From Combinatorics to Philosophy: The Legacy of G. -C. Rota provides an assessment of G. -C. Rota's legacy to current international research issues in mathematics, philosophy and computer science. This volume includes chapters by leading researchers, as well as a number of invited research papers. Rota’s legacy connects European and Italian research communities to the USA by providing inspiration to several generations of researchers in combinatorics, philosophy and computer science. From Combinatorics to Philosophy: The Legacy of G. -C. Rota is of valuable interest to research institutions and university libraries worldwide. This book is also designed for advanced-level students in mathematics, computer science, and philosophy.

Gian-Carlo Rota was born in Vigevano, Italy, in 1932. He died in Cambridge, Mas sachusetts, in 1999. He had several careers, most notably as a mathematician, but also as a philosopher and a consultant to the United States government. His mathe matical career was equally varied. His early mathematical studies were at Princeton (1950 to 1953) and Yale (1953 to 1956). In 1956, he completed his doctoral thesis under the direction of Jacob T. Schwartz. This thesis was published as the pa per "Extension theory of differential operators I", the first paper reprinted in this volume. Rota's early work was in analysis, more specifically, in operator theory, differ ential equations, ergodic theory, and probability theory. In the 1960's, Rota was motivated by problems in fluctuation theory to study some operator identities of Glen Baxter (see [7]). Together with other problems in probability theory, this led Rota to study combinatorics. His series of papers, "On the foundations of combi natorial theory", led to a fundamental re-evaluation of the subject. Later, in the 1990's, Rota returned to some of the problems in analysis and probability theory which motivated his work in combinatorics. This was his intention all along, and his early death robbed mathematics of his unique perspective on linkages between the discrete and the continuous. Glimpses of his new research programs can be found in [2,3,6,9,10].

Preface Part I. Non-Naturalist Theories of Possibility: 1. Causal argument 2. Non-Naturalist theories of possibility Part II. A Combinatorial and Naturalist Account of Possibility: 3. Possibility in a simple world 4. Expanding and contracting the world 5. Relative atoms 6. Are there de re incompatibilities and necessities? 7. Higher-order entities, negation and causation 8. Supervenience 9. Mathematics 10. Final questions: logic Works cited Appendix: Tractarian Nominalism Brian Skyrms Index.

Gian-Carlo Rota was one of the most original and colourful mathematicians of the 20th century. His work on the foundations of combinatorics focused on the algebraic structures that lie behind diverse combinatorial areas, and created a new area of algebraic combinatorics. Written by two of his former students, this book is based on notes from his influential graduate courses and on face-to-face discussions. Topics include sets and valuations, partially ordered sets, distributive lattices, partitions and entropy, matching theory, free matrices, doubly stochastic matrices, Moebius functions, chains and antichains, Sperner theory, commuting equivalence relations and linear lattices, modular and geometric lattices, valuation rings, generating functions, umbral calculus, symmetric functions, Baxter algebras, unimodality of sequences, and location of zeros of polynomials. Many exercises and research problems are included, and unexplored areas of possible research are discussed. A must-have for all students and researchers in combinatorics and related areas.

This is a volume of essays and reviews that delightfully explores mathematics in all its moods — from the light and the witty, and humorous to serious, rational, and cerebral. These beautifully written articles from three great modern mathematicians will provide a source for supplemental reading for almost any math class. Topics include: logic, combinatorics, statistics, economics, artificial intelligence, computer science, and broad applications of mathematics. Readers will also find coverage of history and philosophy, including discussion of the work of Ulam, Kant, and Heidegger, among others.

This book presents methods of solving problems in three areas of elementary combinatorial mathematics: classical combinatorics, combinatorial arithmetic, and combinatorial geometry. Brief theoretical discussions are immediately followed by carefully worked-out examples of increasing degrees of difficulty and by exercises that range from routine to rather challenging. The book features approximately 310 examples and 650 exercises.

Indiscrete Thoughts gives a glimpse into a world that has seldom been described - that of science and technology as seen through the eyes of a mathematician. The era covered by this book, 1950 to 1990, was surely one of the golden ages of science and of the American university. Cherished myths are debunked along the way as Gian-Carlo Rota takes pleasure in portraying, warts and all, some of the great scientific personalities of the period. Rota is not afraid of controversy. Some readers may even consider these essays indiscreet. This beautifully written book is destined to become an instant classic and the subject of debate for decades to come.

Recounts the modern transformation of model theory and its effects on the philosophy of mathematics and mathematical practice.

Combinatorics, or the art and science of counting, is a vibrant and active area of pure mathematical research with many applications. The Unity of Combinatorics succeeds in showing that the many facets of combinatorics are not merely isolated instances of clever tricks but that they have numerous connections and threads weaving them together to form a beautifully patterned tapestry of ideas. Topics include combinatorial designs, combinatorial games, matroids, difference sets, Fibonacci numbers, finite geometries, Pascal's triangle, Penrose tilings, error-correcting codes, and many others. Anyone with an interest in mathematics, professional or recreational, will be sure to find this book both enlightening and enjoyable. Few mathematicians have been as active in this area as Richard Guy, now in his eighth decade of mathematical productivity. Guy is the author of over 300 papers and twelve books in geometry, number theory, graph theory, and combinatorics. In addition to being a life-long number-theorist and combinatorialist, Guy's co-author, Ezra Brown, is a multi-award-winning expository writer. Together, Guy and Brown have produced a book that, in the spirit of the founding words of the Carus book series, is accessible “not only to mathematicians but to scientific workers and others with a modest mathematical background.”

This graduate-level text presents mathematical theory and problem-solving techniques associated with enumeration problems. Subjects include the combinatorics of the ordinary generating function and the exponential generating function, the combinatorics of sequences, and the combinatorics of paths. The text is complemented by approximately 350 exercises with full solutions. 1983 edition. Foreword by Gian-Carlo Rota. References. Index.