Syllabus for MAD 4203.01, Summer A 2008 (Course # 57367) Last modified on
Professor: Steven M. Hudson. Phone: 305-348-3231.
My Office: DM 419B. Hours: 1pm-2pm WR and 5pm M, or by appt.
E-mail: hudsons@fiu.edu , Web Page: http://www.fiu.edu/~hudsons
Text: Introductory Combinatorics - Fourth Edition, by Brualdi.
Schedule: See the homwork
pages (below) for more detail and updates.
Mon, May 5 - First lecture, 3:30pm - 4:45pm , in PC 445.
Thurs, May 8 - Homework (HW 1) is due (usually every Thursday)
Tues, May 13 - Quiz 1 (more quizzes, Tuesdays)
Mon, May 26 - Holiday (no HW to turn in, Thursday, May 22)
Mon, June 2 - Last day to drop the course
Wed, June 18 - Last lecture.
Thurs, June 19 - The final exam covers the entire course. Same
time and place.
Your semester grade will be based on your average exam/HW scores - not on improvement, effort, extra credit, etc. Incompletes will not be given, except in special cases such as last-minute medical emergencies.
Percentages of course grade - 5 Quizzes, 12% each; Final exam, 30%; Homework 10% total. Each student will have a score between 0 and 100% at the end of the course. Letter grades will be assigned approximately as follows;
A 81-100%, B 71-80 %, C 61-70 %, D 51-60 %, F 0-50 %.
(+'s and -'s will be used). I will set the
official scale at the end of the semester, after all grades are
in, but will usually announce a new approximate scale after each
exam.
Expectations:
The prerequisite for this course is either a)
Calculus II and Discrete Math, OR b) Multivariable Calculus.
Discrete Math is the most helpful of these. If you haven't had
that, but do have some extra time, find a basic textbook and go
thru it. See also my Discrete Math exam link below. You are
expected to spend about 15 hours a week outside of class, on
homework and reading the corresponding sections of the text. The
lectures are intended to give you a light introduction to the
material, but there is no substitute for practice. The reading
and HW will go a bit beyond the lectures. You are expected to ask
questions, especially in my office, after class, or by email.
You will need to visit various pages in this website, mainly to
get the HW assignments, and perhaps to practice old exams. You may
need Adobe Acrobat Reader and a Javascript-enabled browser if you
want to see it all. You may use a calculator for your HW, but
usually won't need one, and will not be allowed one, during
exams. You will be expected to write a few proofs on exams, with
clear sentences and good explanations. Most of these will
probably be induction proofs, similar to the HW, rather than
textbook proofs of major theorems.
HW Policies: There will be approx 5 HWs, mainly intended to help you learn the material, but they also count into your grade. Do them by yourself and turn them in on stapled loose leaf paper. For maximum credit be neat, show all your work, and explain your reasoning. Homework is due before class. Late homework (accepted up to 2 weeks) is worth half the normal credit. The HW will be graded briefly, based mainly on a few selected problems. By the end of the term, your average HW grade will probably be pretty accurate, but if you think not, you can return all your HW to me for review. If you do not want your homework to be graded, write me a note this first week, before HW1 is due.
Each exam consists mostly of problems similar to the previous homework assignment, plus maybe a conceptual question or two, such as a True-False section, a proof, and/or a definition.
The Main Rules: (these can affect your grade):
Any beepers/cell phones, etc must be turned off
during class.
If you cannot arrive and leave on time, see me and explain.
If you miss a class, get notes from a classmate.
If you must miss an exam, see me beforehand, and document your
excuse, for fair treatment.
I don't generally give make-up exams, and rarely give
incompletes.
If you must turn in homework late for a good reason, see me, and
write a note of explanation at the top.
If you find a grading error, write a note to me at the top of
your paper and return it promptly.
I will try to identify any cheating that may occur in the course. To avoid unfounded suspicion, please show all your work, turn in any scratch paper you use in exams, and avoid sitting next to your study partners during exams. This covers the basics, but read over My Policies (the long version) so that you are not surprised by anything. It is unlikely, but possible, that I may have to change some policies later on (for example, if we do not get a grader for this class, or if the early exam scores are abnormal)
LINKS:
HW 1 and 2 , HW 3, 4, 5 and 6 with quiz remarks
HW1 key, HW2 key , HW3 key, HW4 key, HW5 key, HW6 key, HW7 key
Induction - sample proofs (similar to HW 5 exs)
Notes on a lecture
(nondecreasing sequences)
Lecture notes: Tues May 27
Lecture notes: Wed May 28
Lecture notes: Thu May 29
Lecture notes: Mon June 2
Lecture notes: Tue June 3
Lecture notes: Wed June 4
Lecture notes: Thu June 5
Lecture notes: Mon June 9
Lecture notes: Tues June 10
Minor corrections to lecture notes Thurs
June 5
An online Ramsey Game (just for fun, but if you think you can win, please let me know - I beat the high score! :) )
Exam Page - answer keys, etc