Combinatorics of Finite Sets

By Ian C. Anderson

Book Overview

The combinatorial study of finite set systems is a lively area of research unified by the gradual discovery of structural insights and widely applicable proof techniques. This book is the first coherent and up-to-date account of the basic methods and results of this study. Much of the material in the book concerns subsets of a set, but chapters also cover more general partially ordered sets. For example, the Clements-Lindstrom extension of the Kruskal-Katona theorem to multisets is discussed, as is the Greene-Kleitman result concerning k-saturated chain partitions of general partially ordered sets. Connections with Dilworth's theorem, the marriage problem, and probability are presented. Each chapter ends with a collection of exercises for which outline solutions are provided, and there is an extensive bibliography. The work is important for postgraduate students and researchers in discrete mathematics and related subjects.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0198533675
• ISBN13: 9780198533672
• Release Date: February 1987
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 1.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 0.8" x 6.4"

Customer Reviews

certainly better than decent

This book provides excellent coverage of sperners theorem including multiple proofs ,like the original one by sperner and more concise proofs using closely related concepts. The various proofs of sperners theorem provides a firm understanding of its connections with many other fundamental topics in finite combinatorial mathematics.Great book for those that have a good grasp on algebraic concepts.

An excellent and unique perspective on combinatorics

When one thinks of combinatorics of finite sets, he or she might first think of codes and designs. But this book introduced me to an area of combinatorics which I knew very little about, namely extremal set problems and their solutions which fall under famous Theorems by famous mathematicians: Erdos-Ko-Rado, Sperner, and Kruskal-Katona to name a few. I found these topics fascinating and fun to think about, which is in large part due to the author's coherent style, organization, explanation, and expertise of the subject-matter. Moreover, the author provided solutions to *every* one of the 150+ problems!!! How many math books can boast such a claim? Aside from may be a rough presentation of Lemma 4.3.2 the rest of the book is a masterpiece which I hope will gain more recognition within the next twenty years. I highly recommend this book to both mathematicians and computer scientists. Although the book has very few "algorithms" in it, the thinking and reasoning about discrete structures (e.g. families of finite sets and multisets) will do wonders in developing the mind of a computer scientist, whether advanced or undergraduate. Yet it is quite sad that many cs departments (and math for that matter) invest little if any curriculum in discrete mathematics. Hopefully this will change at least to the point where the cs major will take two or three semesters of discrete math instead of two or three of calculus. For, as this book demonstrates, calculus is not a prerequisite for engaging one's mind in some quite fascinating mathematical problems related to finite sets.Finally, it should be noted that Bela Bollobas also has an interesting book titled "Combinatorics: Set Systems, etc...." which significantly intersects with this book, but not to the degree where the reader should think they are interchangeable. I recommend both, and to read Anderson's book first; as I believe this book lays a better foundation than the latter.