MATH 180 Discrete Computational Structures

Winter 13-14 Syllabus

Instructor: Dimitri PapadopoulosEmail: dp399@drexel.eduOffice: Korman 236a. My mailbox is located in Korman 207.Office Hours: TBAClass Time and Location: Monday thru Thursday 11:00-11:50 PM in Stratton 101.

Prerequisites

Students entering Math 180 are expected to have completed and passed MATH 102 or MATH 121(D as a minimum grade). If you earned a D in MATH 102 or MATH 121, you should considerretaking it. Any questions regarding your readiness for the course should be resolved immediately.

Textbook

Mathematics: A Discrete Introduction by Edward R. Scheinerman, 3rd Edition.

Course Description, Expectations and Learning Objectives

This course is designed to introduce you to the study of discrete mathematical structures in analyticproblem-solving. Topics include proof techniques, set theory, combinatorics, relations, functions,and graph theory. Specific course goals are to:

• improve your ability to read and understand mathematical definitions and proofs,

• help you produce clear and mathematically rigorous arguments and demonstrate critical-thinking skills,

• help you understand basic mathematical structures that are useful for further study of math-ematics and related sciences.

The course will be a mixture of short lectures, questions and discussion, and classroom activitiesthat you will investigate in groups or individually.

Grading

Your grade for this course will be based on the following categories: quizzes, take-home assignments,one midterm exam and one final exam.

Reading and Ungraded Homework: Weekly reading and ungraded problem assignments from thetext will be given; you will be expected to come to class prepared to discuss and ask questions aboutthe reading. You are encouraged to discuss and work on problems with other students, however youshould refrain from using the internet or other sources to find solutions. Quiz content will mostly

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come from this recommended homework.

Quizzes: There will be eight in-class quizzes during the term except for the first week of class andduring the week of the midterm. The in-class quizzes will usually consist of two or three questions.There will be no make-up quizzes during the term but the lowest quiz score will be dropped.

Graded Homework Assignments: There will be regular graded hand-in homework assignments. Youwill be told in advance when homework will be collected and graded.

Exams: There will be one midterm exam and a final exam at the end of the term. Midterm exammake-ups shall only be given in cases of exceptional circumstances, such as illness or injury withproper documentation provided, or with my prior approval. There will be no make-up given for thefinal exam.

Grading Breakdown

Your course grade will be based on the weighted average of the following grades:

Homework & Quizzes 50%Midterm Exam 20%Final Exam 30%

Letter grades will be assigned according to the following system:

A B C D F90 - 100 % 80 - 89 % 70 - 79 % 60 - 69% 0 - 59 %

* Plus and minus will be assigned at the discretion of the instructor.

Tutoring Services

In addition to your my office hours, you can receive extra assistance in the Math Resource Center(MRC) located in Korman 249. The MRC is staffed by faculty and teaching assistants who canhelp you with your math courses. No appointment is necessary. Hours and staff schedules can befound at:

http://drexel.edu/math/resources/undergraduate/mrc/

Disabilities and Accommodations

Students with disabilities requesting accommodations and services at Drexel University need topresent a current accommodation verification letter (AVL) to faculty before accommodations canbe made. AVL’s are issued by the Office of Disability Resources (ODR). For additional information,contact ODR:

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www.drexel.edu/odr3201 Arch St., Street, Suite 210Philadelphia, PA 19104215.895.1401 (V)215.895.2299 (TTY).

Academic Honesty

Cheating and other forms of academic misconduct are serious offenses and are dealt with harshly,e.g. at the very least a 0 on an exam and a letter sent to the Office of Student Conduct.Students should be familiar with the following policies:

http://www.drexel.edu/provost/policies/academic dishonesty.asphttp://www.drexel.edu/studentaffairs/community standards/studentHandbook/general information/

Course Drop & Withdrawal Policies

Students should be familiar with the following policies:

http://www.drexel.edu/provost/policies/course drop.asphttp://www.drexel.edu/provost/policies/pdf/course withdrawal.pdfIt is my prerogative as the instructor to change the course during the term at my discretion. Anychanges will be communicated in class, through e-mail and/or via the course website when appro-priate. Course announcements, exam information, and other details will be regularly posted to thecourse website.

You are expected to be fully aware of the following policies and expectations, so review this infor-mation carefully and speak with me if you have further questions.

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