Features
- Cover Type: Hard Cover with 497 pages
- Published by: Springer
- Edition: 1st Edition October 22, 1993
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0387941150
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0387941158
-
Book Dimensions:
9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
- Weighs: 1.9 pounds
Product Review
"This is a rather extraordinary book, and deserves to be read by everyone involved in computer science and - perhaps more importantly -
software engineering. I recommend it highly If the book is taken seriously, the rigor that it unfolds and the clarity of its concepts could have a significant impact on the way in which
software is conceived and developed." - Peter G. Neumann
Product Description
This text attempts to change the way logic and discrete math are taught in computer science and mathematics. While many books treat logic simply as another topic of study, this book's uniqueness is its willingness to take it one step further. In the book, logic is treated as a basic tool, to be applied in essentially every other area. "This is a rather extraordinary book, and deserves to be read by everyone involved in computer science and - perhaps more importantly -
software engineering. I recommend it highly. The book will be of value not only to beginning students, but also to hardened programmers with many years of experience - in Fortran, Cobol, C, C++, or whatever. If the book is taken seriously, the rigor that it unfolds and the clarity of its concepts could have a significant impact on the way in which
software is conceived and developed." -Peter G. Neumann
Reader ReviewsThe other reviewers don't spill the beans! Basically, this book is wonderful. It teaches the kind of undergrad discrete math that underlies any good computer science course. (In fact, I think this material should be the first math topic encountered by any student taking math courses.) What makes the experience of this book different from the mortal tedium normally associated with textbooks on this subject, is that these guys really teach you HOW TO DO MATH. Discrete math is usually taught as a fairly motley collection of ideas and techniques, none of which really relate to each other. When you've read a book or taken a course on the stuff, you're left thinking "so what?". In contrast, this book begins by showing you how to USE propositional and predicate logic to a) model things, and then b) reason (i.e. prove theorems) about your models by simple algebraic calculation (the kind of stuff you did in high-school). They then show that this logic is "the glue" that binds together all the other notions by using it to define and prove properties of sets, relations, functions, sequences, numbers and induction, and so on. The logic alone is worth buying the book for. Instead of skating over the material, throwing in a few truth tables to define the operators, and then getting you to check a couple of laws by making your own truth tables (boring and ultimately useless), they take the time to show you how to prove logical theorems by calculation. What's really good is that they give lots of practical heuristics to guide you though these calculations, and demonstrate them on loads of examples. Do the exercises and your view of mathematics will be changed forever (for the better!). I promise. Recently, the late Yehudi Menuhin said that learning a musical instrument can be a worthwhile experience even if you don't want to be a performer, because mastering a skill empowers you as a human being. It builds your self-confidence and raises your standards. What I get from this book is that the authors seem to hold to a similar philosophy: that by mastering these skills (early in the curriculum), you'll be able to tackle other technical material with greater confidence than before. You get the feeling that they really want to empower you with this stuff and believe you can master it. The writing style is immediately accessible: you feel like they're there in person, taking you through the calculations. All you have to do is practice. Every teacher of math (and programming) should read this book. My only quibble actually holds for many of the books in this (Springer-Verlag) series: it's a bit pricey (or, at least, in Ireland). If you want undergrads to learn this stuff, you've got to bring it within their price range. The book should be available in paperback, with larger length/width dimensions, to make it thinner and less formal-looking (no pun intended). Ah, if only every math/computer science book was like this! If you think this review is OTT, check out your college library and see for yourself. If the library aint got it, demand a refund of your fees and study somewhere else.
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