You are here

A Path to Combinatorics for Undergraduates: Counting Strategies

Titu Andreescu and Zuming Feng
Publisher: 
Birkhäuser
Publication Date: 
2004
Number of Pages: 
228
Format: 
Paperback
Price: 
39.95
ISBN: 
0-8176-4288-9.
Category: 
Problem Book
BLL Rating: 

The Basic Library List Committee recommends this book for acquisition by undergraduate mathematics libraries.

[Reviewed by
Mohammed Aassila
, on
07/1/2004
]

Also by Titu Andreescu (but with Zuming Feng as his collaborator) is A Path to Combinatorics for Undergraduates. This book is an introduction to counting strategies in combinatorial theory. The main mathematical ideas are carefully worked into organized, challenging, and instructive examples given in the nine chapters of this book.

In the last chapter we find 111 problems (without solutions). The greater part of them are from various mathematical contests. The large experience of the authors in preparing students for various mathematical competitions allowed them to present a big collection of beautiful problems. By studying this book, undergraduates will be well-equipped to further their knowledge in more abstract combinatorics and its related fields.


Mohammed Aassila is a mathematics professor whose research area is analysis. He is interested in mathematics competitions and is the author of two books on the subject: 300 Défis Mathématiques and Olympiades Internationales de Mathématiques.


Preface * Introduction * Acknowledgments * Abbreviations and Notations * Addition on Multiplication? * Combinations * Properties of Binomial Coefficients * Bijections * Inclusions and Exclusions * Recursions * Calculating in Two Ways --- Fubini's Principle * Generating Functions * Review Exercises * Glossary * Further Reading