition. I hope most of the mistakes have been corrected because when I pay a good sum of money for a book I expect it to be good book without errors.
Book Description
This book is designed for use by students with a wide range of ability and maturity. The stronger the students, the harder the exercises that can be assigned. The book can be used for one-quarter, two-quarter, or one-semester course depending on how much material is used.
Combinatorical reasoning underlies all analysis of computer systems. It plays a similar role in discrete operations research problems and in finite probability. This book teaches students in the mathematical sciences how to reason and model combinatorically. It seeks to develop proficiency in basic discrete math problem solving in the way that a calculus textbook develops proficiency in basic analysis problem solving.
The three principle aspects of combinatorical reasoning emphasized in this book are: the systematic analysis of different possibilities, the exploration of the logical structure of a problem (e.g. finding manageable subpieces or first solving the problem with three objects instead of n), and ingenuity. Although important uses of combinatorics in computer science, operations research, and finite probability are mentioned, these applications are often used solely for motivation. Numerical examples involving the same concepts use more interesting settings such as poker probabilities or logical games.
Customer Reviews:
Haphazard Applied Combinatorics is more like it..........2007-04-20
Mr. Tucker has, in his mundane brilliance, decided that all college professors would be able enough to fill in the gaps that he has blatantly left out in this book. The examples assume that the reader has actually been well versed on the subject prior to picking up this bound misfit, nor do they offer very detailed explanations on how he gets from point A to point B. It's the cut and dry "Here's the start, then you do this, and here's the answer" approach is very annoying, especially when your instructor is not the greatest. Furthermore, the exercises listed in some chapters have little or no relevance to the examples the author presents prior. This is a poor author and a poor choice of colleges to choose this book to teach from.
Do not be mislead by the positive reviews; this book is mediocre.......2005-11-04
This book covers basically two topics: Graph Theory and Enumeration.
The things I liked about this book were challenging problems. This book will certainly be a great SOURCE of problems for an upper-level undergraduate course in graph theory or combinatorics.
However, there are too many shortcomings. The book does not cover topics in depth, and the definitions and theorems it gives are stated very precisely and not explained. Unless you have had an introductory course in graph theory or combinatorics, these definitions will take a lot of time to sink in and make intuitive sense. Several useful theorems are not presented at all, are subtly stated in the text, or are presented in some problem.
The next problem is that this book is riddled with errors. And these are more than just errors in the Answers section, of which there are many, but errors in the actual problems! Sometimes even errors in the proofs. Usually these are typographical errors or sometimes just flat out wrong answers. You can find an errata list on the author's site, but it is far from complete.
I assume the other reviewers did not thoroughly work through this book and did not notice the errors. It is inexcusable for a math textbook to have this many errors. It almost seems as though this book wasn't edited at all. It is truly poor.
Excellent for applications.......2004-06-28
The book covers the fundamentals of graph theory and combinatorics (enumeration) and is designed for first courses for undergraduates.
The material is presented in a clear, friendly manner. The sections are short and specific and the emphasis is on problem-solving. Many examples are provided and constitute the majority of the book's volume. Each section ends with 20-30 exercises with answers (not full solutions) at the end of the book.
The book is excellent for computer science and applied math majors looking for a clear, application-based introduction to combinatorics and graph theory. It is also excellent for self-study.
The book's main flaw is that the proofs are not rigorous and are sometimes more intuitive than mathematical. For pure math students looking to explore graph theory and combinatorics in a more rigorous manner, other books (e.g. Diestel, "Graph Theory") will serve that purpose better.
An almost ideal introduction book to combinatorics.......2002-05-23
There have been wonderfully written reviews of this book, but since this is really an excellent textbook, I am urged to praise again. Fully recommended.
This book is easily and clearly written; covers almost every important basic concept and technic in graph theory and enumerative combinatorics, with neatly selected and wonderfully organised exercises.
And I highly suggest the author give the references to those last exercises in every section, since each of them does lead into a theory.
An almost ideal introduction book to combinatorics.......2002-05-23
There have been wonderfully written reviews of this book, but since this is really an excellent textbook, I am urged to praise again. Fully recommended.
This book is easily and clearly written; covers almost every important basic concept and technic in graph theory and enumerative combinatorics, with neatly selected and wonderfully organised exercises.
And I highly suggested the author give the references to those last exercises in every section, since each of them does lead into a theory.
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General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Beginning Algebra (Martin-Gay Hardback Series)
PHim2 Prentice Hall Interactive Math/Intermediate Algebra - Review, Reference, and Practice
Intermediate Algebra, Student Solutions Manual
The Blair Handbook
Elementary Number Theory (5th Edition)
