Syllabus for MAD 3305, U01, Summer A, 2014  [#55167] Last modified on

Professor:  Steven M. Hudson. Phone: 305-348-3231. 
My Office:
DM 419B. Hours: MW, 1pm to 2pm, and W 5pm, or by appt.
E-mail
: hudsons@fiu.edu, Web Page: http://faculty.fiu.edu/~hudsons

Text: Graph Theory, by R Gould. Dover Books, 2012. This is an inexpensive paperback and I recommend that you buy it. But the author has kindly given us permission to use an online version, which can be found here. See also the author's site. At the moment, I think all the versions mentioned here are the same, but if there are differences, the Dover book will be the offical text. We'll cover most of Chs 1-7. See the math dept course outline for a detailed list of topics.

Schedule:  See  the Schedule page for more info and updates, but here are some major dates:

Mon 5/12/14: First lecture; 2:30pm in PC 431.
May 23 (approx) - Exam 1 
May 26 - Holiday, no class.
June 6 (approx) - Exam 2
June 9 - Drop/WI date (but check this yourself)
June 16 - All excuses, projects, etc, must be in; "Last call ! "
June 18 - Last lecture.
June 20- the normal class period -The final exam covers the entire course.

Your semester grade will be based on your average exam scores - not on improvement, effort, extra credit, etc. Incompletes will not be given, except in special cases such as last-minute medical emergencies. Percentages of course grade - 2 midterm exams, 30% each, Final exam, 40%. Each student will have a score between 0 and 100% at the end of the course. Letter grades will be assigned approximately as follows; 

 A 81-100%,   B 71-80 %,   C 61-70 %,   D 51-60 %, F 0-50 %. 

(+'s and -'s will be used). I will set the official scale at the end of the semester, after all grades are in, but I will usually update the approximate scale after each exam. If interested, you can peek into one of my past classes - the syllabi have links to all this info - to see how it works. I may give additional short quizzes, for at most 5 points each.

I collect HW for a grade in most of my classes, but probably will not do so this term, unless we are given a grader. Any references to HW on this web site refer to practice problems that I will assign but not collect. If I do decide to count the HW, it will be for approx 10 per cent total, and I will adjust this page asap.

Expectations
: The main prerequisite for this course is MAS 3105 or MAD 2104, with a C or better, to ensure that you can write basic proofs. Technically, a programming course is expected too, but I will not require any programming this term. If you see me, I can probably waive that. If you have had MAS 3105, but not MAD 2104, you should probably obtain a Discrete Math book and look it over asap. You are expected to spend about 15 hours a week outside of class, on homework and reading the corresponding sections of the text. DO NOT fall behind! The lectures are intended to give you a light introduction to the material (with attention to the rough spots). The reading and HW will go a bit beyond the lectures. You are expected to ask questions, especially in my office, after class, or by email.

You will need to visit various pages in this website, mainly to get the HW assignments, and perhaps to practice old exams. You may use a calculator for your HW, but you usually won't need one, and will not be allowed one during exams.You will be expected to write proofs on exams, with clear sentences and good explanations. The harder ones will be explained in class or in the text, with some warning before the exam.

Each exam consists mostly of problems similar to the previous homework assignments and a conceptual question or two, such as  True-False, a textbook proof and/or a definition.

The Main Rules: (these can affect your grade):

Any beepers/cell phones, etc must be turned off during class.
If you cannot arrive and leave on time, see me and explain.
If you miss a class, get notes from a classmate.
If you must miss an exam, see me beforehand, and document your excuse, for fair treatment.
I don't generally give make-up exams (but see me anyway), and I rarely give incompletes.
If you find a grading error, write a note to me at the top of your paper and return it promptly.

I will try to identify any cheating that may occur in the course. To avoid unfounded suspicion, please show all your work, turn in any scratch paper you use in exams, and avoid sitting next to your study partners during exams. This covers the basics, but read over My Policies (the long version) so that you are not surprised by anything. It is unlikely, but possible, that I may have to change some policies later on (for example, if we do not get a grader for this class, or if the early exam scores are abnormal)

LINKS (these may be wrong until approx May 13):

Schedule and HW 

Exam Page - practice quizzes, keys, etc 

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