Connecting Discrete Mathematics and Computer Science

Computer science majors taking a non-programming-based course like discrete mathematics might ask 'Why do I need to learn this?' Written with these students in mind, this text introduces the mathematical foundations of computer science by providing a comprehensive treatment of standard technical topics while simultaneously illustrating some of the broad-ranging applications of that material throughout the field. Chapters on core topics from discrete structures – like logic, proofs, number theory, counting, probability, graphs – are augmented with around 60 'computer science connections' pages introducing their applications: for example, game trees (logic), triangulation of scenes in computer graphics (induction), the Enigma machine (counting), algorithmic bias (relations), differential privacy (probability), and paired kidney transplants (graphs). Pedagogical features include 'Why You Might Care' sections, quick-reference chapter guides and key terms and results summaries, problem-solving and writing tips, 'Taking it Further' asides with more technical details, and around 1700 exercises, 435 worked examples, and 480 figures.

David Liben-Nowell is Professor of Computer Science at Carleton College, and earned degrees from Cornell, Cambridge, and MIT. His research focuses on computational social science, especially social networks. He teaches broadly, emphasizing introductory and theoretical computer science, and created and led a study-abroad program in England (History of Computing). He is on the ACM 202x curriculum subcommittee for what was previously called 'discrete structures', and is a member of the Liberal Arts CS (LACS) consortium. His awards and honors include NSF research funding, Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, and Visiting By-Fellowship at Churchill College (at Cambridge). He has also published about 30+ crossword puzzles in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Chronicle of Higher Education, and other outlets.