An Introduction to Discrete Mathematics

This gentle introduction to discrete mathematics is written for first and second year math majors, especially those who intend to teach. The text began as a set of lecture notes for the discrete mathematics course at the University of Northern Colorado. This course serves both as an introduction to topics in discrete math and as the "introduction to proof" course for math majors. The course is usually taught with a large amount of student inquiry, and this text is written to help facilitate this.

This gentle introduction to discrete mathematics is written for first and second year math majors, especially those who intend to teach. The text began as a set of lecture notes for the discrete mathematics course at the University of Northern Colorado. This course serves both as an introduction to topics in discrete math and as the "introduction to proof" course for math majors. The course is usually taught with a large amount of student inquiry, and this text is written to help facilitate this.

This book has two primary objectives: It teaches students fundamental concepts in discrete mathematics (from counting to basic cryptography to graph theory), and it teaches students proof-writing skills. With a wealth of learning aids and a clear presentation, the book teaches students not only how to write proofs, but how to think clearly and present cases logically beyond this course.

Concepts of discrete mathematics can help clarify a programmer's thinking about software design problems and can make many solutions obvious. Starting at an elementary level, this book teaches about fundamental structures of discrete mathematics and many simple but powerful programming techniques using those structures.

This stimulating textbook presents a broad and accessible guide to the fundamentals of discrete mathematics, highlighting how the techniques may be applied to various exciting areas in computing.