CMSC250-0101,0102,0103,0104,0201,0202,0203,0204,0205,0301,0302,0303,0304: Discrete Structures-Spring 2016 tomr55
Course Overview
We will focus on the fundamental mathematical structures and logical principles that are relevant to Computer Science. In this course students will be encouraged to develop an appreciation for how modern mathematics provides a sound foundation upon which to build a rich and robust understanding of the elements of computing.
Required text and other instructional materials
| Course Textbook |
Discrete Mathematics and its Applications, 7th Edition Author: Kenneth H. Rosen Publisher: McGraw-Hill ISBN: 978-0-07-338309-5 Online Version: Required for class ISBN: 9780077353520 |
Course Topics
This course provides students with an introduction to essential elements of mathematics for computing: formal logic, sets, relations and functions, elementary theorem-proving methods, with an emphasis on induction, combinatorics, and, time-permitting, an introduction to graph theory. Topics discussed include, but are not limited to (in approximate order):
- Logic: The elements of formal logic, including propositional and quantificational forms.
- Circuits and Binary arithmetic: How logic enables the design of circuits and some binary arithmetic.
- Basics from Number Theory: Students are introduced to the elements of number theory that are relevant to undergraduate-level computer science, such as divisibility, prime factorization, direct and indirect proof techniques, and proof by induction.
- Summations, recurrences and mathematical induction: Special emphasis is placed on proof by induction as this forms the backbone for continuing study in theoretical and applied computer science.
- Combinatorics and Counting: Sum and product rules, permutations and combinations, with and without replacement, the pigeonhole principle, and an introduction to probability.
- Sets: Arguably, sets provide the structural basis for modern mathematics. Students apply logic in order to construct basic proofs over finite and infinite sets.
- Functions and their properties: Students are given a brief introduction to the modern perspective on functions as mathematical objects with an emphasis on cancellation properties and binary relations.
- Graph Theory: An introduction to binary relations and graphs commonly encountered in computer science--typically in the study of data-structures, games of chance, and map traversal.
Instructor & TA Information
| Sections 010x-020x-030x |
|
Tom Reinhardt 3239 AV Williams, Ph: 301 405-2773 Email: tomr55@cs.umd.edu Office Hours: M-W 9am-11am |
Teaching Assistants
| Name | Email (contact) | Office Hours | Room |
| Anant Dalela | adalela@umd.edu | Friday: 9-11am, 12-2pm | AVW 1112 |
| Hossein Esfandiari | esfandiari.hossein@gmail.com | Friday: 2-6pm | AVW 1112 |
| Meir Friedenberg | meir@terpmail.umd.edu | Thursday: 11:10am-12:10pm | AVW 1112 |
| Sri Kankanahalli | sriharik@terpmail.umd.edu | Monday, Wednesday: 4-6pm | AVW 1112 |
| Yancy Liao | yancy.liao@gmail.com | Monday-Wednesday: 1-3pm | AVW 1112 |
| Aditya Mithas | amithas@umd.edu | TBD | AVW 1112 |
| Sunandita Patra | patras@umd.edu | Monday: 1:50-3:50pm, Wednesday: 10:50am-12:50pm | AVW 1112 |
| Parsa Saadatpanah | parsa.saadatpanah@gmail.com | Monday: 1-3pm | AVW 1112 |
| Amr Sharaf | amr@cs.umd.edu | Monday, Wednesday: 10-12pm | AVW 1112 |
| Khoa Trinh | khoa@cs.umd.edu | Wednesday 1-3pm, Friday 2:30-4:30pm | AVW 1112 |
| Pan Xu | panxu@cs.umd.edu | Wed 1-3PM, Friday 2:30PM-4:30PM | AVW 1112 |
| William Xu | williamxu15@gmail.com | Tuesday, Thursday: 3:30 - 5pm | AVW 1112 |
| Hadi Yami | hadi.yami93@gmail.com | Friday: 3:00 - 7:00pm | AVW 1112 |
| Liqian Zhang | conter@cs.umd.edu | Wednesday, Friday: 3-5pm | AVW 1112 |
| Section | Teaching Assistant | Days: Times | Room (CSIC) |
| 0101 | Parsa Saadatpanah | MW: 10-10:50am | 3120 |
| 0102 | Parsa Saadatpana | MW: 11-11:50am | 3120 |
| 0103 | Will Xu | MW: 12-12:50pm | 3118 |
| 0104 | Sunandita Patra | MW: 1-1:50pm | 3118 |
| 0201 | Anant Dalela | MW: 12-12:50pm | 2117 |
| 0202 | Yancy Liao | MW: 10-10:50am | 1121 |
| 0203 | Yancy Liao | MW: 11-11:50am | 1121 |
| 0204 | Anant Dalela | MW: 2-2:50pm | 1121 |
| 0205 | Meir Friedenberg | MW: 3-3:50pm | 2120 |
| 0301 | Amr Sharaf | MW: 8-8:50am | 3120 |
| 0302 | Amr Sharaf | MW: 9-9:50am | 3120 |
| 0303 | Sri Kankanahalli | MW: 2-2:50pm | 3120 |
| 0304 | Sri Kankanahalli | MW: 3-3:50pm | 3120 |
Use the table below to find the teaching assistant that is grading your section. You should direct questions about graded to the teaching assistant associated with your section.
