CpSc 311 -- Discrete Computational Structures - Week 1

About the course:

1. mathematics
2. analysis
3. algebra (discrete)
4. formal systems
5. programming in JavaScript

Equipment and labs:  possibly ATSH 224,  turning in assignments

Syllabus, assignments, class home page, class resources, assessment1, more assessment (and by way of keeping up with the changing world of education: still more assessment).

Requirements on homework: 

• Unless otherwise specified, assignments are completed through submitting e-mail to the instructor.
• Your e-mail to me should contain, in the SUBJECT LINE the course number: "311" followed by your last name and the assignment number.  If your assignment does not follow this format exactly, your grade on that assignment may be zero.
• Assignments involving work in JavaScript should be placed in your class web space, with e-mail to me containing the URL.
• Assignments that involve no programming should be turned in on paper.

Assignment #1:

By the end of the day, Jan. 15th  (Thursday), e-mail me verifying the status of

1. your e-mail account
2. your web folder

Assignment #2:

Jan. 26th -- beginning of class  (Monday) -- handed in on paper

1. pages 12 - 13; exercises 2a,2b,3b,3c,4a,4b,5,7a,8a.
2. pages 31-35; exercises 1a, 1c, 1e, 1f, 3a-d, 6a, 6b, 8a, 8b, 15, 18.

Skills you should already possess:

1. Proficiency with high school algebra

   for example:

   • solve 2x² +7x + 9 = 0 for all complex solutions
   • prove that the set of prime numbers is infinite
   • without actually calculating, is  (9 - 2i)(9 + 2i) an integer? Why?
      
2. Proficiency with one high level programming language -- examples include JavaScript, Java, C++, Alice, Python, Ruby, etc.

Demonstrations:

Drawing a graph

Reading:

1. Chapter 1 in the textbook.
2. Class web pages (leading from http://srufaculty.sru.edu/david.dailey/cs311/ )

Lectures:

Differences between algebra (or discrete math) and analysis. Infinitesimals and limits.

Review of algebra.

Sets, elements, bags, Russell's paradox,

Roots of unity (x⁴ = 1 ; x³ = 1) :  ∀ a, b | a⁴ = 1 and b⁴ = 1 it is also true that (ab)⁴ = 1

See this reference on the same topic