Discrete mathematics

  • Authors:
  • Anthony Ralston

  • Affiliations:
  • -

  • Venue:
  • Encyclopedia of Computer Science
  • Year:
  • 2003

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Abstract

Discrete mathematics encompasses those branches of mathematics that deal with discrete objects, in contrast to other branches, such as calculus and analysis, whose main concern is with continuous functions. Some branches of mathematics, such as numerical analysis and linear algebra, have both continuous and discrete components. Another, but somewhat simplistic, perspective on the contrast between discrete and continuous mathematics is that the underlying number system in continuous mathematics is usually the real numbers, while for discrete mathematics it is the integers. Because problems in discrete mathematics often involve the integers, which form an infinite set, discrete mathematics is not necessarily finite mathematics.