| Teaching Assistant | Sections Graded |
| Hossein Esfandiari | 0101, 0201 and 0301 |
| Aditya Mithas | 0102 |
| Pan Xu | 0103, 0104, 0202 |
| Hadi Yami | 0203, 0204, 0205 |
| Liqian Zhang | 0302, 0303, 0304 |
Additional Tutorial Services provided by the University
In addition to your Instructional staff, the University's Academic Achievement Program (AAP) provides tutors for this course through the Academic Success and Tutorial Services (ASTS). Interested students are encouraged to visit their website or contact their offices at 301.405.4736.
Grading
Your grade is determined by your performance on weekly quizzes, homework assignments, Smart Book assignments, two midterms, and one comprehensive final exam.
Weighting
| Homework & Smart Books | Assigned weekly | 1% each |
| Quizzes | (Nearly) Weekly, in Discussion Sections | 1% each |
| Midterms | (2) Two Mid Terms | 18% each |
| Final | Will be comprehensive | 34% |
Scheduling
Quizzes are given during the first ten to twenty minutes of Discussion session on Mondays. Midterms are given in regular lecture, and the Final is given per University schedule:
| Midterm #1 | 21 March Monday: 6-8pm | ARM 0135 & ARM 0126 |
| Midterm #2 | 11 April Monday: 6-8pm | ARM 0135 & ARM 0126 |
| Final | Saturday 14 May 2016: 4-6pm | BRB 1101 |
Appeals
Students who feel that an item on the midterm or final exam has been graded incorrectly may appeal that grade by providing a written appeal to the Instructor within one week of the return of the exam.
Students appealing any grade should bear in mind that if, upon re-examination and reconsideration, it is determined that the student's solution offered as an appeal merited fewer points than the original response, then the Instructor may adjust the student's grade accordingly: in order words, your grade may be negatively impacted by a poor appeal.
Students should expect appeals processed within one week upon their submission.
Guidelines for Appeals
In order to save students and staff time and effort, the following are examples of what is not considered appropriate or valid reasoning in constructing an appeal:
- Appeals based solely upon the number of points taken off for an item. For example: "I think that 5 points for this question is unfair," or similar kinds of argument.
- Appeals based upon hearsay: "The TA or someone who knows" said that this is the way to do this kind of problem ...
- Appeals based upon unverified comparisons with other's responses. "So and so wrote exactly what I wrote and was given full credit."
- Appeals based upon hypotheticals: If my answer is wrong, then ... (The problem with this kind of argument is it's unlikely that the necessary condition will be true, unless your argument was correct in the first place. In that situation, you're better off writing the appeal based upon the merit of your argument.)
- Appeals based upon the direction/suggestion of others: "The TA" or "Someone who took this class..." thinks that I should appeal ...
This list is not exhaustive, but is merely suggestive of the kinds of argument that will result in the appeal being returned unread.
General Classroom Policies
Quizzes are given on Mondays in Recitation; Homework is assigned Tuesday evening and due the following Wednesday.
For the first few weeks of class, quizzes and homework will be done through McGraw Hill's Connect Software, which means that you must have obtained a license from the Publisher's website (this is also provided by the book store, and is available through the Links found in the first module on the Elms class page). Elms-based assignments will be available on the Elms class page (which is what you're reading at this time.) Note: homework assignments are interspersed with Smart Book assignments, which are intended to introduce the material that we will discuss during the Lectures and Recitations comprising a particular unit of instruction.
Smart Book assignments are formative, meaning that the grade you obtain on them is based upon demonstrating mastery, i.e., improvement in performance over a period of time. Homework is likewise formative, but the time frame is narrower to accommodate the course schedule. Quizzes are summative, meaning that they are "snapshots" of your performance at a given instant in time. Smart Book assignments are referenced to 100%, meaning that the percentage completion/mastery that appears at the bottom of the screen while you complete your assignment is very close to the grade that will be recorded upon collection.
The usual work flow is:
- Smart Book assignments are given to introduce the material. These assignments are graded by completion;
- Homework is assigned weekly (usually Tuesday evening) and is due the following Wednesday;
- Lecture/Recitation time devoted to the material;
- Quizzes are given on Mondays as we transition from the material to new material, where the process repeats.
Homework will be posted by Tuesday evening and will be due on the following Wednesday (the collection/due dates are posted on the Homework assignments). Homework will be due as posted.
Many Homework assignments and Quizzes are accepted through the Connect Software that you should have configured during your registration process for this class (see Module 1). Many Homework and Quizzes, however, will require that you submit written solutions, i.e., proofs, and these are given as Elms Assignments. Connect assignments are machine-graded; Elms assignments are graded by Staff. In any event, grades for any assignment are posted within the week of its due date.
