ECS 20 - Discrete Math - Spring 2009

Course Information Sheet

March. 12, 2009


You are responsible for the information on this handout. Please read it.

Course Web page

We will maintain useful information on the course Web page: http://www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~martel/20.

  • Lectures

    TR 9:00a-10:20a 106 Olson

    Discussion Sections

    Sec A01- F 1:10p-2:00p 1007 Giedt

    Sec A02- F 2:10p-2:30p 1007 Giedt discussions will begin April 3

    Instructors

    Midterm

    There will be one midterm in this class around May 5.

    Final

    10:30-12:30 AM on Monday, June 8 in 106 Olson (but plan to move to a larger room) .

    Prerequisites

  • Minimal prerequisites are some math background beyond high school (little specifics from calculus, but we will use mathematical language and very helpful to have some facility with proofs and formal arguments). There will be no programming, but some basic knowledge of what programs look will be assumed (you should be able to understand simple pseudo code including variables, and loops). .

    Textbook

  • Main book: Schaums Outline of Discrete Mathematics , 3rd edition, by Seymour Lipschutz and Marc Lipson, 2007.
  • Supplemental book (optional): How to Prove It: A Structured Approach, 2nd edition, by Daniel Velleman, 2006.

    Grading

    There will be periodic problem sets (30%), a midterm (30%), and a final (40%). Note that you must get a passing average on the two exams to pass this course.

    Homeworks

    Homeworks are due by 3:15PM on the due date. It is to be turned in at the marked box in Kemper Hall, #2131. No late homeworks will be accepted.

    Much of what one learns in this course comes from trying to solve the homework problems, so work hard on them. Doing a conscientious job on the homeworks is the best preparation for the exams. We hope that you will ultimate solve the majority of the problems, but don't be surprised if some of them stump you; some of the problems may be quite challenging.

  • Collaboration . I permit but discourage collaboration on homeworks. This is not the usual perspective you will hear (and it definitely does not mean that I do not appreciate the value of working with partners or on larger teams), but I think that, for the material of this particular class (and also 120 and maybe 122A), solitary struggling on homeworks is needed for mastering the ideas. I think that my colleagues and I all enjoyed solitary struggling through our math and theory courses when we were students. Hopefully you will, too. That said, many students insist that they learn best by collaborating, so you may. If you do, the manner in which you collaborate will have a profound impact on how much you get out of the homeworks (and this, in turn, will have a big impact on how you do on the exams). First, think about the problems and try to solve them on your own. If, after giving a problem some real thought, you just can not get anywhere with it, then you might wish to discuss it with other students, with me, or with the TA. In any case, you must individually write up all solutions. Many students try to get through the homeworks by forming study groups and jointly trying to solve the homeworks. Evaluate carefully if you are learning the desired problem solving skills better than if you were spending the same time trying to get it on your own. Your goal on the homeworks should not be to maximize your points, but to help you learn a certain set of material and skills.
  • Academic misconduct . If you discuss problems with anyone, (other than me or the TA) you must acknowledge him/her/them on your homework, with the granularity of each problem. You must likewise acknowledge any books or web pages you have consulted other than your texts.

    Your solutions should be terse, correct, and legible. Understandability of the solution is as necessary as correctness. Expect to lose points if you provide a "correct" solution with a not-so-good writeup. As with an English paper, you can't expect to turn in a first draft: it takes refinement to describe something well. Typeset solutions are always appreciated.

    If you can't solve a problem, briefly indicate what you've tried and where the difficulty lies. Don't try to pull one over on us.

    If you think a problem was misgraded, please see the TA first.