Thursday, August 4, 2011

WHAT IS DISCRETE MATHEMATICS

Discrete mathematics is the part of mathematics devoted to the study of discrete objects. ( Here discrete means consisting of distinct or unconnected elements.) The kind of problems solved using discrete mathematics include:

  • How many ways are there to choose a valid password on a computer system ?
  • What is the probability of winning a lottery ?
  • Is there a link between two computers in a network ?
  • What is the shortest path between two cities using a transportation system ?
  • How can a list of integers be sorted so that the integers are in increasing order ?
  • How many steps are required to do such a sorting ?
  • How can it be proved that a sorting algorithm correctly sort a list ?
  • How can a circuit that adds two integers be designed ?
  • How many valid internet address are there ?


More generally discrete mathematics is used whenever objects are counted, when relationship between finite ( or countable) sets are studied, and when processes involving a finite number of steps are analyzed. A key reason for the growth in the importance of discrete mathematics in that information is stored and manipulated by computing machines in a discrete fashion.

No comments:

Post a Comment