Quiz-3, HW statistics posted (12-4, 4pm)
HW set #16 posted (12-4 noon). Due Thu, Dec 6.
HW set #15 posted (12-1 4pm and 6:30pm). Due Tue, Dec 4.
Quiz-3 posted (11-29, 11am). Solve it on your own time. (Click "Grading, tests" on the banner.)
HW set #14 posted (11-27, 11pm). Due Thu, Nov 29/Tue, Dec 4.
HW set #13 posted (11-20, 3pm). Due Tue, Nov 27.
Midterm, HW statistics posted (Nov 20, 1am)
Please send email to the instructor with answers to these questions, even if you are only sitting in on the class, did not register, or have an unusual status. Your answers to these questions will help me better to plan the course. Please write "CMSC 37110 data" in the subject.
HW set #12 posted (11-15, 5am). Due Tue, Nov 20.
HW set #11 posted (11-8, 10:40pm). Two problems added on 11-9, 10:40pm. Due Tue, Nov 13.
Quiz-2 and HW statistics posted (click "Statistics" on the banner; make sure to REFRESH)
HW set #10 posted (11-6, 11:40am). Due Thu, Nov 8.
Quiz-2 posted (11-1, 10:40am). Solve it without the time pressure.
HW set #8 posted (10-31, 10:40pm). Due Thu, Nov 1. (All problems have been assigned in class.)
HW set #7 posted (10-26, 8pm). Due Tue, Oct. 30.
Quiz-1 and HW statistics posted (click "Statistics" on the banner; make sure to REFRESH, otherwise you will see last year's data)
HW sets #5 and #6 posted (10-23, 12:30pm). Due Thu, Oct. 25.
The first quiz has been posted (10-18, 11am). Click "Grading, tests" on the banner. Solve the problems without the time pressure.
Remember: first quiz on Thursday, Oct 18.
Homework set #4 has been posted (10-12), due Tuesday, Oct 16. (Click "Homework in HTML" on the banner.)
This website is up. (10/9)
This course intends to introduce the students into the ways of mathematical thinking, from intuition to formal statement and proof, through a number of interconnected elementary subjects most of which should be both entertaining and useful in their many connections to classical mathematics as well as to real-world applications.
Through a long series of examples, we practice how to formalize mathematical ideas and learn the nuts and bolts of proofs.
High-school level familiarity with sets, functions, and relations will be assumed.
The list of subjects includes quantifier notation, number theory, methods of counting, generating functions, finite probability spaces, undirected and directed graphs, basic linear algebra, finite Markov Chains (a class of stochastic processes).
Sequences of numbers will be a recurring theme throughout. Our primary interest will be the rate of growth of such a sequence (asymptotic analysis). From calculus, the notion of limits (especially at infinity) is required background. "Asymptotic thinking" about sequences is also the bread and butter of the analysis of algorithms, the subject of a course offered in Winter.
Office hours: by appointment (please send e-mail)
Classes: TuTh 9:00 - 11:20, Ry-276
Tutorial: Tue 4:30 - 5:20 pm, Ry-276. Attendance mandatory unless waived by instructor. The main theme is solving problems, especially homework and test problems.
LAST CLASS: Thursday, December 6. Attendance mandatory.
Your primary text will be your course notes, so please make sure you don't miss classes. If you do, you should copy somebody's class notes and discuss the class with them.
Instructor's Discrete Mathematics Lecture Notes (PDF)
DM Lecture Notes by Morgan Sonderegger and Lars Bergstrom (PDF) (detailed notes based on the 2007 class, but not proofread by instructor)
Instructor's Linear Algebra lecture notes (PDF)
Puzzle problems from instructor's 2011 REU course (PDF)
Printed text:
J. Matoušek, J. Nešetříl: "Invitation to Discrete Mathematics," published by Oxford University Press, ISBN# 098502079.
(Note: the second edition of this text appeared in 2009. You may also
use the first edition. The numbering of chapters has changed; I will
post the correspondence.)
Recommended reference (undergraduate text):
Kenneth H. Rosen: Discrete Mathematics and its Applications (n-th edition, n=2,3,4,5,...)
Grades are based on homework (27%), a midterm (20%), three quizzes (6% each), class participation (5%) and the final exam (30%).
The tests are closed-book; no notes permitted. Calculators are permitted for basic arithmetic (multiplication, division) but not for more advanced functions such as g.c.d. Calculators will seldom be of any use: the problems tend to involve very little numerical calculation.
October 18 Thursday: first quiz (6%)
November 1 Thursday: second quiz (6%)
November 15 Thursday: midterm (20%)
November 29 Thursday: third quiz (6%)
December 6, Thursday: LAST CLASS. Attendance mandatory.
December 11 Tuesday, 8:00 - 10:00: final exam (30%)