This course is intended to provide students with the mathematical concepts necessary to perform analysis in computer science. We will cover several core concepts such as proofs, set theory and logic as well as many other mathematical techniques useful to computer science theory. While this is likely the most mathematically intense course listed under CMSC, the overall goal is to equip students with a working knowledge of a large library of techniques which will be expanded up as necessary in later classes. As a result, the actual mathematic intensity of this course is likely lower than most middle to upper level MATH courses.
C or better in MATH 151 (Calculus and Analytic Geometry I) or MATH 140 (Differential Calculus). As stated, this course is math heavy and the major prerequisite is that you be comfortable with advanced mathematics.
Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications, 7/e, Kenneth H. Rosen. McGraw-Hill, 2011.
The website for this book contains some useful supplemental material (extra exercises, online resources, etc.)
There will be ten (10) homework assignments, and each homework will consist of ~2 hours of problems, most of which will be drawn from exercises in the book. Homework will demonstrate the basic concepts that should be understood for the course, and will be the best preparation for the exams, so all homework should be completed.
Homework will be graded for completeness and correctness. Answers will be released after the homework is collected for you to check your results individually, and you are encouraged to do so, since this will provide you the best feedback for doing well on the exams. Time will be given in class to review the questions on the homework, and you are welcome to post questions on Piazza or email me with pointed questions. You are allowed and encouraged to discuss homeworks in a group, but each student is required to complete and submit their own homework.
Quizzes will be used to check your progress in the class, and are not allowed to be discussed in a group. They will cover content from homeworks that have already be graded and discussed.
Homework is due at the beginning of class, in class, on the assigned due date. If you cannot attend class, you must arrange for your homework to be turned in at this time. You will be allowed one free late that may be used for any assignment, which will extend the deadline for one week without penalty. You must email me on the day the assignment is due to notify me you will be using your free late. No assignments will be accepted late if you have either used your one free late prior, or if you do not notify me that you are using your free late on the day the assignment was due.
There will be two in-class exams and one final exam. The first exam will cover classes 2-9, the second exam will cover classes 11-17, and the final will be cumulative (classes 1-26). The material covered by the exams will be drawn from assigned readings in the text, from lectures, and from the homework. Material from the readings that is not covered in class is fair game, so you are advised to keep up with the readings. Material from class that is not covered in the slides is also fair game.
Rescheduling: If you are unable to attend an exam, you must let me know in advanced so we may coordinate an alternative. No exams will be rescheduled without prior notice unless under extraordinary circumstances. All rescheduling decisions are at my discretion, so do not rely on being granted a reschedule.
There will be several opportunities throughout the semester for extra credit. I will let you know of these opportunities in class.
You are encouraged to know your grade throughout the semester. Unfortunately, there is no easy and secure way to share students grades online (Blackboard included). Therefore, the easiest way to determine your grade is to email me and request for an update. I am more than willing to comply and get you a progress report.
This term we will be using Piazza for class discussion. The system is highly catered to getting you help fast and efficiently from myself and your classmates. Rather than emailing questions to the teaching staff, I encourage you to post your questions on Piazza.
If you do not wish to use Piazza (even anonymously) or your question would not be of general interest, email is the best way to contact me. I check it frequently, and respond to everybody. Do not leave assignments under my office door, use my mailbox in ITE 325 instead.
This course adheres to the Provost's statement on academic integrity:
By enrolling in this course, each student assumes the responsibilities of an active participant in UMBC's scholarly community in which everyone's academic work and behavior are held to the highest standards of honesty. Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and helping others to commit these acts are all forms of academic dishonesty, and they are wrong. Academic misconduct could result in disciplinary action that may include, but is not limited to, suspension or dismissal. To read the full Student Academic Conduct Policy, consult the UMBC Student Handbook, the Faculty Handbook, or the UMBC Policies section of the UMBC Directory.
Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. In particular, examinations are to be your own work. You may discuss the homework assignments with anyone. However, any help you receive must be documented. At the beginning of your assignment or program, you must explicitly indicate the sources you used while working on it (excluding course staff and text), and the type of help you received from them. If you do not include such a statement, the course staff will assume you worked entirely independently. Any indication of collaboration with other students in this case will be considered a violation of the academic honesty policy.
Written answers on essay questions for homeworks and exams must be your own work. It is entirely acceptable to discuss the homework assignments with other students, but the actual answers should be your own answers, not group answers that are copied down. If you wish to quote a source, you must do so explicitly at the point of the quotation, with proper citation. Plagiarism of any source, including another student's work, is not acceptable.
Any violation of the academic honesty policy will result in a minimum penalty of a zero grade for that assignment. Additional penalties, depending on the severity of the offense, may include a reduced or failing grade for the class.
As a new instructor, rest assured that my advisor, Dr. Marie desJardins, will be alerted if am even slightly suspicious of an integrity violation. She is not known for being lenient in these matters.