Proofs that Really Count: The Art of Combinatorial Proof
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Description
Mathematics is the science of patterns, and mathematicians attempt to understand these patterns and discover new ones using a variety of tools. In Proofs That Really Count, award-winning math professors Arthur Benjamin and Jennifer Quinn demonstrate that many number patterns, even very complex ones, can be understood by simple counting arguments. The book emphasizes numbers that are often not thought of as numbers that count: Fibonacci Numbers, Lucas Numbers, Continued Fractions, and Harmonic Numbers, to name a few. Numerous hints and references are given for all chapter exercises and many chapters end with a list of identities in need of combinatorial proof. The extensive appendix of identities will be a valuable resource. This book should appeal to readers of all levels, from high school math students to professional mathematicians.
ISBN
0883853337
Publication Date
8-2003
Publisher
Mathematical Association of America
City
Washington D.C.
Keywords
combinatorics, mathematics, problem solving, proof theory
Disciplines
Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics | Mathematics | Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Recommended Citation
Benjamin, Arthur, and Jennifer Quinn. Proofs that Really Count: The art of combinatorial proof. 1st ed. Washington DC: Mathematical Association of America, 2003
