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Arissa Mae Allison

Dr. Baocheng Geng

CS 250 Discrete Structures

5 December 2022

Real World Applications of Discrete Mathematics

Computer Science is a field of technology that focuses on working with mathematical

models, algorithms and computational theory and analysis of data in order to develop software

systems through various coding languages such as Javascript, HTML, C#, C++ and many more.

Mathematical modeling is reliant on utilizing mathematical expressions as a form of representing

a real world situation1, such as if there are six different candidates for some political office, how

many different orders can the names of these candidates be printed on a ballot. We can use the

6!
mathematical expression 1!
= 720. This would mean that utilizing permutations, there are 720

ways that we can order the names on the ballot. We can also use combinations to determine how

many different orders of 40 discrete mathematics can be printed on an exam . We would use the

𝑛! 40! 40!
mathematical expression 𝐶 (𝑛, 𝑟) = (𝑛−𝑟)! 𝑟!
= (40−17)! 17!
= 23! 17!
which equates to be

around 8.87 x 1010 different combinations of questions. Permutations and combinations are both

related to a bigger field known as discrete mathematics. Discrete mathematics focuses on

studying objects that have distinct and separate values over continuous objects. This means that

the data that discrete mathematics focuses on will not change. For instance, discrete mathematics

would focus on things such as integers, steps taken by a computer program, distinct paths to

travel from point A to point B and also methods to pick successful sets of numbers 2. Because of

the specificity of the values that the field focuses on, the field of discrete mathematics can be
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applied to several real world applications, such as its usage in navigational systems, voting

systems, computer storage and also in scaling COVID-19 testing data.

Navigational systems, such as Google and Apple maps, are used globally in order to

assist users in traveling from one place to another utilizing algorithms and graph theory. A

computer scientist, Edsger Dijkstra developed an algorithm for finding the shortest paths

between nodes on a graph3. Dijkstra would assign each location a specific value and a starting

location. The program would then measure the distance between every possible location the user

could travel to get to their end destination by determining which path is shortest by analyzing

vertices and edges. Today, Dijkstra’s original model ended up becoming outdated since it did not

work with negative weight edges and so it is now replaced by other algorithms, such as A* and

Bellman-Ford. Dijkstra’s, Bellman-Ford and A*’s algorithms are all within the field of discrete

mathematics as they are using values that are distinct and separate from one another. Distance

from two places will not change, and by putting different locations into a graph then analyzing its

vertices and edges, one can find the shortest distance thanks to discrete mathematics, however,

discrete mathematics also has applications in voting systems.

Voting systems in the United States are subject to a wide variety of theories within the

field of discrete mathematics. Every voting system depends on the distribution of votes rather

than the names of the options. Because of this, there are three kinds of ballots: approval ballot,

yes-no alternative ballot and hybrid ballots4. Each ballot will report which option has the highest

distribution of voters or will rank the distribution based on response. Furthermore, there are also

permutations that can occur in voting systems in regards to the listing of candidates or the listing

of the materials to vote upon5. These permutations can change the specific order of the list of

items to vote upon. More popular candidates end up being higher on the list while the rest is
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generally less popular. Because voting systems are influenced by permutations and analyzing the

distribution of voters to a particular outcome, discrete mathematics are vital in the organization

of voting systems and results, but also to its computer storage of data.

Discrete mathematics is instrumental in the management of computer storage. Computer

data is seen in computer software and also the files that are saved on the computer. To the

computer, this data is binary data in the form of strings of 0s and 1s. This includes even

combinatorics to create a randomized password to protect computer systems which is vital in

security of the computer system and its stored data. This means that antivirus software is able to

be stored thanks to discrete mathematics as well as passwords for protection of computer systems

which is important in both computer science as well as informatics and cybersecurity. However,

discrete mathematics is not just a tool that can be used in the protection of computer systems and

its data, but also in the healthcare field with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is an ever changing situation where more information

surrounding its incident rates, prevalence and data is coming to light. The information that we

find is based on individual data that is distinct and separate from one another. To do this,

RT-PCR patient groupings were pooled in a combinatorial manner and their results were

multiplexed and were put into a matrix for analysis6. After this, information such as incidence

rates were able to be found because of the discrete values found from tests such as these that are

used today in healthcare and in several other disease and disorder rates.

Discrete mathematics has a variety of methods that can be applied to many different areas

of study. It can use permutations and combinations in election matters, matrices in healthcare

data, binary for the storage of computer data and graph theory for navigational systems, but can

also use these same topics for more fields such as telephone networks, railway systems,
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scheduling and more. Because of its many applications, discrete mathematics is vital to the

functionality of many corporations and businesses globally.

Works Cited

“What Is Math Modeling?” What Is Math Modeling? | Society for Industrial and Applied
Mathematics, https://m3challenge.siam.org/resources/whatismathmodeling.

Baocheng Geng. Course Overview and Propositional Logic. Chapter 1. Canvas. CS 250,
Discrete Structures Fall 2022. Accessed December 5, 2022.

“The Simple, Elegant Algorithm That Makes Google Maps Possible.” VICE, 22 Mar. 2015.

“Feature Column from the AMS.” American Mathematical Society.

“The Mathematics:” Why Do Math?, http://www.whydomath.org/node/voting/math.html.

SIAM News. “The Mathematics of Mass Testing for Covid-19.” SIAM News,
https://sinews.siam.org/Details-Page/the-mathematics-of-mass-testing-for-covid-19.