Mathematical Structures for Computer Science
Published: 2006-07-07
Publisher: W. H. Freeman
Pages: 784 (Hardcover)
Publisher: W. H. Freeman
Pages: 784 (Hardcover)
New from: $59.16
Used from: $55.14
Description
Computing Curricula 2001 (CC2001), a joint undertaking of the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers/Computer Society (IEEE/CS) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), identifies the essential material for an undergraduate degree in computer science.
This Sixth Edition of Mathematical Structures for Computer Science covers all the topics in the CC2001 suggested curriculum for a one-semester intensive discrete structures course, and virtually everything suggested for a two-semester version of a discrete structures course. Gersting’s text binds together what otherwise appears to be a collection of disjointed topics by emphasizing the following themes:
Importance of logical thinking
Power of mathematical notation
Usefulness of abstractions
This Sixth Edition of Mathematical Structures for Computer Science covers all the topics in the CC2001 suggested curriculum for a one-semester intensive discrete structures course, and virtually everything suggested for a two-semester version of a discrete structures course. Gersting’s text binds together what otherwise appears to be a collection of disjointed topics by emphasizing the following themes:
Importance of logical thinking
Power of mathematical notation
Usefulness of abstractions
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Product Reviews
Horrible
I suffered through the first few weeks of my Discrete Mathematics course, and got my first C on an assignment EVER. This immediately sent up red flags. I was struggling to understand the concepts as presented in this book, despite that I have had no problem understanding Algebra, Trgonometry and Calculus. On a hunch that the book might be bad, I checked Amazon, and now you are seeing what I saw: low ratings!
I ordered Susanna Epp's book, and for the remainder of the course I read her coverage of a topic, and used this book only for the class-assigned homework problems. My grades are back to A's. So, it wasn't just me. It was this horrible book. The author just doesn't communicate the topics in a way that can be understood by those new to the subject. There are many cases of terms used without being defined, and concepts being refered to that have not yet been introduced (in other words, out-of-order presentation of topics). Worse than this, the step-by-step examples tend to use only the simplest cases, yet more difficult cases appear in the chapter exercises. In most of the text, the concept is explained, and then the student is asked to apply it (as an exercise) without an example, and expected to flip to the back of the book if they need to see the solution.
If you are stuck with this as I required textbook, I pity you. Get Susanna Epp's book (Or Rosen's) if you'd like to actually learn the topic.
[2010-08-13]
OK but not great
I used this book for an undergraduate course in Discrete Mathematics. I'd say that the book tended to confuse more than clarify, at least in its initial explanation of things. Working through the example problems often helped correct that, though. My professor thought the author was pretty ambitious to be aimed at undergrads and ended up skipping most of the material on Turing machines; he also skipped the material on Probability because our computer science students must take a Prob & Stats course; otherwise, he stuck very closely to the book.
I felt the book was structured well in that new chapters often built upon previous ones. The chapters on Formal Logic and Proof Techniques were long and detailed, but have since helped with my programming assignments. The chapters on Sets, Relations, Graphs, Trees, and Algorithms were the most valuable since they directly relate to my courses in Databases and Analysis of Algorithms.
The book helped but I feel that my professor is what really made it work for me. The book isn't bad, but it's not great either; if anything, it's "alright."
[2010-07-29]
Fast Delivery As Described
Although Amazon's shipment estimator gave me a 3-week estimate, the product arrived at my house within five days of payment. The book was in the condition described; no marks inside, binding intact & firm, and ready to be sold again after I finish using it. It was a good decision to buy this book from the seller rather than paying 3x the price to buy it used at my University's bookstore!
[2010-07-05]
Needs better explanations
This book definitely needs a teacher who thoroughly understands the material. Should not be used as a self teaching tool. Instead of every other exercise question having an answer in the back of the book, only a few starred ones are available in each section. Also, each lesson and practice problems don't cover all the areas in the exercises. There will be some exercises for which there are no examples in the book, including symbology not explained in the book.
