Mathematics / Computer Science 227
Discrete Structures I
Spring 2006


Instrutor:   Jason Rosenhouse
Office:   Room 016, Burruss Hall
Office Hours:   Mo 11:00-12:00, Tu, Th 1:00-2:00 or by appointment
Meeting Time and Place:   Tu, Th 3:30-4:45 and 5:00-6:15, HHS 1204
Textbook: Discrete Mathematics With Applications, Third Edition by Susanna Epp
Final Exam: Tuesday, May 2, 4:00-6:00 and Tuesday, May 2, 1:30-3:30, respecitvely.

About the Course: This course will provide you with a basic introduction to the major topics in discrete mathematics, with emphasis on those topics of relevance to computer science. The emphasis throughout will be not just on the mathematical facts themselves, but also on the reasoning that goes into establishing their correctness. In addition to the basic facts, you will also learn to express mathematical ideas in both written and verbal form. Clarity of expression is an essential component of any scientific discipline!

Grading: Your grade will be based on four things (in increasing order of importance): Homework, Quizzes, the Midterm Exams and the Final. You will have two midterm exams during the term. They will be in-class exams. You will have numerous quizzes throughout the term. They will typically take ten minutes. At the end of the term I will drop your lowest quiz, and then scale the rest so they count the same as one midterm. The final will count for one and a half regular exams.

Homework: Homework will be an important part of this class and will generally be assigned weekly. It will be collected. Unfortunately it is not practical for me to grade every problem, so I will generally choose two or three per assignment to grade. The catch is that you won't know ahead of time which ones I will look at! The neatness and clarity of your solutions will be factored into your score.

Miscellaneous: Office hours are an integral part of the course. Do not hesitate to come talk to me if you have any concerns at all. If you can not make my office hours, simply make an appointment with me for some other time. If you have any special needs that I should know about, let me know as soon as possible. Isolated absences do not have to be explained to me, but if you will miss several classes in a row, please talk to me about it. I can accommodate almost any contingency that comes up (for example, if you have to miss a test), as long as I know about it ahead of time. The exception is the final exam, which will be on the indicated date and time, barring a truly extraordinary circumstance.