Math 210
Mathematics for Computer Science
Fall 2008
Administrivia
Instructor: Bob
Matthews
- Bob Matthews (email matthews@ups.edu)
- Thompson 390 E
- Extension 3561
- Office hours (tentative)
- 10:00 - 10:50 MTThF
- Or by appointment.
- Email messages
are welcome, and can
be used to ask a question or to set up an appointment. My schedule is posted
here.
Hours marked 'O. H.' are office hours, and hours marked 'open' on my schedule
may be available for appointments
(to be made in advance), but are not office hours and I may not be in my
office during 'open' hours unless I have set up an appointment with you.
If none of the office hours work out for you, please send me
an email.
Textbook:
- Rosen, Kenneth: Discrete Mathematics and its Applications (McGraw
Hill, 2007). We will try and work through as much of the textbook as
possible, skipping sections as necessary to move through the book.
Meeting times:
- MF: 1:00 - 1:50 Th 391
- TTh: 12:00 - 12:50 Th 391
Final Exam:
- The final exam for this class will be Wednesday, December 17, from
12:00 noon to 2:00 PM. It will be a comprehensive two hour exam
having the weight of two hour exams.
Evaluation:
- Four hour exams and a comprehensive final exam which will have the weight
of two hour exams. Of the four hour exam scores, the lowest score will
be dropped (but not the final exam grade)
- Homework will be assigned frequently, and homework assignments will be due
at least two regular class periods following the assignment (leaving a day before an
assignment is due to discuss any questions or problems). From each
homework set I will select several problems to grade. Questions on any
problems, assigned or not, are, of course, welcome. The homework will have the
cumulative weight of one hour exam.
Notes:
- The textbook and lectures will include some of the history of the
discipline and connections with computer science (indeed, this course will
present a partial survey of the discipline of computer science). This
should be considered as course material. An excellent link for
historical material is the MacTutor
History of Mathematics page.
- I will make every effort to return homework and exam papers no later
than a week from the time they are turned in. That is, papers turned in on
a Wednesday should be returned no later than the following Wednesday.
- There are generally very few excused absences from exams. A (documentable)
illness is one (though I may not always require documentation, you should be
prepared to supply it). Lack of preparation, unless caused by a
recent (again documentable) illness can not be used for an excused
absence. Except for emergencies (accident, medical emergency, etc.) no
requests for an excused absence the day of an exam or later can be
accepted. Any make-ups should be completed a few days after an exam is
taken by the class and in any case should be taken within a week of the
class exam.
- Exam arrangements can be made with Ivey West at the
Center for
Writing, Learning, and Teaching (Howarth 105) for students
with documented learning disabilities. Formal written arrangements must be
made in advance of the day of the exam.
- We will use Blackboard for PDF
files of lectures. Blackboard will only be used to store these PDF
files. Assignments and other communications will be through these web
pages and email. To enroll, use the password Knuth.
Some Links: