A Primer in Combinatorics, 2nd Edition

The second edition of this well-received textbook is devoted to Combinatorics and Graph Theory, which are cornerstones of Discrete Mathematics. Every section begins with simple model problems. Following their detailed analysis, the reader is led through the derivation of definitions, concepts, and methods for solving typical problems. Theorems then are formulated, proved, and illustrated by more problems of increasing difficulty. - For a one- or two-semester undergraduate or an entry-level graduate course - Suitable for self-study - Over 700 problems, many of them with answers or tips - New chapter on applied properties of boolean functions Preface to the second edition 5 Preface to the first edition 7 Contents 11 Part I: Introductory combinatorics and graph theory 15 1 Basic counting 15 2 Basic graph theory 101 3 Hierarchical clustering and dendrogram graphs 143 Part II: Combinatorial analysis 187 4 Enumerative combinatorics 187 5 Existence theorems in combinatorics 269 6 Secondary structures of the RNA 313 Answers/solutions to selected problems 329 Bibliography 337 Index 339