Concepts of discrete mathematics used in computer science; sets, sequences, strings, symbolic logic, proofs, mathematical induction, sums and products, number systems, algorithms, complexity, graph theory, finite state machines.
A grade of "C-" or better in MATH 120 or equivalent.
This is an undergraduate course that introduces students to discrete mathematics. The primary aim is to familiarize students in disciplines such as CS and EE with mathematical concepts that are central to those disciplines, including logic, sets, proofs, graphs, and general mathematical maturity.
Email contact is perhaps the best way to reach me with quick questions, although detailed homework questions are better handled in office hours. I will check email several times throughout the work day, and will also check email once per evening to answer questions and resolve issues. Email contact over the weekend may be more sporadic, although I will be sure to check at least once.
You are unlikely to need computer access during lecture, so as a courtesy to both the instructor and the other students, please refrain from using laptops or electronic media during class time.
You are unlikely to need cell phones during the course of lecture. Please ensure that your cell phone is set to vibrate or silent during lecture, and do not send text messages of any kind.
We expect there to be a total of 6-8 written homework assignments during the course. At the end of the semester, we will ignore your lowest of the homework grades, with the remaining homeworks contributing equally to this portion of the grade.
Homeworks will generally be due at the beginning of class on the assigned due date. Late homeworks will not be accepted without previously given instructor approval! Students are encouraged to work in groups on harder homework problems, but each student in expected to turn in their own solutions, written completely individually. A good rule of thumb is to be sure that you write your solutions without any notes made while working with other students; this eliminates any chance of copying or academic dishonestly. A more complete explanation of our policy towards Academic Integrity is given below.
As discussed below, students are expected to complete assignments using only approved course materials.
On some days, students will be assigned a small set of problems to work on, either individually or in groups. These assignments will be graded based on good faith efforts; as long as you give a good attempt, you will get full credit. These will NOT necessarily be announced in advance, but you can expect one every week or two.
If you know you will miss class due to a valid excuse, contact the instructor at least 24 hours before to be excused in case there is such an assignment. Emailing me after the quiz will NOT count as a valid reason; I require some advance notice! To offset this fairly draconian policy, the two lowest grades will be dropped.
Letter grades will be based on each students overall percentage of awarded points according to the following formula.
Upon occasion (and solely at the instructor's discretion), some small extra credit activities may be included, either by announcement in class or as part of an assignment. Please keep in mind that the extra credit is unlikely to significantly affect your grade; if you are concerned about your final grade, it is much better to focus your energy on the regular assignment. Extra credit is solely designed to provide an opportunity to students who wish to explore the topics further.
Late homework or programming assignments will not be accepted. All homeworks are due at the beginning of the class specified, although other arrangements can be made as needed.
In unusual circumstances, such as extreme illness or injury (documented by a doctor's note), family emergencies, etc., please contact the instructor as early as possible to arrange accomidations.
I am happy to regrade any assignments, programs, quizzes or exam problems which you think were unfair or incorrect. Please bring me the original assignment, plus a written explanation of your question or complaint, within two weeks of the time the paper in question is graded and returned to you.
In the context of this course, I encourage students to discuss general course material, which includes studying for exams, sharing notes if a student must miss class, and working on any practice problems which are assigned. I also encourage you to discuss homework problems with other students, but please be careful to write up all solutions separately and do not copy any material from another student. As a good rule of thumb, make sure to write your solutions without using any notes or papers written while talking to anyone else (other than possibly the instructor). Remember, you will be on your own in the exam, so it is in your own best interest to make sure that you really understand the material and can solve each problem on your own!
Students may not use other sources, including (but not limited to) websites other than the official course website or those explicitly listed in course materials, or textbooks other than those officially listed below.
Students who violate academic integrity policies will be reported to the department, particularly if a student plagarizes a website or copies another student's work. First time offenses on homework will result in a minimum of a failing grade on the assignment in question, with egregious or repeated offenses resulting in failure in the course. In addition, students may be referred to the College of Arts and Sciences for further disciplinary action.
The following is a statement of minimum standards for student academic integrity at Saint Louis University; I expect full compliance with the policies described.
The University is a community of learning, whose effectiveness requires an environment of mutual trust and integrity, such as would be expected at a Jesuit, Catholic institution. As members of this community, students, faculty, and staff members share the responsibility to maintain this environment. Academic dishonesty violates it. Although not all forms of academic dishonesty can be listed here, it can be said in general that soliciting, receiving, or providing any unauthorized assistance in the completion of any work submitted toward academic credit is dishonest. It not only violates the mutual trust necessary between faculty and students, but also undermines the validity of the University�s evaluation of students and takes unfair advantage of fellow students.
Further, it is the responsibility of any student who observes such dishonest conduct to call it to the attention of a faculty member or administrator.
Examples of academic dishonesty would be copying from another student, copying from a book or class notes during a closed-book exam, submitting materials authored by or editorially revised by another person but presented as the student�s own work, copying a passage or text directly from a published source without appropriately citing or recognizing that source, taking a test or doing an assignment or other academic work for another student, tampering with another student�s work, securing or supplying in advance a copy of an examination without the knowledge or consent of the instructor, and colluding with another student or students to engage in an act of academic dishonesty.
Where there is clear indication of such dishonesty, a faculty member or administrator has the responsibility to apply appropriate sanctions. Investigations of violations will be conducted in accord with standards and procedures of the school or college through which the course or research is offered. Recommendations of sanctions to be imposed will be made to the dean of the school or college in which the student is enrolled. Possible sanctions for a violation of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, disciplinary probation, suspension, and dismissal from the University.
Any student who feels that he or she may need academic accomidations in order to meet the requirements of this course, as outlined in the syllabus, due to the presence of a disability, should contact the Student Success Center. Please call the office at (314)977-8885, send an email to meyerah@slu.edu, or visit the Student Success Center on the 3rd floor of the Busch Student Center. Confidentiality will be observed in all cases.
Our department employees many junior/senior computer science majors to help out in our department labs. Those students are also available to provide assistance with course materials at such times.
Our department web page maintains a current list of the available times and locations.
As stated in the Academic Integrity policy, these workers are an acceptable resource for help, yet you should still document both the source of the help as well as the extent, if significant.