Course Information and Catalog Description
An introduction to discrete mathematical structures including functions, relations, sets, logic, matrices, elementary number theory, proof techniques, basics of counting, graphic theory, discrete probability, digital logic, finite state machines, integer and floating point representations.
| Meeting Times: | Section 1: M/W/F 1:25-2:15, ISAT/CS 243 |
| Section 2: M/W/F 2:30-3:20, ISAT/CS 243 | |
| Prerequisites: | CS/MATH 227 |
| Course Web Page: | http://w3.cs.jmu.edu/spragunr/CS228/ |
| Required Textbook: | Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications 7e.
Kenneth H. Rosen, McGraw-Hill, 2012. ISBN: 0073383090 |
Instructor Contact Information
| Name: | Dr. Nathan Sprague |
| Office: | ISAT/CS 226 |
| Office Phone: | 568-3312 |
| Email: | spragunr@jmu.edu |
| Office Hours: | http://w3.cs.jmu.edu/spragunr/schedule.html |
Questions related to course content should be asked through Piazza. You may use email if you need to contact me directly. Please don't contact me through the Canvas messaging system.
You are welcome to call or stop by my office any time, with the understanding that I may or may not be available outside of my posted office hours. If you need to meet with me outside of my posted hours, email me to make an appointment.
Course Content and Goals
The CS 227-228 sequence lays the foundation for students to succeed in upper-level CS courses, most of which require understanding of concepts from discrete mathematics. This course is designed for students to learn how to think logically and mathematically, as well as practice fundamental techniques for solving problems in computer science. Our main goals are based on the five themes of the textbook (see pages vii-viii). By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- Read, comprehend, and construct mathematical arguments. (Mathematical Reasoning)
- Solve arithmetic and counting problems. (Combinatorial Analysis)
- Demonstrate how abstract mathematical ideas like graphs, trees, and finite-state machines relate to real-world computational problems. (Discrete Structures)
- Illustrate basic mathematical techniques for specifying, verifying, and analyzing computer algorithms. (Algorithmic Thinking)
- Identify a variety of natural and relevant uses of discrete math in the real world. (Applications and Modeling)
Methods of Evaluation
Course grades will be based on weekly homework assignments, class participation and three exams. Assignment specifications and due dates will be posted to the course schedule page. The final grade will be computed as follows:
| Homework Assignments | 40% |
| Class participation and Quizzes | 10% |
| Exam 1 | 15% |
| Exam 2 | 15% |
| Final Exam | 20% |
Letter grades will be assigned on the scale A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, F=0-59, with potential minor adjustments after considering the overall performance of the class and actual distribution of numeric scores. I will use "+" and "-" grades at my discretion. I do not assign WP or WF grades except under extraordinary circumstances.
Homework Assignments
Weekly homework assignments will be due on Fridays at 1:00PM. Late submissions will not be accepted. In recognition of the fact that there may unforeseen circumstances that prevent you from submitting some assignments, I will drop the two lowest homework grades.
Solutions to homework assignments must be prepared in LaTeX and submitted through Canvas. Some homework assignments will include short programming exercises to be completed in the Python programming language (version 2.7).
I encourage you to discuss homework assignments with other students and to work collaboratively to find solutions. "Collaboration" in this context means that all participants are actively engaged in solving the problem. Simply copying another students answer would be considered a violation of the honor code. Your final submission must be written entirely by you, based on your own understanding of the material. If you choose to work with another student on a homework assignment, the name of that student and the nature of the collaboration must be included in an acknowledgment statement at the top of your submission.
Class Participation and Quizzes
Regular attendance and fully engaged participation is expected of all students. Several students will be chosen each week to present solutions to selected homework problems. Your participation grade will be partly determined by the clarity and correctness of your presentations.
You should complete all assigned readings before each class session. I will post occasional reading quizzes to Canvas. These quizzes will be due before the beginning of class.
Exams
All exams will be cumulative with an emphasis on material covered since the previous exam.
If you are unable to take an exam at the scheduled time because of illness or other problems, you must contact me beforehand to arrange to take the exam at a different time. Failure to make prior arrangements for a missed exam will result in a grade of 0 for the exam.
Course Policies
Academic Integrity
Your work in this course must comply with the provisions of the JMU honor code: http://www.jmu.edu/honor/code.shtml. Representing someone else's work as your own, in any form, constitutes an honor code violation. It is also a violation of the honor code to "render unauthorized assistance to another student by knowingly permitting him or her to see or copy all or a portion of an examination or any work to be submitted for academic credit."
If you are in doubt about what is allowed, ask me. You are responsible for understanding the boundary between appropriate collaboration and academic misconduct.
Adding/Dropping
Students are responsible for adding and dropping courses via MyMadison. The last day to add a course for Spring 2014 is January 30th (signatures required after January 21st). The last day to drop a course for the Spring 2014 semester with a "W" grade is March 21st.
Disability Accommodations
If you need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, you should contact the Office of Disability Services (Wilson Hall, Room 107, www.jmu.edu/ods, 540-568-6705) if you have not previously done so. Disability Services will provide you with an Access Plan Letter that will verify your need for services and make recommendations for accommodations to be used in the classroom. Once you have presented me with this letter, you and I will sit down and review the course requirements, your disability characteristics, and your requested accommodations to develop an individualized plan, appropriate for this course.
Inclement Weather Policy
This class will operate in accord with JMU's inclement weather policy available at http://www.jmu.edu/JMUpolicy/1309.shtml
Religious Observation Accommodations
I will give reasonable accommodations to students requesting them on grounds of religious observation. If you require such accommodations you must notify me at least two weeks in advance.
Acknowledgments
The design of this course borrows extensively from previous offerings by Dr. Chris Mayfield. Many of the course materials that we will use (including this syllabus) are either borrowed or adapted from Dr. Mayfield's originals.