MA - 3260 Discrete Structures

Basic class information

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  • Syllabus in pdf.
  • The book we are using, Applied Discrete Structures Version 3.7, can be downloaded here.  Here's a local copy as well.

Week 1.  August 23 - August 27.    
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Tuesday
 Syllabus, etc.  Introduction to discrete mathematics.
Thursday
 Start set theory.  We'll cover 1.1 and some of 1.2 1.1:  Problems 1-4, do a, c, e, etc.  Also, problem 5.  6 is cool.

Week 2.  August 30 - September 3.
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Tuesday
 1.2:  Basic set operations, Venn diagrams.  History of set theory. 1.2:  All 8 problems are good. 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 should be done.  8 is a fun little puzzle, but over-the-top.
Thursday
 No class.
  

Week 3.  September 6 - September 10.    
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Tuesday
 1.3:  Cartesian products, and power sets.
1.4:  Binary and decimal numbers. 		1.3: 1 - 9 odd.
1.4: 1 - 7 odd.
Thursday
 1.3:  power sets.
1.5:  Generalized operators.
 1.5:  1 - 9 odd.  Write up #3 for the first test.  What is being asked in the first part is to just rewrite the formula without the summation symbol.

Week 4.  September 13 - September 17.
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Tuesday
 2.1:  Start of combinatorics, the product rule.
2.2:  Permutations and more counting.
 2.1:  1, 3, 9, 11, 12.
2.2:  All the odds, try 4 as well.
Thursday
 We'll finish up permutations.
2.3:  Partitions
2.4:  Combinations, the binomial theorem.
 Anything left from 2.2
2.3:  1-7 odd, and do 8 as well.  Even if you don't know what a Blackberry is.
2.4:  1- 11 odd.

Week 5.  September 20 - September 24.    
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Tuesday
 Finish up combinations.  I'll take questions for test 1.
Examples for class.
 Find the number of poker hands with the following properties:
1.  Full house
2.  Two pair.  Write these up for the test.
Thursday
 Review.  Bring questions.
 Study for the exam.  Do the take-home portion of test 1.

Week 6.  September 27 - October 1.
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Tuesday
 Test 1. Read chapter 3 up to 3.4.
Thursday
 3.1 - 3.2. Logic and truth tables.
I'll quickly go over the exam.
3.1:  1 - 5 odd.
3.2:  1 - 5 all.

Week 7.  October 4 - October 8.    
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Tuesday

Thursday
 3.3:  Equivalence.

3.4:  The laws of logic.

3.5:  Mathematical Systems. 		3.3:  1 - 7.
3.4:  1, 2, 4.
Write up:  prove DeMorgan's laws, Detachment, and Indirect Reasoning.  This means show a tautology by using a truth table.
Friday (Grades)


Week 8.  October 11 - October 15.
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Monday (Reg)

Tuesday
 3.5:  Direct proofs. 3.5:  1, 3, 5, 7.  (That's a lot!)
Thursday
 3.5 part 2:  Proof by contradiction.
Strong whiteboard markers.  		Same as above.

Week 9.   October 18 - October 22.    
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Tuesday
 More proofs.
Thursday
 3.6:  Propositions over a universe.
3.7:  Induction. 		3.6:  1, 2, 7.
3.7:  1, 3, 5.

Week 10.  October 25 - October 29.
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Tuesday
 3.7:  Finish induction and get into strong induction, The Peano axioms. 3.7:  7, 10, 13.
Thursday
 3.8:  Universal and existential quantifiers.  Extra logic problems with (most) solutions.
 3.8:  1, 3, 5, 7.

Week 11.  November 1 - November 5.
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Tuesday
 3.9:  Methods of proof. 3.9:  1, 4, 5, 6.
Thursday
 An overview of chapter 2.

Week 12.  November 8 - November 12.    
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Tuesday
 Watch this cool video;  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeQX2HjkcNo
Thursday
 Test 2.

Week 13.  November 15 - November 19.
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Tuesday
 Go over the exam.
Thursday
 4.1:  Sets theory revisited.
4.2:  Set laws. 		4.1:  1, 3, 5.
4.2:  Prove DeMorgan's laws for sets.

Thanksgiving Week.  November 22  - November 26.    
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Monday

Tuesday
 No classes. No classes.
Wednesday
 No classes. No classes.
Thursday
 No classes. No classes.
Friday
 No classes. No classes.

Week 14.  November 29 - December 3.
Day
 Class Covers
 Assignments, etc.
Tuesday
 7.1:  Functions
7.2:  Injective, surjective, bijective.  The pigeonhole principle.		 7.1: 1, 3, 7.
7.2: 1, 3, 5, 11.
Thursday
 Finishing touches on functions.  Review for the final.

Week 15. Finals Week.  December 6 - December 10.
See the final exam schedule on the registrar's page. All finals are in the same room as the class.
Day
 Final Exam
Monday
Tuesday
 Discrete Structures  ==> Tuesday 12/7/2021 at 6:30PM.
Wednesday
Thursday
 Survey of Math Ideas section 01 at 10:00 AM ==> Thursday 12/9/2021 at 8:30AM.
Survey of Math Ideas section 02 at 1:00 PM ==>   Thursday 12/9/2021 at 10:45AM.
Friday