Davis, Kenneth 



Albion College

Department of Mathematics

Albion, MI 49224



kdavis@albion.edu



Discrete Mathematics with Mathematica



The text provides a new and novel approach to teaching and 

learning discrete mathematics.  It deviates from a traditional 

discrete mathematics text in its interactive nature and its 

coverage. Students are involved in the generation of the text in 

an engaging and discovery based approach.  The modification and 

manipulation of an interactive text that naturally occurs as 

integral part of the exercises involves the student to a greater 

extent in the learning process.  With the power of Mathematica, 

computationally difficult aspects of applications are reduced 

allowing the students to consider more difficult problems.  With 

the computational difficulties reduced, students are encouraged 

to explore the theoretical nature of the subject.



Mathematica, itself, is viewed as a tool to explore and do 

mathematics.  The code is simple and direct, numbered, containing 

comments for easier reference and adaptation.  In each section, 

an attempt has been made to explore patterns numerically, 

graphically and analytically.  



After a concrete introduction, concepts are carefully and 

precisely defined.  Most of the proofs are motivated and 

presented in the text.  Complicated proofs are outlined  and 

written in an expanded fashion,  including questions in the 

proofs that require the students to recall the underlying 

concepts of the major steps.



Strong problem sets include computational problems to be done by 

hand, and problems to be done with the aid of computer software 

like a calculator or Mathematica.  Using the notebook aspect of 

Mathematica, students are also encourage to write out their 

explanations and to include complete answers in English. 

Theoretical problems are also included that  further expand and 

explore the mathematical concepts of the section.

.