Course Information
Math 310: Discrete Mathematics - Section 02, Fall 2012
4 Credits: MTRF 9:30am - 10:20am
Bridges Room 262
Textbook: Discrete Mathematics
and Its Applications,
6th ed, by
Kenneth H. Rosen [Required]
Office: MacLean 375M Office Phone: (218)477-4011
Office Hours: MTWThF 10:30am – 11:20am Email: jamesju@mnstate.edu
W 12:30pm –
2:20pm Webpage: web.mnstate.edu/jamesju
MT ThF 2:30pm – 3:20pm
Other times by
Appointment
Course Description: Methods of proof, sets, logic, functions and
relations, Boolean algebra, graph theory and number systems. Pre-requisite: Students must either have taken, or be
concurrently enrolled in MATH 262.
Course Requirements: You are expected to complete all homework
assignments, projects, and writing assignments, and to take and pass all exams
and quizzes at their scheduled dates and times.
Major Content Areas:
·
Symbolic Logic, including quantifiers.
·
Proofs, including proofs by induction.
·
Sets and set operations.
·
Relations, including equivalence relations and
partial orders.
·
Graphs, including rooted trees, shortest path
problems, Euler and Hamilton circuits, spanning trees
·
Boolean algebra and functions.
Student Learning Outcomes:
·
Learn patterns of proofs.
·
Understand basic notions of sets, relations.
·
Apply mathematical thinking to graphs and trees.
Instructional Strategies:
Lecture, discussion.
Attendance and Academic Expectations: You
are expected to attend class regularly and on time. The penalty for unexcused absences is that missed assignments cannot be made up. You are expected
to read the assigned material in your textbook prior to each lecture and to attempt
the problems on the homework assignment.
You are encouraged to form a group to study and work with outside of class.
You should bring your book and solutions
to recent homework problems with you to class.
Homework: I will collect and grade homework several times during the semester. You will be told at least 2 days in advance
which problems to turn in. Even when
homework is not collected, you should work enough homework problems in order to
fully understand the course material. I
will spend a few minutes at the beginning of class answering homework questions,
but the bulk of our time will be spent covering new material. You are encouraged to discuss homework with your
classmates and with me outside of class during my office hours. If my office hours do not match your
schedule, see me about arranging another time to meet.
Quizzes: I will give quizzes
at various times during the course. Most
will be in-class quizzes, but a few may be “take home” quizzes. I typically announce quizzes one class period
before I give them so you have time to prepare for them. Quizzes will be worth from 5-15 points, depending
on their length and scope.
Your best homework and quiz scores will be combined
to contribute 150 points toward your final grade. Expect at
least one homework grade and at least
one quiz grade to be dropped.
Projects: You will be assigned 2 projects during the course. You should think of these projects as
extended homework assignments that are designed to fit together cohesively. Each project will be worth 25 points, so
projects will contribute 50 points toward your final grade.
Reflection Papers: Twice
during the semester you will be given a writing assignment in which you will be
asked to give your personal thoughts and reflections on different aspects of
the course. These papers must be typed
and should be at least 1 page long (typed, double spaced). These informal papers will be graded mainly on
their content and completeness, but you should write in complete sentences and clearly
express your thoughts. Each reflection
paper will contribute 10 points toward your final grade.
Gateway Quizzes: There
will be four (4) “Gateway Quizzes”:
one on Negating Quantified Statements,
one on Direct Proofs and Indirect Proofs,
one on Set Containment Proofs, and
one on Proof by Induction. You will be given multiple attempts to
complete each quiz successfully (achieving a minimum standard of 80%). Each
Gateway Quiz will count 20 points toward your final grade. Students passing the quiz on the first try will receive 100% on the
quiz. Each additional attempt will
result in a 10% deduction to your grade on that quiz (e.g. 90% for passing on
the 2nd attempt, 80% for passing on the 3rd attempt,
etc.). A minimum of 50% will be given to
any student who passes a gateway quiz regardless of the number of attempts that
are needed.
Gateway
quizzes will be given in class once.
Additional attempts will be proctored outside of class. To receive
credit, quizzes must be completed by study day (December 12th). If all four Gateway Quizzes are
not successfully completed, your final
grade will be penalized by 5% for each incomplete Gateway Quiz.
Exams: This
course will have four unit exams plus a comprehensive final exam, as outlined
on the course schedule. Be sure to mark
the date of each exam on your calendar, especially the final exam. Exams will be closed book, and closed
notes. I will allow the use of an approved calculator (no graphing calculators are
allowed). No other electronic devices (cell-phones, etc.) will be allowed.
The
credit given on exam questions will be proportional to the amount of correct
work shown. Little to no credit will be
given if sufficient work is not shown, even when the final answer is correct. For your final grade, your best three exams
will be worth 100 points each, while your lowest exam will be scaled in half
to be out of 50 points. The final exam is worth 200 points.
Weekly Problem Sessions: Every
Wednesday from 9:30-10:20pm an optional
problem solving session will be held in Bridges 262. Those that choose to attend will use this
time to work collaboratively on problems from the assigned homework. I will be there to help and give suggestions.
Course Grading Policy: Your final grade in the course will be
computed as follows:
Homework/Quizzes: 150 points
“Gateway Quizzes”
80 points
Projects: 50 points
Reflection Papers
20 points
Highest 3 Unit Exams: 300 points
Lowest Unit Exam: 50 points
Final Exam: 200 points
Total: 850
points
I
will compute the percentage of the total possible points each student earned
during the semester (rounded to the nearest .1%), and will then assign letter
grades based on the following scale:
96.5-100.0% A+ 81.5-86.4% B 69.0-71.4% C–
91.5-96.5% A 79.0-81.4% B– 66.0-68.9% D+
89.0-91.4% A– 76.5-78.9% C+ 60.0-65.9% D
86.5-88.9% B+ 71.5-76.4% C <60.0% F
Make-up Work: Because
you are allowed to drop several scores, I only give make-up assignments for extreme
personal emergencies or for absences which are officially sanctioned by the
University. I expect written
documentation in either of these cases.
If you miss an exam and a make-up exam is not warranted, you may replace
your grade on one missed exam with
your un-scaled percentage score on
the final exam.
Special Accommodations: Students with disabilities
who believe they may need an accommodation in this class are encouraged to
contact Greg Toutges, Director of Disability Services
at 477-4318 (Voice) or
1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY), Flora Frick 154 as soon as possible to
ensure that accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Information regarding Disability Services is available at http://web.mnstate.edu/disability/
Academic Honesty: You are expected to do your own work. You may work
with others and get help on assignments, but the work you submit must be your
own. During exams and quizzes you will not be allowed to get help
from others. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in any course
at any level. See the MSUM Academic Honesty policy for more information
on the possible consequences of cheating.
Copying
solutions from the back of the textbook or the student solutions manual is
considered plagiarism and will be dealt with accordingly.
Thanks, And Let’s Have A
Great Semester!!
Math
310 – Section 02 Course Page