Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications
Description
Discrete mathematics is the study of mathematical structures that can be considered "discrete" (in a way analogous to discrete variables, having a one-to-one correspondence (bijection) with natural numbers), rather than "continuous" (analogously to continuous functions). Objects studied in discrete mathematics include integers, graphs, and statements in logic. By contrast, discrete mathematics excludes topics in "continuous mathematics" such as real numbers, calculus or Euclidean geometry. Discrete objects can often be enumerated by integers; more formally, discrete mathematics has been characterized as the branch of mathematics dealing with countable sets (finite sets or sets with the same cardinality as the natural numbers). However, there is no exact definition of the term "discrete mathematics".
How the series evolves
Books in this Series
Handbook of discrete and computational geometry
Over the past decade or so, researchers and professionals in discrete geometry and the newer field of computational geometry have developed a highly productive collaborative relationship, where each area benefits from the methods and insights of the other. At the same time that discrete and computational geometry are becoming more closely identified, applications of the results of this work are being used in an increasing number of widely differing areas, from computer graphics and linear programming to manufacturing and robotics. The editors and authors, all respected experts in their fields, have answered the need for a comprehensive handbook for professionals in these and related fields, and for other users of the body of results. The Handbook of Discrete and Computational Geometry brings together, for the first time, all of the major results in both these fields into one volume.