Discrete Mathematics with Applications | 
 enlarge | Author: Susanna S. Epp
Publisher: Brooks Cole
Category: Book
List Price: $188.95
Buy New: $79.90
You Save: $109.05 (58%)
New (27) Used (130) from $73.00
Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 10684
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 3
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 928
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.8
Dimensions (in): 10.2 x 8.5 x 1.3
ISBN: 0534359450
Dewey Decimal Number: 510
EAN: 9780534359454
Publication Date: December 22, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Susanna Epp's DISCRETE MATHEMATICS, THIRD EDITION provides a clear introduction to discrete mathematics. Renowned for her lucid, accessible prose, Epp explains complex, abstract concepts with clarity and precision. This book presents not only the major themes of discrete mathematics, but also the reasoning that underlies mathematical thought. Students develop the ability to think abstractly as they study the ideas of logic and proof. While learning about such concepts as logic circuits and computer addition, algorithm analysis, recursive thinking, computability, automata, cryptography, and combinatorics, students discover that the ideas of discrete mathematics underlie and are essential to the science and technology of the computer age. Overall, Epp's emphasis on reasoning provides students with a strong foundation for computer science and upper-level mathematics courses.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 Almost perfect..... October 23, 2004
16 out of 18 found this review helpful
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).
Great text on discrete mathematics especially for non-math majors August 9, 2006
17 out of 18 found this review helpful
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
Great Introductory Book January 13, 2006
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
For a subject which has so much potential to be conveyed in complicated and esoteric ways, this book actually manages to present every single chapter in a clear and accessible way, even for those unfamiliar with formal logic.
It doesn't cover every single theorem you might come across in a first year class, but it comes close. I'd thoroughly recommend this book, even for self-study. I've used a couple of texts for this subject and while none of them are actually bad, this one is streets ahead for understandability and clarity.
Good foundation to build upon May 25, 2005
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
I found this text absolutely wonderful for learning / refreshing the concepts - especially formal proofs.
The text is well-partitioned, with lots of examples and practice problems. It covers a few areas very thoroughly, and does it well.
Excellent text!
Great Book for Discrete Maths Beginners October 31, 2005
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
The author of the book explained the concepts from ground up. The most interesting chapters I have gone through so far are Chapter 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10. Those chapters definitely build up my mathematical foundation and understanding for Computer Science subjects.
The only thing I found lacking in chapter 8 Recursion, is that Non-homogenous recurrence relation is not covered. I feel it should be included to make the chapter completes.
Overall it is a great book to start with if you have little background in mathematics.
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