Combinatorics: Ancient & Modern

Combinatorics: Ancient & Modern PDF Author: Robin Wilson
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191630624
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 392

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Book Description
Who first presented Pascal's triangle? (It was not Pascal.) Who first presented Hamiltonian graphs? (It was not Hamilton.) Who first presented Steiner triple systems? (It was not Steiner.) The history of mathematics is a well-studied and vibrant area of research, with books and scholarly articles published on various aspects of the subject. Yet, the history of combinatorics seems to have been largely overlooked. This book goes some way to redress this and serves two main purposes: 1) it constitutes the first book-length survey of the history of combinatorics; and 2) it assembles, for the first time in a single source, researches on the history of combinatorics that would otherwise be inaccessible to the general reader. Individual chapters have been contributed by sixteen experts. The book opens with an introduction by Donald E. Knuth to two thousand years of combinatorics. This is followed by seven chapters on early combinatorics, leading from Indian and Chinese writings on permutations to late-Renaissance publications on the arithmetical triangle. The next seven chapters trace the subsequent story, from Euler's contributions to such wide-ranging topics as partitions, polyhedra, and latin squares to the 20th century advances in combinatorial set theory, enumeration, and graph theory. The book concludes with some combinatorial reflections by the distinguished combinatorialist, Peter J. Cameron. This book is not expected to be read from cover to cover, although it can be. Rather, it aims to serve as a valuable resource to a variety of audiences. Combinatorialists with little or no knowledge about the development of their subject will find the historical treatment stimulating. A historian of mathematics will view its assorted surveys as an encouragement for further research in combinatorics. The more general reader will discover an introduction to a fascinating and too little known subject that continues to stimulate and inspire the work of scholars today.

Combinatorics: Ancient & Modern

Combinatorics: Ancient & Modern PDF Author: Robin Wilson
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191630624
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 392

Get Book Here

Book Description
Who first presented Pascal's triangle? (It was not Pascal.) Who first presented Hamiltonian graphs? (It was not Hamilton.) Who first presented Steiner triple systems? (It was not Steiner.) The history of mathematics is a well-studied and vibrant area of research, with books and scholarly articles published on various aspects of the subject. Yet, the history of combinatorics seems to have been largely overlooked. This book goes some way to redress this and serves two main purposes: 1) it constitutes the first book-length survey of the history of combinatorics; and 2) it assembles, for the first time in a single source, researches on the history of combinatorics that would otherwise be inaccessible to the general reader. Individual chapters have been contributed by sixteen experts. The book opens with an introduction by Donald E. Knuth to two thousand years of combinatorics. This is followed by seven chapters on early combinatorics, leading from Indian and Chinese writings on permutations to late-Renaissance publications on the arithmetical triangle. The next seven chapters trace the subsequent story, from Euler's contributions to such wide-ranging topics as partitions, polyhedra, and latin squares to the 20th century advances in combinatorial set theory, enumeration, and graph theory. The book concludes with some combinatorial reflections by the distinguished combinatorialist, Peter J. Cameron. This book is not expected to be read from cover to cover, although it can be. Rather, it aims to serve as a valuable resource to a variety of audiences. Combinatorialists with little or no knowledge about the development of their subject will find the historical treatment stimulating. A historian of mathematics will view its assorted surveys as an encouragement for further research in combinatorics. The more general reader will discover an introduction to a fascinating and too little known subject that continues to stimulate and inspire the work of scholars today.

Discrete Encounters

Discrete Encounters PDF Author: Craig Bauer
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0429682883
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 668

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Book Description
Eschewing the often standard dry and static writing style of traditional textbooks, Discrete Encounters provides a refreshing approach to discrete mathematics. The author blends traditional course topics and applications with historical context, pop culture references, and open problems. This book focuses on the historical development of the subject and provides fascinating details of the people behind the mathematics, along with their motivations, deepening readers’ appreciation of mathematics. This unique book covers many of the same topics found in traditional textbooks, but does so in an alternative, entertaining style that better captures readers’ attention. In addition to standard discrete mathematics material, the author shows the interplay between the discrete and the continuous and includes high-interest topics such as fractals, chaos theory, cellular automata, money-saving financial mathematics, and much more. Not only will readers gain a greater understanding of mathematics and its culture, they will also be encouraged to further explore the subject. Long lists of references at the end of each chapter make this easy. Highlights: Features fascinating historical context to motivate readers Text includes numerous pop culture references throughout to provide a more engaging reading experience Its unique topic structure presents a fresh approach The text’s narrative style is that of a popular book, not a dry textbook Includes the work of many living mathematicians Its multidisciplinary approach makes it ideal for liberal arts mathematics classes, leisure reading, or as a reference for professors looking to supplement traditional courses Contains many open problems Profusely illustrated

Introduction to Number Theory

Introduction to Number Theory PDF Author: Anthony Vazzana
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1584889381
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 530

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Book Description
One of the oldest branches of mathematics, number theory is a vast field devoted to studying the properties of whole numbers. Offering a flexible format for a one- or two-semester course, Introduction to Number Theory uses worked examples, numerous exercises, and two popular software packages to describe a diverse array of number theory topi

Mathematics and Its History

Mathematics and Its History PDF Author: John Stillwell
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030551938
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 400

