I am an experienced software developer, want to refresh discrete math back in uni.
I am looking for a book that is easy to read, contains more examples, and exercises and solutions for self study beginner.
There are two books below that are recommended by others. Which one should I pick:
Susanna S. Epp's Discrete Mathematics with Applications 4th 2010
Kenneth Rosen's Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications 7th 2011
Below are their books in uk, one of which I will buy based on the US edition.
On
I like Lehman, Leighton and Meyer's "Mathematics for Computer Science" a lot. It is lecture notes, updated roughly once a year in fall (modify the URL in the obvious way). Very thorough (aimed at Computer Science applications, obviously), it covers much of the whole range of discrete math and related areas. Not exactly a one-semester course. Nice examples, clear explanations. Might need to complement it with the exams and homework for this (or some other) course. Best of all, can't beat the price.
On
I am actually using Susanna Epps book right now. Our professor made us read the Schuams Outline of Discrete Math but I just couldn't engage with the content of that book, so i decided to read Susanne Epp's book instead.
I also rented a copy of Grimaldi's Discrete Math textbook. My conclusion is this, Susanna Epp's textbook is perfect for those beginning in Discrete Math. It is filled with examples. The practice problems in each section have detailed answers that allow you to grasp the problem solving mechanisms behind each problem. I also believe that the ordering of the chapter flows really smoothly. I would definitely self-study with Susanna Epp's book because it is well written and self-contained. She also does not assume that the reader knows any discrete math.
After reading Epp's book, I would recommend getting Grimaldi's discrete math textbook. It covers a lot more advanced topics and it has interesting and challenging problems. My course of action is to finish Epp's book and then reading the later chapters of Grimaldi's book.
Check samples for the books you are interested and see which text provides a level of clarity that you can understand.
I took Discrete in the fall and we used that Susanna Epp's Discrete Mathematics with Applications which I found to be pretty good and had a lot of examples. It's not easy reading though.