Notes on Discrete Mathematics (2017) [pdf]
Why do most introductory math textbooks not contain solutions? How can a self-learner without access to a university or professor check their work?<p>The common answer I get is solutions &quot;rob&quot; the student of learning. Why should the fear of the lazy student cheat those that actually attempt their work and want to see if their solution is correct?<p>Additionally, I heard the argument that &quot;you should know&quot; if your solutions are correct. A beginner is probably prone to subtle mistakes and may think their reasoning is rational. Thus they are probably unaware of any subtle logic errors and could easily fool themselves into thinking their proofs are correct.<p>Is it partially laziness from the authors in creating new problems for homeworks&#x2F;exams? Or do people think a literal beginner in math can be their own proof checker?<p>I wouldn&#x27;t want a beginner programmer writing &quot;production ready&quot; code without code review, so why should we expect a beginner math student to write error free proofs? What is the point in not allowing solutions?<p>As great as these text may be, I couldn&#x27;t and wouldn&#x27;t recommend them for the beginner. These text seem to be designed solely for a classroom where students will get assistance and feedback from TAs and professors. They seem useless for a beginner to learn on their own without outside proof checking.