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Book Description
This textbook provides a unified and concise exploration of undergraduate mathematics by approaching the subject through its history. Readers will discover the rich tapestry of ideas behind familiar topics from the undergraduate curriculum, such as calculus, algebra, topology, and more. Featuring historical episodes ranging from the Ancient Greeks to Fermat and Descartes, this volume offers a glimpse into the broader context in which these ideas developed, revealing unexpected connections that make this ideal for a senior capstone course. The presentation of previous versions has been refined by omitting the less mainstream topics and inserting new connecting material, allowing instructors to cover the book in a one-semester course. This condensed edition prioritizes succinctness and cohesiveness, and there is a greater emphasis on visual clarity, featuring full color images and high quality 3D models. As in previous editions, a wide array of mathematical topics are covered, from geometry to computation; however, biographical sketches have been omitted. Mathematics and Its History: A Concise Edition is an essential resource for courses or reading programs on the history of mathematics. Knowledge of basic calculus, algebra, geometry, topology, and set theory is assumed. From reviews of previous editions: “Mathematics and Its History is a joy to read. The writing is clear, concise and inviting. The style is very different from a traditional text. I found myself picking it up to read at the expense of my usual late evening thriller or detective novel.... The author has done a wonderful job of tying together the dominant themes of undergraduate mathematics.” Richard J. Wilders, MAA, on the Third Edition "The book...is presented in a lively style without unnecessary detail. It is very stimulating and will be appreciated not only by students. Much attention is paid to problems and to the development of mathematics before the end of the nineteenth century.... This book brings to the non-specialist interested in mathematics many interesting results. It can be recommended for seminars and will be enjoyed by the broad mathematical community." European Mathematical Society, on the Second Edition

Mathematical Music

Mathematical Music PDF Author: Nikita Braguinski
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000545504
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 127

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Book Description
Mathematical Music offers a concise and easily accessible history of how mathematics was used to create music. The story presented in this short, engaging volume ranges from ratios in antiquity to random combinations in the 17th century, 20th-century statistics, and contemporary artificial intelligence. This book provides a fascinating panorama of the gradual mechanization of thought processes involved in the creation of music. How did Baroque authors envision a composition system based on combinatorics? What was it like to create musical algorithms at the beginning of the 20th century, before the computer became a reality? And how does this all explain today’s use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in music? In addition to discussing the history and the present state of mathematical music, Braguinski also takes a look at what possibilities the near future of music AI might hold for listeners, musicians, and the society. Grounded in research findings from musicology and the history of technology, and written for the non-specialist general audience, this book helps both student and professional readers to make sense of today’s music AI by situating it in a continuous historical context.

Introductory Combinatorics

Introductory Combinatorics PDF Author: Kenneth P. Bogart
Publisher: Harcourt Brace College Publishers
ISBN:
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 648

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Book Description
Introductory, Combinatorics, Third Edition is designed for introductory courses in combinatorics, or more generally, discrete mathematics. The author, Kenneth Bogart, has chosen core material of value to students in a wide variety of disciplines: mathematics, computer science, statistics, operations research, physical sciences, and behavioral sciences. The rapid growth in the breadth and depth of the field of combinatorics in the last several decades, first in graph theory and designs and more recently in enumeration and ordered sets, has led to a recognition of combinatorics as a field with which the aspiring mathematician should become familiar. This long-overdue new edition of a popular set presents a broad comprehensive survey of modern combinatorics which is important to the various scientific fields of study.

Mathematics and Logic in History and in Contemporary Thought

Mathematics and Logic in History and in Contemporary Thought PDF Author: Ettore Carruccio
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351506617
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 400

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Book Description
This book is not a conventional history of mathematics as such, a museum of documents and scientific curiosities. Instead, it identifies this vital science with the thought of those who constructed it and in its relation to the changing cultural context in which it evolved. Particular emphasis is placed on the philosophic and logical systems, from Aristotle onward, that provide the basis for the fusion of mathematics and logic in contemporary thought.

An Invitation to Combinatorics

An Invitation to Combinatorics PDF Author: Shahriar Shahriari
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108476546
Category : MATHEMATICS
Languages : en
Pages : 631

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Book Description
A conversational introduction to combinatorics for upper undergraduates, emphasizing problem solving and active student participation.

Applied Combinatorics, Third Edition

Applied Combinatorics, Third Edition PDF Author: Fred S. Roberts
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1040120296
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 757

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Book Description
The third edition of this popular text presents the tools of combinatorics for a first undergraduate course. After introducing fundamental counting rules, tools of graph theory and relations, the focus is on three basic problems of combinatorics: counting, existence, and optimization problems.

Unsolved!

Unsolved! PDF Author: Craig P. Bauer
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400884799
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 624

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Book Description
Watch Craig Bauer discuss the Zodiac Killer’s cipher on HISTORY’s new miniseries The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer In 1953, a man was found dead from cyanide poisoning near the Philadelphia airport with a picture of a Nazi aircraft in his wallet. Taped to his abdomen was an enciphered message. In 1912, a book dealer named Wilfrid Voynich came into possession of an illuminated cipher manuscript once belonging to Emperor Rudolf II, who was obsessed with alchemy and the occult. Wartime codebreakers tried—and failed—to unlock the book's secrets, and it remains an enigma to this day. In this lively and entertaining book, Craig Bauer examines these and other vexing ciphers yet to be cracked. Some may reveal the identity of a spy or serial killer, provide the location of buried treasure, or expose a secret society—while others may be elaborate hoaxes. Unsolved! begins by explaining the basics of cryptology, and then explores the history behind an array of unsolved ciphers. It looks at ancient ciphers, ciphers created by artists and composers, ciphers left by killers and victims, Cold War ciphers, and many others. Some are infamous, like the ciphers in the Zodiac letters, while others were created purely as intellectual challenges by figures such as Nobel Prize–winning physicist Richard P. Feynman. Bauer lays out the evidence surrounding each cipher, describes the efforts of geniuses and eccentrics—in some cases both—to decipher it, and invites readers to try their hand at puzzles that have stymied so many others. Unsolved! takes readers from the ancient world to the digital age, providing an amazing tour of many of history's greatest unsolved ciphers.