Introductory Combinatorics (Classic Version), 5th edition

For 1- or 2-semester, junior/senior-level courses in Combinatorics.

A modern classic

Introductory Combinatorics covers the key combinatorial ideas–including the pigeon-hole principle, counting techniques, permutations and combinations, Pólya counting, binomial coefficients, inclusion-exclusion principle, generating functions and recurrence relations, combinatorial structures (matchings, designs, graphs), and flows in networks. The 5th Edition incorporates feedback from users to the exposition throughout and adds a wealth of new exercises.

This title is part of the Pearson Modern Classics series. Pearson Modern Classics are acclaimed titles at a value price.

Hallmark features of this title

• Comprehensive, accessible coverage of main topics in combinatorics:
• Provides students with accessible coverage of basic concepts and principles.
• Covers a wide range of topics: Dilworth's Theorem, partitions of integers, counting sequences and generating functions, and extensive graph theory coverage.
• A clear and accessible presentation, written from the student's perspective, facilitates understanding of basic concepts and principles.
• An excellent treatment of Polya's Counting Theorem does not assume students have studied group theory.
• Many worked examples illustrate methods used.

New and updated features of this title

• A wealth of new exercises has been added to this revision.
• Use of the term “combination” as it applies to a set has been de-emphasized; the author now uses the essentially equivalent term of “subset” for clarity. (In the case of multisets, the text continues to use “combination” versus the more cumbersome term “submultiset.”)
• A new section (Section 1.6) on mutually overlapping circles has been moved from Chapter 7 to illustrate some of the counting techniques covered in later chapters.
• Coverage of the pigeonhole principle and permutations and combinations has been reversed; Chapter 2 now covers permutations and combinations, with Chapter 3 covering the pigeonhole principle.
• An extensively revised Chapter 7 moves up generating functions and exponential generating functions to Sections 7.2 and 7.3, giving them a more central treatment.
• Section 8.3 on partition numbers has been expanded; and much more.