Combinatorics

In mathematics and computer science, combinatorics is the study of finite or countable discrete structures. As opposed to other areas of mathematics, where one studies continuous structures, in combinatorics the objects under consideration are usually discrete, such as graphs, Friendship networks, codes, and designs. Combinatorial problems arise in many areas of science, from statistical physics to evolutionary biology, and combinatorial methods are useful in attacking problems in other areas of mathematics such as number theory and algebra. Many famous mathematicians have worked in this field, including Carl Ferdinand von Lindemann, David Hilbert, Ernst Zermelo, George Polya, and Stanislaw Ulam.