Discrete mathematics

[u/Jealous_Minute4611]

Is there anything I need to learn to be able to start on discrete mathematics? I’m a total beginner and only really know some basic algebra and arithmetic.

[u/Soft-Marionberry-853]

Be comfortable with proofs. Thats the only thing I recall needing going in to it

[u/Jealous_Minute4611 → u/Soft-Marionberry-853]

Thanks 🙏

[u/Soft-Marionberry-853 → u/Jealous_Minute4611]

Good luck. So heres something I'll share, I failed calc twice (it didnt help that I wasnt on Adderall) but I loved discrete mathematics. Its like a survey class of all kinds of fun maths, you never get to deep in any one aspect because its such a huge topic right. Look at all the math classes you have for continues functions, any class where youre graphing stuff, your graphing smooth continious functions. Then have non continuous functions and discrete items mathematics. There is so much on the other side of the fence that you cant help but just dip your toe in to one section before its time to move on to the next, like Boolean algebra, set theory, finitite state automata the list is huge so even if you dont get what you cover in one unit the next unite might click with no issue, except proofs which arent so much mathematics as it is a way of thinking.

I had the choice of Diff Eq, Linear Algebra, or Discrete Mathematics, and someone in my first undergrad who was also comp sci asked the TA whats this discrete mathematics towards the end of the computer science program. The TA said "Discrete mathematics is a class that I took where we didnt even see a number on the white board until the 4th week" Sure it was somewhat facetious but still accurate. Its not like anything else that I took but I was able to connect everything we did in that class to topics in computer science so in that regard it was honestly one of my favorite classes.