Discrete Mathematics
for Computer Science

ICS 6A
Pierre Baldi

Organization - Policies - Topics - Homeworks

Instructor
Pierre Baldi, 424C Computer Science 

Teaching Assistants
 Xiaohong Bao       xbao@ics.uci.edu
 Ramaswamy Hariharan           rharihar@ics.uci.edu

Readers
Qiang Xie               qxie@uci.edu

Lectures and discussion sections

Lectures: We 12:00-1:50 and Fri 12:00-12:50 in PSCB 120

Discussion: Mo 12:00-1:50 and Fri: 1:00-1:50

Instructions begins on Friday September 29
Instruction ends on Friday December 2
Final Examinations: December 5-9
Course evaluation week: 11/28-12/4

Organization - Policies - Topics - Homeworks

Organization

Text

There is one required textbook for the course:

Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications,

Fifth Edition, by Kenneth H. Rosen (McGraw-Hill 1999).

The textbook explains the subject material in detail. It is strongly recommended that you read the book.  It is strongly recommended that you read the book and attend all lectures and all meetings of your discussion section. You will be responsible for all material covered in the lectures and discussion sections, and for all assigned reading in the book. This course requires no programming.

Course Grades

There will be 7-8 homework and 7-8 quizzes. Homework will be assigned each Wednesday and will be due the following week. Quizzes will be given every Monday at the beginning of class. There will be one midterm and one final. The grading criteria for the course is:

Homework assignments 15%
Quizzes 30%
Midterm 20%
Final 35%

We will drop the two lowest quiz scores and the two lowest homework scores in determining your final grade. The midterm exam will be given in lecture.

These are guidelines intended to help students plan their work in this course. However, the instructor does reserve the right to make changes in these evaluation criteria.

A work-related conflict is NOT a valid reason for postponing an examination. The dates of the examination are being announced now. Plan accordingly.

Please bring your student ID to all examinations.

Obtaining Assistance

The best way to get your questions answered is by coming to lecture, section or office hours and asking them there.

Any student who feels he or she may need an accommodation based on  the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss his or her specific needs. Also contact the Disability Services Center at (949) 824-7494 as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

Announcements

Class announcements will be made in lecture and in section. Important announcements will also be posted on the class Web page. The Web page will contain the most up-to-date course information. Any corrections or additional explanations for the homework assignments will also be posted there, so please check the Web page occasionally to stay up to date.

Homework and Handouts

The homework assignments are regularly posted on the Web.

Some homework problems may be difficult. Homework that is turned in should be legible and well-written. A badly written, poorly presented solution to a problem is of little value even if it happens to be correct.

The homework problems are an integral part of the course. They complement the material covered in the lectures by providing examples, applications, and extensions. You are strongly encouraged to attempt all problems. Even if you cannot solve them, if you have tried hard to solve them you may be more likely to understand and remember the solution. Our brains learn something while attempting to solve a problem, even (and perhaps especially) during failed attempts. So do not get discouraged if a problem is difficult.

Discussion Section

You must be registered for a discussion section. The discussion section provides you with an opportunity to ask questions about the lecture material. It is strongly recommended that you attend a discussion section regularly. You are responsible for all material covered there.

Organization - Policies - Topics - Homeworks

Course Policies

Late Assignments

Homework assignments are due every Wednesday by 4:00 PM at the Distribution Center. Absolutely no homework assignments will be accepted after 4:00 PM. If your homework is not turned by then, you will receive a 0.

There will be a quiz given every Friday at the beginning of the lecture. The quiz will be handed out at 12:00 PM, sharp and will be picked up at 12:15 PM, sharp. There will be no make-up quizzes given. When we tabulate your final grade, we will drop the two lowest quiz scores and the two lowest homework scores. However, in exchange for this, we well make absolutely no allowances if you arrive at a quiz late or turn in your homework late. This holds even if you have a perfectly valid reason to miss a homework assignment or a quiz. If for some reason you fail to make it to a quiz or hand in a homework assignment, that will count as one of your dropped quizzes or homework assignments, no matter how legitimate your reason is.

Grading

Only parts of the homework assignments will be graded. However, you will not know which particular problems will be graded before you hand in your assignment.

Questions on Grading

For any questions regarding grades, please contact your TAs during their office hours or at the end of the sections.

