Applied Combinatorics

Rating:
Summary: Excellent undergraduate text
Review: I covered the book as part of a final-year undergraduate mathematics course. This is certainly an undergraduate text, but I think that to fully appreciate the content, the reader should have a little past exposure to the basic concepts. These are usually covered in first-year maths or physics courses anyway.

The book is divided into two almost separate sections - one dealing with graph theory and one with combinatorics. Both make for good reading, and really equip the reader with practical problem solving skills for everyday situations.

I liked the fact that there were sufficient examples in all sections, and of a good complexity that showed the theory in action. Exercises were good and of a fair standard.

Overall, a very good text - get it.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent for applications
Review: The book covers the fundamentals of graph theory and combinatorics (enumeration) and is designed for first courses for undergraduates.

The material is presented in a clear, friendly manner. The sections are short and specific and the emphasis is on problem-solving. Many examples are provided and constitute the majority of the book's volume. Each section ends with 20-30 exercises with answers (not full solutions) at the end of the book.

The book is excellent for computer science and applied math majors looking for a clear, application-based introduction to combinatorics and graph theory. It is also excellent for self-study.

The book's main flaw is that the proofs are not rigorous and are sometimes more intuitive than mathematical. For pure math students looking to explore graph theory and combinatorics in a more rigorous manner, other books (e.g. Diestel, "Graph Theory") will serve that purpose better.

Rating:
Summary: An almost ideal introduction book to combinatorics
Review: There have been wonderfully written reviews of this book, but since this is really an excellent textbook, I am urged to praise again. Fully recommended.

This book is easily and clearly written; covers almost every important basic concept and technic in graph theory and enumerative combinatorics, with neatly selected and wonderfully organised exercises.

And I highly suggested the author give the references to those last exercises in every section, since each of them does lead into a theory.

Rating:
Summary: A first-class college textbook
Review: This is one of the college textbooks which I saved from college and found to be an excellent source of reference for years to come. Combinatorics is the kind of math that every programmer needs to know from time to time, but if you're like me you will be a bit rusty everytime a new problem presents itself. I strongly recommend this book to both students and programmers who have yet to appreciate the value of the factorial function ;)