CS 311 — Discrete Structures
Fall 2008

Contact Information

Instructor:
Bruce MacLennan
Phone: 974-5067
Office: Claxton Complex 217
Hours: MF 2:30–4:00 or make an appointment
Email: maclennan@cs.utk.edu

Teaching Assistant:
Kristy Van Hornweder
Phone: 974-6433
Office: Claxton 122C
Hours: TR 2:00–4:00 or make an appointment
Email: kvanhorn at eecs.utk.edu

Classes: MWF 11:15–12:05, Claxton 205

This page: http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/Classes/311/

Catalog Description

Topics covered include equivalence relations, partial orderings, combinations, permutations, analysis of algorithms, finite automata and regular languages.

Prerequisites

CS 140, CS 160, MAT 300.

Math 300 is the most important prerequisite for this course, since it teaches the proof techniques that you will be using throughout this semester.

Text

Ralph P. Grimaldi: Discrete and Combinatorial Mathematics: An Applied Introduction (5th ed.).

Topics

SUBJECT TO CHANGE! We will cover topics in chapters in Discrete and Combinatorial Mathematics, 5th Ed., by Grimaldi in this order:

Chap. 1 Counting
Chap. 2 Logic
Chap. 3 Sets (omitting 3.4)
Chap. 4 Induction
Chap. 5 Relations and Functions
Chap. 6 Finite State Automata
Chap. 7 Relations again

As time permits:
Chap. 11 Graph Theory
Chap. 12 Trees
Chap. 16 Groups and Coding Theory
Chap. 9 Generating Functions
Chap. 10 Recurrence Relations

Final Exam

We will not cover every topic in all these chapters, and we will have a few additional definitions and results such as the connection between finite state automata and regular grammars. We will emphasize fundamentals (elementary counting, sets, relations, functions, proofs in discrete math) and introduce some important applications in CS, which include Chaps. 6–7 (finite automata as simple but powerful mathematical models of sequence recognizers). There is a large number of mathematical definitions and concepts to deal with.

Homework and Tests

We will assign weekly homework, which will count a total of 15% of your Homework + Test average.

In addition, there will be three Tests (each covering two chapters), each of which will count 25% of your Homework + Test average.

Finally, there will be a quiz over Chapter 7 material, counting 10% of your Homework + Test average.

Homework Assignments

Due Aug. 27: §1.1&1.2: 4, 6, 10, 16, 20, 30, 34, 38.
Due Sept. 5: §1.3: 8, 12, 14, 16, 18, 26; §1.4: 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 18.
Due Sept. 12: §2.1: 4, 6, 8, 10; §2.2: 4, 6, 10, 12; §2.3: 4, 6a, 10.
Due Sept. 17: §2.4: 2, 8, 12a, 18, 22, 24; §2.5: 6, 12, 14, 16.
Due Sept. 26: §3.1: 2, 8, 10, 12, 18; §3.2: 2, 4, 6a, 8, 14.
Due Oct. 1: §3.3: 2, 4, 6, 8; §3.4: 6, 8, 12, 14.
Due Oct. 8: §4.1: 2, 8, 10, 14, 18, 24; §4.2: 12, 14, 16.
Due Oct. 17: §4.3: 4, 10; §4.4: 2, 8, 14, 20; §4.5: 2, 8, 24, 26.
Due Oct. 29: §5.1: 2, 4, 10, 12; §5.2: 4, 6, 8, 16, 20; §5.3: 2, 4, 8, 10, 12.
Due Nov. 7: §5.4: 2, 4, 6, 12; §5.5: 2, 6, 18, 20, 24; §5.6: 4, 8, 10, 12, 14, 20a, 22.
Due Nov. 14: §6.1: 2, 4, 8, 12, 20, 24; §6.2: 2, 6, 8; §6.3: 2, 4, 8.
Due Nov. 26: §7.1: 2, 6, 8, 10, 18; §7.3: 2, 4, 6, 8, 18; §7.4: 2, 4, 8, 10.

Final Exam and Grading

SUBJECT TO CHANGE! It is anticipated that your grade will be 50% Homework + Tests and 50% Final Exam. However, if you are satisfied with your Homework + Test average, you will not have to take the final exam.

The Final Exam will be Mon., Dec. 8, 10:15–12:15. The cumulative Final Exam will be two hours worth of questions similar in difficulty to those on the Tests.

Additional information: If you do better on the Final than your Homework + Test average, then I will use the Final for most of your grade (> 90%); if you do the same or worse, it will count 50%, as described above. After the last day of class I will email you the maximum grade-division points and your average, so that you will know the worst your grade could be if you don't take the final. You can come to take the final at the time mentioned above, and if you look at it and decide not to take it, your grade will be based on your Homework + Test average. If you do take it, it will be counted as described in this paragraph.

For Students with Disabilities

The Office of Disability Services and the Campus Disability Monitors have asked us to pass this statement along in our syllabi:

Students who have a disability that require accommodation(s) should make an appointment with the Office of Disability Services (974-6087) to discuss their specific needs as well as schedule an appointment with me during my office hours.