Combinatorics, Second Edition, Wiley Interscience, 2003

ISBN 0-471-26296-X. Available from Super Book Deals, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com, or as an e-book directly from Wiley.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: The Mathematics of Choice

  • 1.1 The Fundamental Counting Principle
  • 1.2 Pascal's Triangle
  • *1.3 Elementary Probability
  • *1.4 Error Correcting Codes
  • 1.5 Combinatorial Identities
  • 1.6 Four Ways to Choose
  • 1.7 The Binomial and Multinomial Theorems
  • 1.8 Partitions
  • 1.9 Elementary Symmetric Functions
  • *1.10 Combinatorial Algorithms
  • Chapter Two: The Combinatorics of Finite Functions

  • 2.1 Stirling Numbers of the Second Kind
  • 2.2 Bells, Balls, and Urns
  • 2.3 The Principle of Inclusion and Exclusion
  • 2.4 Disjoint Cycles
  • 2.5 Stirling Numbers of the First Kind
  • Chapter Three: Polya's Theory of Enumeration

  • 3.1 Function Composition
  • 3.2 Permutation Groups
  • 3.3 Burnside's Lemma
  • 3.4 Symmetry Groups
  • 3.5 Color Patterns
  • 3.6 Polya's Theorem
  • 3.7 The Cycle Index Polynomial
  • Chapter Four: Generating Functions

  • 4.1 Difference Sequences
  • 4.2 Ordinary Generating Functions
  • 4.3 Applications of Generating Functions
  • 4.4 Exponential Generating Functions
  • 4.5 Recursive Techniques
  • Chapter Five: Enumeration in Graphs

  • 5.1 The Pigeonhole Principle
  • *5.2 Edge Colorings and Ramsey Theory
  • 5.3 Chromatic Polynomials
  • *5.4 Planar Graphs
  • 5.5 Matching Polynomials
  • 5.6 Oriented Graphs
  • 5.7 Graphic Partitions
  • Chapter Six: Codes and Designs

  • 6.1 Linear Codes
  • 6.2 Decoding Algorithms
  • 6.3 Latin Squares
  • 6.4 Balanced Incomplete Block Designs
  • Appendices

  • A1 Symmetric Polynomials
  • A2 Sorting Algorithms
  • A3 Matrix Theory

  • * An asterisk indicates an optional section that can be omitted.


    Reviewed, e.g., in

  • American Mathematical Monthly 111 (2004), 276.
  • Amazon.com

  • The author welcomes contributions to the errata and will attempt to give appropriate recognition to the first person who brings a mistake to his attention, e.g., via E-mail to merris@csuhayward.edu