Collaboration

You are allowed, and even encouraged, to discuss the solutions to the homework with your fellow classmates. However, you are required to sit down and write up your own solutions independently. In addition, you need to write down the names of any classmates with whom you have collaborated on a given assignment, clearly indicating that they are your collaborators. Copying the homework assignment of another student is considered cheating. Keep in mind that the homework contributes little to your final grade in comparison to the quizzes. Thus, it is very much in your own best interest to have a thorough understanding of the homework assignments before the quiz.

Academic Honesty

All work done on quizzes, midterms and finals should be your own work. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reflected in the final grade because dishonesty devalues the learning experience for the whole class. Cheating on any kind of in class examination will be taken very seriously. Any such incident will result in a letter describing the incident which is placed in your file on campus. Depending on the severity of the incident, the resulting grade can range from an F on the particular examination to an automatic F in the course. Additional penalties may also be imposed by the department and the university. Very severe incidents of academic dishonesty can result in suspension or expulsion from the university.

ICS Change of Grade Option Policy

The ICS departmental deadline for any ICS major to change their grade option is the end of 6th week with instructor's approval. Dean's signature (available at the ICS Student Affairs office) will be required after the deadline and the ICS Student Affairs office does not allow a change of grade option for any course after 6th week, unless the student has documented a medical or financial hardship.

ICS Add Deadline

The ICS departmental deadline for any ICS major to add an ICS course is the end of 3rd week with instructor's approval. Any course additions after the 3rd week of classes requires Dean's signature and careful review by the ICS Student Affairs office. If you are adding a course after the 3rd week, please go to the ICS Student Affairs office.

Organization - Policies - Topics - Homeworks

List of Topics (exact weeks/pace may vary from class to class)

	Week 0: Intro.
	Week 1: Logic (1.1--1.4); sets (1.6).
	Week 2: Set operations (1.7); Counting basics (4.1, 4.2).
	Week 3: Permutations and combinations (4.3-- 4.6).
	Week 4: Probability (5.1); Probability (5.2).
	Week 5: Probability (5.3); Methods of proof (1.5, 3.1); Review.
	Week 6: Mathematical induction (3.3); Midterm.
	Week 6: Sequences and summations (3.2); Review of Logarithms (A.1).
	Week 7: Review of logarithms (A.1); Recursive definitions (3.4).
	Week 8: Recursive algorithms (3.5); Recurrence relations (6.1).
	Week 9: More on recurrence relations (6.2). Generating functions   (6.4).
	Week 10: Divide-and-conquer recurrences (6.3); Inclusion-exclusion (6..5, 6.6); Review.
	Week 11: Final exam.

Organization - Policies - Topics - Homeworks

Homeworks

Due by September 29 (exception):
p. 15: 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 15, 23, 28, 29, 33, 42, 49, 61
p. 26: 2, 5, 23, 39, 51, 54
p. 40: 15, 16, 22, 34, 49
p. 85: 5, 7,18, 22, 28, 31

Due by October 5:
p. 95: 7, 9. 10, 21, 22, 40
p. 310: 1, 6, 7,17 , 19, 21, 28, 30, 37, 39, 42, 46, 54
p. 319: 2, 5, 9, 10

Due by October 12:
p. 324: 6, 11, 13, 15, 19, 26, 31, 33, 37, 40, 41
p. 333: 3, 5, 9, 21, 31, 33
p. 342: 8, 11, 13, 14, 15, 20, 30, 42, 45, 54, 55

Read Handout

Due by October 20 (exception): Read Handout

p. 360: 14, 18, 20, 28,33, 36, 39
p. 376 : 5, 7, 18, 23, 25, 28, 30, 34
p. 392: 1, 5, 6, 7,11, 16

Due by October 26:
p. 253: 1, 2, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 22, 31, 51, 53, 70, 71
p. 270: 1, 3, 7, 9, 12

November 2: Midterm

Due by November 9:
p. 237: 2, 4, 7, 9, 13, 15, 16, 17, 23, 24, 25, 27
A-3 (Appendix on Logarithms and Exponentials): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Due by November 16::
p. 409: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 20, 24, 27, 29, 35, 42 43, 46
p. 423: 1, 2 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27

Due by November 23:
p. 237: 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 39, 41, 42 43

Due by December 2:
p. 73 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20, 24, 25, 27, 33, 36, 39, 49, 71, 72, 73