This book introduces combinatorial analysis to the beginning student. The author begins with the theory of permutation and combinations and their applications to generating functions. In subsequent chapters, he presents Bell polynomials; the principle of inclusion and exclusion; the enumeration of permutations in cyclic representation; the theory of distributions; partitions, compositions, trees and linear graphs; and the enumeration of restricted permutations. Originally published in 1980. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This gradual, systematic introduction to the main concepts of combinatorics is the ideal text for advanced undergraduate and early graduate courses in this subject. Each of the book's three sections--Existence, Enumeration, and Construction--begins with a simply stated first principle, which is then developed step by step until it leads to one of the three major achievements of combinatorics: Van der Waerden's theorem on arithmetic progressions, Polya's graph enumeration formula, and Leech's 24-dimensional lattice. Along the way, Professor Martin J. Erickson introduces fundamental results, discusses interconnection and problem-solving techniques, and collects and disseminates open problems that raise new and innovative questions and observations. His carefully chosen end-of-chapter exercises demonstrate the applicability of combinatorial methods to a wide variety of problems, including many drawn from the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. Many important combinatorial methods are revisited several times in the course of the text--in exercises and examples as well as theorems and proofs. This repetition enables students to build confidence and reinforce their understanding of complex material. Mathematicians, statisticians, and computer scientists profit greatly from a solid foundation in combinatorics. Introduction to Combinatorics builds that foundation in an orderly, methodical, and highly accessible manner.

This introduction to combinatorics, the foundation of the interaction between computer science and mathematics, is suitable for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students in engineering, science, and mathematics. The four-part treatment begins with a section on counting and listing that covers basic counting, functions, decision trees, and sieving methods. The following section addresses fundamental concepts in graph theory and a sampler of graph topics. The third part examines a variety of applications relevant to computer science and mathematics, including induction and recursion, sorting theory, and rooted plane trees. The final section, on generating functions, offers students a powerful tool for studying counting problems. Numerous exercises appear throughout the text, along with notes and references. The text concludes with solutions to odd-numbered exercises and to all appendix exercises.

Combinatorial games are games of pure strategy involving two players, with perfect information and no element of chance. Starting from the very basics of gameplay and strategy, the authors cover a wide range of topics, from game algebra to special classes of games. Classic techniques are introduced and applied in novel ways to analyze both old and

Excellent text covers vector fields, plane homology and the Jordan Curve Theorem, surfaces, homology of complexes, more. Problems and exercises. Some knowledge of differential equations and multivariate calculus required.Bibliography. 1979 edition.

Emphasizes a Problem Solving Approach A first course in combinatorics Completely revised, How to Count: An Introduction to Combinatorics, Second Edition shows how to solve numerous classic and other interesting combinatorial problems. The authors take an easily accessible approach that introduces problems before leading into the theory involved. Although the authors present most of the topics through concrete problems, they also emphasize the importance of proofs in mathematics. New to the Second Edition This second edition incorporates 50 percent more material. It includes seven new chapters that cover occupancy problems, Stirling and Catalan numbers, graph theory, trees, Dirichlet’s pigeonhole principle, Ramsey theory, and rook polynomials. This edition also contains more than 450 exercises. Ideal for both classroom teaching and self-study, this text requires only a modest amount of mathematical background. In an engaging way, it covers many combinatorial tools, such as the inclusion-exclusion principle, generating functions, recurrence relations, and Pólya’s counting theorem.

This graduate-level text presents mathematical theory and problem-solving techniques associated with enumeration problems. Subjects include the combinatorics of the ordinary generating function and the exponential generating function, the combinatorics of sequences, and the combinatorics of paths. The text is complemented by approximately 350 exercises with full solutions. 1983 edition. Foreword by Gian-Carlo Rota. References. Index.