For those homework assignments or quizzes that require you to provide typed input, you may use any program you wish, e.g., LaTeX or the Equation Editor in Word. I strongly advise students to learn LaTeX and the acquire any of the freely available editors that will greatly assist you in the preparation of mathematical text. Attempting to attach digitized copies of hand-written documents is discouraged. Illegible text will not be graded.
You may discuss Homework and Smart Book assignments with other students; however, you must write up the solutions yourself.
The lowest and highest grades will be dropped from the Homework & Smart Books assignment category at the end of the semester---because these are formative. Quizzes will remain as recorded, however, because these are summative assessments.
In any event, matters pertaining to any assignment must be identified by the student in writing within one week of the grade being assigned.
Use of electronic devices in Lecture
We require that students refrain from using electronic devices during lecture owing to the nature of this content. Students who use portable electronic devices, such as laptops, tablets, etc., to take class notes should know that Instructors reserve the right to ask these students to show their notes to the Instructor.
Naturally, students with appropriate accommodations may use whatever devices and/or methods provided by their accommodations.
Use of slides, worksheets, and other instructional materials
Considerable efforts has gone into the design and creation of slides (and other instructional materials) for this course. Students should not substitute these materials (such as viewing slides) for attending all class and recitation sessions.
Students with Accommodations
Students who have been certified by Disability Support Services as needing accommodations should see their Instructor within the first two weeks of the term.
All arrangements for exam accommodations as a result of a disability must be made with the student''s Instructor at least three (3) business days prior to the Exam date or the accommodation cannot be made.
Students should not depend upon email sent to Instructor(s) the day of an exam.
Students are responsible for getting the paperwork to and from their Instructors to the testing center.
Excused Absences
Reasons for missing course work, such as illness, religious observances, participation in University activities, or family and/or personal emergencies (such as a serious automobile accident or a close relative's funeral) will be considered to justify an excused absence.
Students requesting excused absences for any reason must apply in writing as soon as possible and must furnish documentary support that the absence qualifies as excused.
Illness
Absences due to medical reasons must be supported with documentation from the healthcare professional who provided treatment. This documentation should clarify that you were incapacitated or in some way incapable of undertaking academic work. The documentation must also provides the dates of your incapacity. Finally, documentation should contain a telephone number and the dates of your visit.
Note: we will not ask you or your healthcare provider to provide any medical details of your condition. We are only interested in the dates you were affected and the nature of your incapacity.
General Provisions
Per University policy, students are permitted to provide their own written excuse for one absence per semester, providing that absence does not occur on the day of an examination.
In the general case, excused absences are granted pending documentation, as described above.
Excused absences will not be provided after the fact.
Excused absences will not be granted after performing coursework. For example: you cannot take an exam and then claim to have been ill.
Students who might miss exams for any reason than those outlined above must contact their Instructor in advance to discuss their particular circumstances.
Bear in mind that Instructors are not obliged to offer a substitute assignment or provide a make-up assignment unless the failure to perform was due to an excused absence (as provided, above).
In sum: students' responsibilities for make-up work is as follows:
- Exams. A make-up exam will be given ASAP.
- Because Homework, Smart Books and Quizzes are administered on-line, only students who have a documented prolonged absence from class or the inability to access instructional materials will be given any extension.
It is the University's policy to provide accommodations for students with religious observances that conflict with coursework. It is, however, the student's responsibility to provide Instructors with written notification in advance of anticipated absences.
Academic Integrity
You are permitted to discuss what the homework problems are asking with your classmates, but your solutions must strictly be your own (although these may incorporate content from Instructional staff).
Any evidence of inappropriate cooperation on homework assignments, quizzes, or exams, or the use of unauthorized materials while taking a quiz on an exam, or other potential violations of the Honor Code may be submitted to the Student Honor Council, which could result in an XF for the course, suspension, or expulsion from the University.
If you have any questions whether a particular situation would violate any of the provisions of the Academic Integrity Code, talk with your Instructors in advance.
Should you have difficulty with the coursework, you should see the Teaching Assistants during their Office Hours. Do not solicit help from anyone else in violation of the Academic Integrity Code. Remember:
It is the responsibility, under the Honor Policy, of anyone who suspects that an incident of academic dishonesty has occurred to report it to their Instructor, or directly to the Honor Council.
Evaluation Process
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Use the CourseEvalUM URL and choose Take Evaluations to discover upcoming evaluation dates: www.CourseEvalUM.umd.edu
Right to change information
Although every effort has been made to be complete and accurate, Instructors reserve the right to change this syllabus or other course materials as circumstances might dictate.
Copyright
All course materials are copyright of the Instructors 2013. All rights reserved. Students are permitted to use course materials for their own use only. Course materials may not be distributed publicly or provided to others (excepting other students in the course) in any manner or format.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
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