Introduction to Discrete Mathematics

Learning objectives:
At the end of this chapter, students are expected to:
1. Have an understanding of what Discrete Mathematics is through an exploration of its history.
2. Determine the goals of Discrete Mathematics
3. Be able to explain how Discrete Mathematics is related to the information technology field.
4. Identify problems, the solution of which, involves the use of Discrete Mathematics.
Topics:
1.1 History of Discrete Mathematics
1.2 Goals in Learning Discrete Mathematics
1.3 Discrete Mathematics in Relation to the IT Field
1.4 Problems Solved Using Discrete Mathematics
1.1 History of Discrete Mathematics
Discrete mathematics is the study of mathematical structures that are countable or otherwise
distinct and separable. Examples of structures that are discrete are combinations, graphs, and logical
statements. Discrete structures can be finite or infinite. Discrete mathematics is in contrast to continuous
mathematics, which deals with structures which can range in value over the real numbers, or have some
non-separable quality.
Discrete structures can be counted, arranged, placed into sets, and put into ratios with one
another. Although discrete mathematics is a wide and varied field, there are certain rules that carry over
into many topics. The concept of independent events and the rules of product, sum, and PIE are shared
among combinatorics, set theory, and probability. In addition, De Morgan's laws are applicable in many
fields of discrete mathematics.
The originators of the basic concepts of Discrete Mathematics, the mathematics of finite
structures, were the Hindus, who knew the formulae for the number of permutations of a set of n
elements, and for the number of subsets of cardinality k in a set of n elements already in the sixth
century. The formal origin of the subject however, can be traced back to the 1980s when it was taught as
a part of the computer science course. Hence, there is no branch in mathematics called “Discrete
Mathematics” as it is a term used for already existing topics used in computer science.
As stated, Discrete Mathematics deals with objects that can assume only distinct, separated
values. The study of how discrete objects combine with one another and the probabilities of various
outcomes is known as combinatorics. Fields of mathematics that are considered to be part of discrete
mathematics include graph theory and the theory of computation along with logic, number theory,
counting, probability and recurrences.

1.2 Goals in Learning Discrete Mathematics

Discrete mathematics is a subject that has gained prominence in recent times. Unlike regular
math that deal with real numbers that vary continuously, discrete mathematics deals with logic that does
not vary continuously or is discrete or separate distinguishable entities. As has stated, it deals with
algorithms, set theory, graphs, statements in logic, recursion and probability, and so on. These concepts
significant applications in computing and as such, discrete mathematics is considered as the backbone of
computer science, a field of study that is very closely related to information technology.
For those dabbling in information technology, like aspiring software engineers, it is a must to
study discrete mathematics for the following reasons:
 It is the mathematics of computing. Understanding discrete mathematical concepts helps in
understanding all the fundamentals of computing. It will let one to think like a computer and
know how everything works.
 It helps in understanding other subjects. Discrete mathematics is a vital prerequisite to
learning algorithms, as it covers probabilities, trees, graphs, logic, mathematical thinking, and
much more. The same thing applies to topics such as graph theory (used in networks, operating
systems, and compilers), set theory (used in software engineering and databases), and probability
theory (used in artificial intelligence, machine learning and networking).
  Discrete mathematics solves real-world problems. Unlike continuous mathematics, discrete
mathematics applications in the real world are always linked to real-world applications. It is very
interesting to study, understand, and apply discrete mathematics to challenging real-world
problems.
 It offers solutions to many daily problems. The use of discrete mathematics can offer answer
to the following questions:
o How can you identify a spam message?
o How many ways are there to choose a valid password?
o How many steps are needed to sort a list using a given method?
o How can we prove our algorithm is more efficient than another?
 It enhances problem-solving skills. The way it focuses on real-world problems, mathematical
reasoning, and proofs helps to build problem-solving skills.
 It gives an introduction to nearly everything in computing. As mentioned earlier, discrete
mathematics helps in understanding topics from scratch up to the advanced concepts that are used
daily in computing. It covers the introduction and basics of many topics like combinatorics, set
theory, graph theory, logic, counting, and algorithms. It is a great introduction to the problems
faced in computer science.
 It increases the clarity of solutions. Discrete mathematics helps in approaching most problems
in a very rational, formal way. It also helps in analyzing the problem in a scientific manner— not
just based on intuition or opinion — and brings a lot of clarity.
In addition to these reasons, the goals of learning discrete mathematics are, to develop skills needed
in order to read, write, recognize, and appreciate a (good) mathematical proof; and to gain familiarity
with certain areas of mathematics which could be labeled as being discrete.

