Syllabus for MAD 4203.01, Fall 2013 (Course # 90631) Last modified on
Professor: Steven M. Hudson. Phone:
305-348-3231 (but email is suggested).
My Office: DM 419B. Hours: 3:30 - 4:30pm TR, or by
appt.
E-mail: hudsons@fiu.edu ,
Web Page: http://www.fiu.edu/~hudsons
Text: Introductory Combinatorics - Fifth Edition, by
Brualdi.
Teaching Assistant: Shuai Xu, xushuai1009@gmail.com,
Hours TBA..
Schedule: See the homework pages (below) for more
detail and updates.
Tues, Aug 27 - First lecture, 2pm to 3:15pm, in
AHC3 215.
Thurs, Sept 5 - Homework (HW 1) is due.
Thurs, Sept 12 - Exam 1.
Nov 4 (check!) - Last day to drop the course
Thurs, Nov. 28 - T Day (no class)
Tues, Dec 3 - all late work, excuses, etc are due
Thurs, Dec 5 - Last lecture.
Thurs, Dec 12 [12pm - 2pm ] - The final exam covers the entire
course.
Your semester grade will be based on your average Exam/HW scores - not on improvement, effort, etc. Incompletes and make-ups will not be given, except in special cases such as last-minute medical emergencies.
Percentages of course grade - 5 Quizzes, 12% each; Final exam, 30%; Homework 10% total. 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 will usually announce a new approximate scale after each
exam.
Expectations:
The prerequisite for this course is either a)
Calculus II and Discrete Math, OR b) Multivariable Calculus.
Discrete Math is the most helpful of these. If you haven't had
that, but do have some extra time, find a basic textbook and go
thru it. See also the practice Discrete Math questions on my exam
page. You are expected to spend about 10 hours a week outside of
class, on homework and reading the corresponding sections of the
text. The lectures are intended to give you a light introduction
to the material, but there is no substitute for practice. 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 usually won't need one, and
will not be allowed one, during exams. You will be expected to
write a few proofs on exams, with clear sentences and good
explanations. Most of these will probably be induction proofs,
similar to the HW, rather than textbook proofs of major theorems.
HW Policies: There will be approx 7 HWs [see the link below], mainly intended to help you learn the material, but they also count into your grade. Do them by yourself and turn them in on stapled loose leaf paper. If you get help, acknowledge that in writing on your HW. For maximum credit be neat, show all your work, and explain your reasoning. Homework is due before class. Late homework (accepted up to 2 weeks) is worth half the normal credit. Each HW will be graded briefly, based mainly on a few selected problems. By the end of the term, your average HW grade should be pretty accurate, but if you think not, you can return all your HW to me for review. If you do not want your homework to be graded, write me a note this first week, before HW1 is due.
Each quiz will consist mostly of problems similar to the previous homework assignments, plus maybe a conceptual question or two, such as a True-False section, a 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, and rarely give
incompletes.
If you must turn in homework late for a good reason, see me, and
write a note of explanation at the top.
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:
Exam Page - answer keys, etc