A path to combinatorics for undergraduates : counting strategies / Titu Andreescu, Zuming Feng.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Andreescu, Titu, 1956-

Contributor:

Feng, Zuming.

Ellis D. Williams, College 1865, Endowment Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Combinatorial analysis.

Combinatorial number theory.

Physical Description:

xviii, 228 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Boston : Birkhũser, 2004.

Summary:

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.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Ellis D. Williams, College 1865, Endowment Fund.

ISBN:

0817642889

3764342889

OCLC:

52688074