IMPA Releases the Second Edition of a Book on Combinatorics and Probability

To introduce fundamental concepts in probability and combinatorics and explore the connections between them and with other areas of mathematics, Tertuliano Franco has published the second edition of “Principles of Combinatorics and Probability,” part of the University Mathematics Series. Aimed at a higher education audience, the book offers an introductory course on both topics.

A basic understanding of calculus is recommended for reading this book, but the author emphasizes that the prerequisites should not be viewed as a barrier to studying it. Referring to the mathematician Paul Halmos, Franco states that “the reader should not feel discouraged if they lack the prerequisites to read the prerequisites.” For the author, studying mathematics is often a nonlinear process, and prerequisites should not be taken literally.

Franco holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from IMPA; he also has a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina and the University of Minho in Portugal. He is currently a professor in the Department of Mathematics at IME-UFBA and a recipient of a CNPq research productivity grant.

The researcher focuses primarily on the scale limits of particle systems. In addition to his research and teaching, Franco has a passion for music and plays waltzes, choros, and maxixes on the harmonica.

The book can be purchased at the IMPA store for R$ 143.