Discrete Math Help

[DP4eva]

Hey,

To those who are taking the discrete math option, I just wanted to know how u guys are studying. Is there any specific book which is useful, or is past papers is best bet?
Cause ive seen/done a few past papers and some of the proofs there are insanely hard and I dont know how to learn them. Also if anybody knows any handy tips/tricks please share them

[flinquinnster]

We're using the Haese and Harris Options Textbook for Series and Differential Equations - the textbook has chapters on all the options. I would guess that it's a bit concise though, so it might not be the best for figuring out complex proofs - although it does come with worked solutions, which is handy. I'm not really familiar with other IB textbooks (Cambridge/Oxford and IBID should have options books), but if googling doesn't help, perhaps ask your maths teacher/other maths teachers for some advice on general textbooks about discrete mathematics and proofs.

Past paper questions should be available in ample supply. Since 2006, there's been a separate Paper 3 for this option. Even in older exams, I think that there are still 'discrete mathematics' questions, though they aren't as obvious. If you have questionbank, you can also select all the past paper questions for your specific topic.

Both textbook and past paper practice will be useful, though if you are pressed for time, I think past papers would be more useful. As long as you don't cheat and read the answers whilst trying to do the question.

[n00b]

Yep the harris book is good. Btw does any know if we will get the formulas for the exam? like the one with general solution of x and y when you have ax+by=c?

[flinquinnster]

Yep the harris book is good. Btw does any know if we will get the formulas for the exam? like the one with general solution of x and y when you have ax+by=c?

You get the formula book for the exam. But for discrete maths, you only get 3 formulas. And for the rest of the syllabus, you only get certain formulae, others you are expected to know from your own memory and apply. I think that the general solution to ax+by=c is something that you are expected to be able to solve without them giving you a formula (unless it's some complicated thing that you are referring to which I don't know).

[DP4eva]

Well yes I have that textbook, but the problem is the questions they ask in the past papers are so different compared to the ones in the book. Many things they also teach is useless in terms of exam prep.

Is there any videos/tutorials for discrete math? This is the paper im most scared of, it can easily pull down my grade from a 6 to a 5

And im going to do as many past papers as possible till tuesday

Thanks again

[Ezak]

I use the pearson book and it's pretty good, it has past questions (about 60 in total) at the end of each part. For the proofs just take it easy and think about them, I know this is easier said than done, but the best bet must be to just go through them and make sure you know them. What I found troublesome is at what level they want us to prove something, like what earlier proofs are ok to use.