Overview

Course Objectives

• Develop skills in mathematical reasoning and theorem-proving, which are critical for advanced study in computer science.
• Gain introductory knowledge in areas of mathematics that are fundamental to computer science.
• Develop problem solving skills by applying techniques to problems in a variety of fields.

Assignments

GROUP WORK: In order to maximize your learning experience, the class will be divided up into small learning groups. Each week, I will specify some learning objectives for the week. It will then be your responsibility to ensure that everyone in your group meets those objectives. Each class meeting, you will be given some time to meet with your group; however, you should also plan to meet outside of class.

Each week, I will give a short quiz or a group project to measure how well your group has achieved the learning objectives. Everyone in your group will receive the same score! The following are some examples for how you may be evaluated:

1. Everyone will be given the same quiz, and the group score will be the average of the individual scores.
2. Each member of the group will be given a different problem, and the group will receive the total score.
3. A difficult problem will be assigned to your group, and you will all work together to solve the problem.
4. A competition will be held between groups, with the winning team receiving an A, the second place team receiving an A-, etc.

What to do if your group is not successful: If you find that your group is not operating effectively (for example, because of personality conflicts, schedule conflicts, or just plain laziness of some of the group members), you should talk to me about it as soon as possible (that is before it hurts your grade). I will then help you resolve the problem. If you wait until after your group has received a bad grade, you will have to live with that grade!

HOMEWORK:There will be four in-depth homework assignments, involving both programming and written analysis. You should not expect to be able to do all of the homework assignments by yourself (unless you are truly gifted). Therefore, I strongly encourage you to discuss the homework with classmates; however, you should write up the results independently. Homeworks are due at the beginning of class.

Late homework will be assessed a 10% penalty if turned in by the beginning of the next scheduled class meeting, but will not be accepted after that time.

TESTS:There will be two tests and a final exam. All exams will be closed book.

Grading

Important Dates