1.3 Discrete Mathematics in Relation to the IT Field

At the most fundamental level, all of a computer’s data is represented as bits (zeros and ones).
Computers make calculations by modifying these bits in accordance with the laws of Boolean algebra,
which form the basis of all digital circuits. Low-level programming languages rely on logical operators
such as and, not, and or. Software developers using high-level languages will often work to optimize
their code by minimizing the low-level operations, and may even operate directly on bits. Programmers
also use Boolean logic to control program flow – that is, which instructions are executed under certain
conditions. With this, Discrete Mathematics is of direct importance to the fields of Computer Science
and Information Technology.
Programs can be described precisely with mathematics, and the tools of propositional logic can
be used to reason about the correctness of the code when programming. This skill is critical to the design
and analysis of algorithms. Logic is the language used for most formal specification languages, and is
fundamental for understanding much of the literature in verification and in programming language
foundations and design.
Further, to build a sound scientific foundation or the information age requires collective
interdisciplinary efforts, to which discrete mathematicians can contribute in numerous ways.
Thereby making use of the following aspects of discrete mathematics:
a. Theory and techniques in discrete mathematics are well coupled with applications and
implementations. For example, coding theory goes hand in hand with data compression,
protocols, and communication security. Graph theory is directly involved in algorithmic design
and analysis, performance analysis of communication networks, etc.
b. A particular method can often be applied to many disparate problems. For example, pattern
matching occurs in problems in computational biology and information retrieval, among many
other areas.
c. Discrete mathematics serves as a bridge linking mathematics to communications and computing.
1.4 Problems Solved Using Discrete Mathematics
Discrete mathematical concepts are highly applicable in solving simple problems such as: how
many ways are there to choose a valid password?, what is the probability of winning the lottery?, is there
a link between two computers in a network?, how can a list of integers be sorted in increasing order?,
how can a circuit that adds two integers be designed?, how many valid internet addresses are there?, etc.
More formally however, discrete mathematics is applied in the following:
Computers run software and store files. The software and files are both stored as huge strings of
1s and 0s. Binary math is discrete mathematics.
Encryption and decryption are part of cryptography, which is a part of discrete mathematics.
For example, secure internet shopping uses public-key cryptography.
Designing password criteria is a counting problem: Is the space of passwords chosen large
enough that a hacker can’t break into accounts just by trying all the possibilities?
Computer graphics (such as in video games) use linear algebra in order to transform (move,
scale, change perspective) objects. That's true for both applications like game development, and
for operating systems.
Area codes: How do we know when we need more area codes to cover the phone numbers in a
region? This is a basic combinatorics problem.

References
https://www.ias.edu/math/csdm/dm#:~:text=The%20originators%20of%20the%20basic,already%20in
%20the%20sixth%20century.
https://notesformsc.org/discrete-mathematics/#:~:text=The%20origin%20of%20discrete
%20mathematics,mathematics%20called%20%E2%80%9CDiscrete%20Mathematics%E2%80%9D.
https://brilliant.org/wiki/discrete-mathematics/
https://masters.cs.uchicago.edu/page/math-computer-science-discrete-math
https://betterprogramming.pub/why-you-should-study-discrete-mathematics-as-a-software-engineer-
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https://www.mathily.org/dm-rw.html