LAWRENCE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY College of Arts and Sciences Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

MCS 2523: DISCRETE MATHEMATICS

Instructor: Contact Info: Dr. Michael Cap Khoury mkhoury1@ltu.edu I am deeply committed to providing prompt responses to student emails. The times when I respond to emails may vary, but I will certainly respond within 24 hours. by appointment. For traditional face-to-face meeting, I am on campus MW 1:00-5:30 On non-class days, I can meet with students via Skype (again, by appointment) Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications, K. H. Rosen, 7th Edition, McGraw-Hill ISBN-13: 978-0-07-338309-5 In this context, discrete is in contrast with continuous. The analysis of functions of real and complex numbers or of most concepts of limit (as in a calculus or differential equations class) is continuous mathematics. For many students, this course will have a very different flavor than the math classes they are familiar with. Instead, we will study objects that can be counted and organized into structures; we will also turn our attention to mathematical reasoning itself. We will begin by discussing basic logic and proofs, as well as basic set and function theory, which will provide us with the basic vocabulary of discrete mathematics. We will then proceed to number theory (modular arithmetic, prime numbers, etc.), induction and recursion (a very important topic in computer science), and counting. The last portion of the course will cover assorted mathematical structures (equivalence relations, partial orders, various types of graphs and trees). We will be covering much of chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11, though time will not permit us to cover all sections in these chapters. A writing project may involve other material, depending on the topics chosen. Your grade is based on five components: weekly written homework (20%), two midterms (20% each), a writing project (10%), and the final exam (30%). On days when homework is due (typically Mondays), it is due at the beginning of class. Graded homework will be returned the following week. As a matter of policy, I do not accept late homework, even for students who were absent from class. However, I am happy to accept homework submitted by email. Homework policies will be explained in greater detail elsewhere.

Office Hours:

Textbook: Content:

Scope:

Grading: Homework:

Midterms:

There will be two midterms, one covering Chapters 1-3, the second covering Chapters 4 and 5. These midterms will be take-home. More information, including dates and more precise information about format and what material will be covered, will be provided as the midterms get closer.

Writing Project: Over the course of the semester, you will work in small groups to explore one or more interesting applications of the material of the course. The culmination of this exploration will be a written project explaining what will you have learned. Details to come. Final Exam: The final exam is on May 7th, from 5:30-7:20 pm. The exam will be cumulative, with an emphasis on material not covered on the midterms. More precise information about format and what material will be covered, will be provided toward the end of the semester. Lawrence Technological University holds itself to the highest standards of academic and professional integrity. In particular, the following pledge is required on all academic work submitted by undergraduate students at Lawrence Technological University:

Honor Code:

I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in completing this work, nor have I presented someone else's work as my own.
Plagiarism and academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated, and will be cause you to fail the course. This is not what anyone wants. Attendance: It is expected that you will attend every class. A lot will be covered in every class, and even one missed class can be very difficult to catch up from. I reserve the right to lower the letter grades of students who are repeatedly unexcusedly absent. I understand that there are legitimate uses of technology in the classroom setting. However, there are also highly disruptive abuses. Cell phones and similar devices must be silenced. Nonacademic uses of computers (e.g. Facebook, YouTube), or any use which interferes with the learning experience of other students, will not be tolerated and is cause for removal from the course. I don't have a problem with beverages in class. Coffee has ever been the friend of mathematicians, after all. (In the words of Alfred Renyi, a mathematician is a device for turning coffee into theorems.) However, be considerate of your classmates; eating during class is almost always distracting and disruptive, and as such cannot be permitted. It is expected that you will read your textbook before I lecture on the material. I know it is tempting to disregard that sentence, but you do so at your peril. My lectures will assume familiarity with the examples and presentation of the text. Though the day-by-day lecture schedule is subject to change over the course of the semester, you will always have accurate information about which sections will be covered on a particular day at least a week in advance.

Decorum:

Your Text:

Tentative Reading/Lecture Schedule

Week # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Monday 1.1/1.2 1.4/1.5 1.7 2.1/2.2 2.4 4.1/4.2 4.3/4.4 5.2 Spring Break 6.1/6.3 6.4 9.3 9.6 10.2 10.4 11.1 6.2/6.3 9.1 9.5 10.1 10.3 10.5 Review Wednesday 1.3/1.4 1.5/1.6 1.8 2.3 2.6 4.2/4.3 5.1 5.3