[2010-07-04]
This is a bad textbook
I find it hard to imagine how a professor could choose this book as a class text on discrete mathematics with so many solid books out there that do a much better job of introducing the subject (Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications, by Rosen comes to mind). I am currently taking a class online and our class chat room if filled with students reaching out for more information on the subjects only superficially explained in this text book. We are forced to use [...], and Google to seek actual explanations of the subjects presented in the chapters. There is a dearth of examples in this book. As many of the other reviewers have commented, a definition is given (often terse and poorly explained) and then it is left up to the reader to work out examples. It quickly became clear that the author did not have the foundational knowledge on many of the subjects presented in the book to give a thorough explanation. Many times, she tells the reader to go through steps to solve a problem instead of actually explaining the concepts.
[2010-07-03]
Horrible
I suffered through the first few weeks of my Discrete Mathematics course, and got my first C on an assignment EVER. This immediately sent up red flags. I was struggling to understand the concepts as presented in this book, despite that I have had no problem understanding Algebra, Trgonometry and Calculus. On a hunch that the book might be bad, I checked Amazon, and now you are seeing what I saw: low ratings!
I ordered Susanna Epp's book, and for the remainder of the course I read her coverage of a topic, and used this book only for the class-assigned homework problems. My grades are back to A's. So, it wasn't just me. It was this horrible book. The author just doesn't communicate the topics in a way that can be understood by those new to the subject. There are many cases of terms used without being defined, and concepts being refered to that have not yet been introduced (in other words, out-of-order presentation of topics). Worse than this, the step-by-step examples tend to use only the simplest cases, yet more difficult cases appear in the chapter exercises. In most of the text, the concept is explained, and then the student is asked to apply it (as an exercise) without an example, and expected to flip to the back of the book if they need to see the solution.
If you are stuck with this as I required textbook, I pity you. Get Susanna Epp's book (Or Rosen's) if you'd like to actually learn the topic.
[2010-08-13]
OK but not great
I used this book for an undergraduate course in Discrete Mathematics. I'd say that the book tended to confuse more than clarify, at least in its initial explanation of things. Working through the example problems often helped correct that, though. My professor thought the author was pretty ambitious to be aimed at undergrads and ended up skipping most of the material on Turing machines; he also skipped the material on Probability because our computer science students must take a Prob & Stats course; otherwise, he stuck very closely to the book.
I felt the book was structured well in that new chapters often built upon previous ones. The chapters on Formal Logic and Proof Techniques were long and detailed, but have since helped with my programming assignments. The chapters on Sets, Relations, Graphs, Trees, and Algorithms were the most valuable since they directly relate to my courses in Databases and Analysis of Algorithms.
The book helped but I feel that my professor is what really made it work for me. The book isn't bad, but it's not great either; if anything, it's "alright."
[2010-07-29]
Fast Delivery As Described
Although Amazon's shipment estimator gave me a 3-week estimate, the product arrived at my house within five days of payment. The book was in the condition described; no marks inside, binding intact & firm, and ready to be sold again after I finish using it. It was a good decision to buy this book from the seller rather than paying 3x the price to buy it used at my University's bookstore!
[2010-07-05]
Needs better explanations
This book definitely needs a teacher who thoroughly understands the material. Should not be used as a self teaching tool. Instead of every other exercise question having an answer in the back of the book, only a few starred ones are available in each section. Also, each lesson and practice problems don't cover all the areas in the exercises. There will be some exercises for which there are no examples in the book, including symbology not explained in the book.
[2010-07-04]
This is a bad textbook
I find it hard to imagine how a professor could choose this book as a class text on discrete mathematics with so many solid books out there that do a much better job of introducing the subject (Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications, by Rosen comes to mind). I am currently taking a class online and our class chat room if filled with students reaching out for more information on the subjects only superficially explained in this text book. We are forced to use [...], and Google to seek actual explanations of the subjects presented in the chapters. There is a dearth of examples in this book. As many of the other reviewers have commented, a definition is given (often terse and poorly explained) and then it is left up to the reader to work out examples. It quickly became clear that the author did not have the foundational knowledge on many of the subjects presented in the book to give a thorough explanation. Many times, she tells the reader to go through steps to solve a problem instead of actually explaining the concepts.
[2010-07-03]