Chapter00.
nb 3
This volume contains a great deal of Maple code, much based on existing Maple functions. But substan-
tial extensions to Maple can be found throughout the book; new Maple routines have been added in
key places, extending the capabilities of what is currently part of Maple. An excellent example is new
Maple code for displaying trees, providing functionality not currently part of the network package of
Maple. All the Maple code in this book is available over the Internet; see the Introduction for details.
This volume contains an Introduction and ten chapters. The Introduction describes the philosophy and
contents of the chapters and provides an introduction to the use of Maple, both for computation and for
programming. This chapter is especially important to students who have not used Maple before. (More
material on programming with Maple is found throughout the text, especially in Chapters 1 and 2.)
Chapters 1 to 10 correspond to the respective chapters of Discrete Mathematics and its Applications.
Each chapter contains a discussion of how to use Maple to carry out computation on the subject of that
chapter. Each chapter also contains a discussion of the Computations and Explorations found at the end
of the corresponding chapter of Discrete Mathematics and its Applications, along with a set of exer-
cises and projects designed for further work.
Users of this book are encourage to provide feedback, either via the postal service or the Internet. We
expect that students and faculty members using this book will develop material that they want to share
with others. Consult the Introduction for details about how to download Maple software associated
with this book and for information about how to upload your own Maple code and worksheets.
Introduction
Modern mathematical computation software, such as Mathematica, allows us to carry out complicated
computations quickly and easily. As a supplement to traditional exercises solved by hand, having
computational tools available while learning discrete mathematics provides a new dimension to the
learning experience. Specifically, Mathematica supports an inquiry and experimental approach to
learning. This book is designed to connect the traditional approach to learning discrete mathematics
with this experimental approach.
Using computational software, students can experiment directly with many objects that are important
in discrete mathematics. These include sets, large integers, combinatorial objects, graphs, and trees.
Furthermore, by using interactive computational software, students can explore these examples more
thoroughly, fostering a deeper understanding of concepts, applications, and problem solving techniques.
This supplement has two main goals. The first is to help students learn how to carry out computations
in discrete mathematics using Mathematica. The second is to be a guide and a model as students dis-
cover mathematics with the use of computational tools.
This book is intended for use by any student of discrete mathematics. No previous familiarity with
Mathematica is required. Likewise, we do not assume any previous experience with computer program-
ming. The fundamentals of Mathematica and the basic concepts of computer programming will be
thoroughly explained as they are needed.
Structure of This Manual
This supplement begins with a brief introduction to Mathematica, its capabilities, and its use. The
material in this introductory chapter explains the philosophy behind working with Mathematica, how
to use Mathematica to carry out computations, and its basic structure. This introduction continues by
explaining the basic concepts and syntax for programming with Mathematica. This will provide those
who are new to Mathematica and programming languages the background they will need in the rest of
the book.