discrete math book suitable for younger person?

Question

When I took discrete math as an adult I realized that this was a subject I would have enjoyed and done well at much earlier in life, even in my early teens.

Does anyone know if there are good books, particularly on combinatorics, aimed at people in middle or high school? I'm thinking particularly of one enthusiastic young programmer of my acquaintance.

(Note: I have moved this question from its original posting on StackOverflow. Before it was removed from there, someone suggested Concrete Mathematics and Bryant's Aspects of Combinatorics, both of which are even harder than the various books by Grimaldi, Epps, Rosen, and Roberts, which I used in college-level courses. Someone else suggested Martin Gardner's books. But actually, I'm looking for something more systematic than math games yet aimed at a less mature reader than a college-level textbook.)

Answer 1

For a younger reader who's not yet ready for Rosen, I would definitely recommend Discrete Mathematics DeMYSTiFied. It's a really good introductory/self-study guide.

Answer 2

How about Ross Honsberger's Mathematical Gems and Mathematical Morsels? The math in those books should be accessible to a motivated middle school student. These books have a pretty diverse collection of topics and there is a lot of discrete math in them, so they seem to satisfy your conditions.

Answer 3

Though these are not primarily discrete math, and you've already discounted one of them:

• Martin Gardner's Scientific American articles and books produced from them

• Richard Smullyan's puzzle books. Mostly logic oriented, but still lots of discrete thinking.

Answer 4

You might look into the Art of Problem Solving books; these are specifically for younger people since they're for people who want to compete in middle and high school competitions. I haven't read them, though.

Answer 5

Try this one: http://www.amazon.com/Discrete-Mathematics-Mathematical-Reasoning-Patterns/dp/0471476021

It's extremely readable even for young people. Cheers :D