11/21/2007: I've archived all of the notes and problem sets (ie, most of the links below don't work) and am only leaving up the syllabus for reference. If you're looking for the material, you may be able to find a link to a more recent offering of the class here or here.
No programming experience is required (or assumed). However, precalculus mathematics and an interest in applications of math to computer science is a prerequisite.
The lectures are on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:45-4:00 in Lincoln 1135
The textbook is Mathematics: A Discrete Introduction, 2nd Edition by Scheinerman. The link takes you to the Amazon page, but the book should also be available at Huntley bookstore.
| Week | Date | In class | Readings | Assignments due | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (Wed) 1/17 | introduction/motivation/background administrivia sample.tex, sample.pdf | section 1 | ||
| 2 | (Mon) 1/22 | basic concepts/definitions basic proof techniques | 2-5 | ps1a | |
| (Wed) 1/24 | boolean algebra knights and knaves, circuits | 6, * | ps1b | ||
| 3 | (Mon) 1/29 | SR latch working with quantifiers basic counting principles | 7-8, 10, * | ||
| (Wed) 1/31 | sets combinatorial proofs | 9, 11-12 | ps2 | ||
| 4 | (Mon) 2/5 | relations, equivalence relations partitions | 13-15 | ||
| (Wed) 2/7 | binomial coefficients multisets | 15-16 | ps3 | ||
| 5 | (Mon) 2/12 | even more counting more proof techniques | 17-19 | ||
| (Wed) 2/14 | proof techniques review for midterm | 19 | ps4 | ||
| 6 | (Mon) 2/19 | | |||
| (Wed) 2/21 | induction recurrence relations | 20-22 | |||
| 7 | (Mon) 2/26 | more on induction and recurrences functions | 21, 23, * | ps5 - part 1 | |
| (Wed) 2/28 | composing functions counting infinite sets, diagonalization algorithms | 25, * | |||
| 8 | (Mon) 3/5 | asymptotics guess-and-check | 28, * | ps5 - part 2 | |
| (Wed) 3/7 | master method games | * | |||
| 9 | (Mon) 3/12 | | |||
| (Wed) 3/14 | |||||
| 10 | (Mon) 3/19 | basic probability | 29-30 | ||
| (Wed) 3/21 | conditional probability random variables | 31-32 | ps6 | ||
| 11 | (Mon) 3/26 | expected value introduction to compression | 33, * | ||
| (Wed) 3/28 | a little more on compression introduction to number theory | *, 34 | ps7 | ||
| 12 | (Mon) 4/2 | a little more number theory | 35-36 | ||
| (Wed) 4/3 | introduction to graphs | 46-47 | ps8 | ||
| 13 | (Mon) 4/9 | review for midterm | |||
| (Wed) 4/11 | | ||||
| 14 | (Mon) 4/16 | graphs: representations, connectivity, Euler circuits | *, 48, 50 | ||
| (Wed) 4/18 | graphs: Hamiltonian cycles planarity | *, 52 | ps9 | ||
| 15 | (Mon) 4/23 | trees, weighted graphs, MSTs | 49, * | ||
| (Wed) 4/25 | graph traversals | * | ps10 | ||
| 16 | (Mon) 4/30 | applications of graphs course evaluations | * | ||
| (Wed) 5/2 | review for final | ||||
| (Fri) 5/4 | ps11 due by noon | ||||
| 17 | (Mon) 5/7 | | |||