A mathematical gem–freshly cleaned and polished

This book is intended to be used as the text for a first course in combinatorics. the text has been shaped by two goals, namely, to make complex mathematics accessible to students with a wide range of abilities, interests, and motivations; and to create a pedagogical tool, useful to the broad spectrum of instructors who bring a variety of perspectives and expectations to such a course.

Features retained from the first edition:

• Lively and engaging writing style
• Timely and appropriate examples
• Numerous well-chosen exercises
• Flexible modular format
• Optional sections and appendices

Highlights of Second Edition enhancements:

• Smoothed and polished exposition, with a sharpened focus on key ideas
• Expanded discussion of linear codes
• New optional section on algorithms
• Greatly expanded hints and answers section
• Many new exercises and examples

RUSSELL MERRIS, PhD, is Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at California State University, Hayward. Among his other books is Graph Theory, also published by Wiley.