This book presents a clear and comprehensive introduction to one of the truly fascinating topics in mathematics: Catalan numbers.

Random numbers. Arithmetic. The Algorithms discussed in this book deal directly with numbers; yet I believe they are properly called seminumerical, because they lie on the borderline between numeric and symbolic calculation.

This major textbook, a product of many years' teaching, will appeal to all teachers of combinatorics who appreciate the breadth and depth of the subject.