Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science: An Example-Based Introduction

Algorithms, logic, graphs, and binary numbers all rely on mathematical ideas that are easier to understand when their connections are made clear. Jon Pierre Fortney’s Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science: An Example-Based Introduction builds those foundations step by step, linking core concepts to the kinds of problems computer science students encounter.

Designed for a first- or second-year discrete mathematics course, the book moves from introductory algorithm work into the structures and reasoning that underpin computing. Its example-led approach gives readers room to see how definitions and techniques work in practice.

From algorithms to mathematical foundations

The opening chapters introduce algorithms, control structures, tracing, and number representations, including binary, octal, and hexadecimal. From there, the text develops propositions and logical connectives, set operations and relations, Boolean algebra, and functions. These subjects give readers a vocabulary for describing and analyzing computational ideas precisely.

Counting, complexity, graphs, and trees

Later chapters take up counting principles, permutations and combinations, and algorithmic complexity, including time-complexity functions, Big-O notation, and comparing algorithms. Graph theory and trees extend the discussion to relationships, reachability, spanning trees, and shortest paths. Together, these topics offer a broad tour of the discrete structures that recur throughout computer science.

Examples and practice support the learning

Fortney uses more than 200 worked examples and more than 200 practice problems with answers. The book also includes simple algorithms for working with control structures and pseudocode. An appendix on basic circuit design brings several themes together in an example involving a circuit that adds two eight-digit binary numbers.

Who may find this book useful?

This introduction is aimed especially at computer science students taking an early discrete mathematics course. Its emphasis on worked examples and practice may also suit independent learners who want a structured way to revisit mathematical foundations relevant to algorithms, digital logic, and theoretical computer science.

For readers who want to understand not just how to use computational tools, but the mathematical ideas beneath them, this book offers a purposeful route through the essentials.