Discrete Mathematics glossary

Clear, one-line definitions of the Discrete Mathematics terms used across the OgbonLab textbooks. Each entry links to the interactive sections where the idea is taught.

7 terms
arithmetic sequence
A sequence in which consecutive terms differ by the same constant.
induction
A proof technique establishing a statement for all natural numbers via a base case and an inductive step.
See: Strong Induction, Laterolog and Induction
permutation
A bijection from a set to itself; the n! permutations of {1,...,n} form the symmetric group Sₙ.
See: Permutations of Finite Sets, Permutation tests and exchangeability
pigeonhole principle
If n+1 objects are placed in n boxes, at least one box contains 2 or more objects.
summation
A sum of a sequence of terms, often written using the Σ symbol with a lower and upper index.
symmetric group
The group Sₙ of all permutations of {1,...,n}, of size n!.
transposition
A permutation that swaps two elements and fixes the rest; every permutation is a product of transpositions.

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