Discrete Encounters

Eschewing the often standard dry and static writing style of traditional textbooks, Discrete Encounters provides a refreshing approach to discrete mathematics. The author blends traditional course topics and applications with historical context, pop culture references, and open problems. This book focuses on the historical development of the subject and provides fascinating details of the people behind the mathematics, along with their motivations, deepening readers' appreciation of mathematics.

This unique book covers many of the same topics found in traditional textbooks, but does so in an alternative, entertaining style that better captures readers' attention. In addition to standard discrete mathematics material, the author shows the interplay between the discrete and the continuous and includes high-interest topics such as fractals, chaos theory, cellular automata, money-saving financial mathematics, and much more. Not only will readers gain a greater understanding of mathematics and its culture, they will also be encouraged to further explore the subject. Long lists of references at the end of each chapter make this easy.

Highlights:

• Features fascinating historical context to motivate readers
• Text includes numerous pop culture references throughout to provide a more engaging reading experience
• Its unique topic structure presents a fresh approach
• The text's narrative style is that of a popular book, not a dry textbook
• Includes the work of many living mathematicians
• Its multidisciplinary approach makes it ideal for liberal arts mathematics classes, leisure reading, or as a reference for professors looking to supplement traditional courses
• Contains many open problems

Profusely illustrated

《離散相遇》（Discrete Encounters）避免了傳統教科書常見的乾燥和呆板的寫作風格，提供了一種令人耳目一新的離散數學方法。作者將傳統課程主題和應用與歷史背景、流行文化參考和開放問題相結合。本書著重於該學科的歷史發展，並提供了有關數學背後人物的迷人細節，以及他們的動機，加深讀者對數學的欣賞。

這本獨特的書籍涵蓋了許多傳統教科書中的相同主題，但以一種替代性、有趣的風格呈現，更能吸引讀者的注意力。除了標準的離散數學材料外，作者還展示了離散和連續之間的相互作用，並包括引人入勝的主題，如分形、混沌理論、細胞自動機、節省金融數學等等。讀者不僅將對數學及其文化有更深入的理解，還將被鼓勵進一步探索這一學科。每章末尾的參考文獻長列表使這一點變得容易。

亮點：
- 提供迷人的歷史背景以激發讀者的興趣
- 文本中穿插了許多流行文化參考，提供更有吸引力的閱讀體驗
- 獨特的主題結構呈現了一種新鮮的方法
- 文本的敘述風格更像是一本受歡迎的書籍，而不是乾燥的教科書
- 包含許多活躍的數學家的作品
- 其多學科的方法使其成為文科數學課程、休閒閱讀或作為補充傳統課程的參考的理想選擇
- 包含許多開放問題
- 大量插圖

Craig P. Bauer is a professor of mathematics at York College of Pennsylvania. He's the

editor-in-chief of Cryptologia and was the 2011-2012 Scholar-in-Residence at the National

Security Agency's Center for Cryptologic History. He loves to carry out research, write,

and lecture. His previous books are Secret History: The Story of Cryptology and Unsolved!

The History and Mystery of the World's Greatest Ciphers from Ancient Egypt to Online Secret

Societies. With the present book he stays true to his style, blending mathematics and

history. Craig earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from North Carolina State University

and did his undergraduate work at Franklin & Marshall College.

Craig P. Bauer是賓夕法尼亞約克學院的數學教授。他是《Cryptologia》的主編，並於2011年至2012年擔任國家安全局密碼學歷史中心的學者駐地。他熱愛進行研究、撰寫和講學。他之前的著作包括《秘密歷史：密碼學的故事》和《未解之謎！》。這本書延續了他的風格，結合了數學和歷史。Craig在北卡羅來納州立大學獲得了數學博士學位，並在富蘭克林和馬歇爾學院完成了本科學業。