Mathematics for Computer Science: Readings

Post by catnaroek » Sat, Mar 17, 2018, 9:45 PM UTC

joker3 wrote: post #33

mettamage wrote: post #9

Question: why isn't linear algebra in here? I know this is a type of "but this isn't in my favorite list" question but since a lot of universities include it in their CS curriculum, I wonder why it isn't in here. Or did I oversee it? Is in there?

There are a few reasons. First, the purpose of a class like this is to prepare students for further coursework in algorithms and automata/complexity. You need logic, graphs and combinatorics for those a lot more than you need linear algebra. Second, the math department teaches a class in linear algebra. This is a collection of topics that you wouldn't ordinarily find in undergraduate math classes. Third, there's a li…

Post by dizzystar » Sun, Mar 18, 2018, 12:06 AM UTC

iwansyahp wrote: post #17

Is this book suitable for math self-learning?

Post by dsacco » Sun, Mar 18, 2018, 1:14 AM UTC

dizzystar wrote: post #54

dsacco wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I took a look at the first four or so chapters and I'm not really a fan of the organization. But I think you could self-study the material and be fine. The introduction of the book explains that it's very focused on proofs, and it feels to me like it's more of an applied mathematics book than it is discrete mathematics (i.e. computer science) book. That's a subtle distinction, but I'd summarize it by saying this book…

I'm guessing you have a very strong math background if you are suggesting Concrete Math to a random person asking about self-teaching. Concrete math requires MUCH more background than this book. Besides the real gems and clever tricks Mathematics for Computer Science appear after the fourth chapter.

Post by smadge » Sun, Mar 18, 2018, 3:42 AM UTC

dsacco wrote: post #45

mlevental wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i agree with you that this is in principle math for CS proper (rather than machine learning or numerical algos or something) but >Second, the math department teaches a class in linear algebra. This is a collection of topics that you wouldn't ordinarily find in undergraduate math classes. x math department doesn't have classes on graph theory, combinatorics, or prob & stats?

You would not typically find dedicated undergraduate courses for graph theory, probability theory or combinatorics, no. At the very least you wouldn't expect to see those until you hit 300 level, but most likely not until graduate courses. Discrete mathematics is a grab bag of topics, and it's more fair to say that a discrete math course pulls in selected topics from other areas than to say it provides a focused cove…

Post by gizmo686 » Sun, Mar 18, 2018, 4:58 AM UTC

smadge wrote: post #57

dsacco wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You would not typically find dedicated undergraduate courses for graph theory, probability theory or combinatorics, no. At the very least you wouldn't expect to see those until you hit 300 level, but most likely not until graduate courses. Discrete mathematics is a grab bag of topics, and it's more fair to say that a discrete math course pulls in selected topics from other areas than to say it provides a focused cove…

Strange, I have taken a 4 credit, one quarter class in both probability theory and combinatorics in my undergraduate math and computer science education.