Course Overview

Introduction

This is an introductory course in Discrete Mathematics oriented toward Computer Science and Engineering. The course divides roughly into thirds:

Fundamental concepts of Mathematics: definitions, proofs, sets, functions, relations.
Discrete structures: modular arithmetic, graphs, state machines, counting.
Discrete probability theory.

The goals of the course are summarized in a statement of Course Objectives and Educational Outcomes. A detailed schedule of topic coverage appears in the Course Calendar.

Prerequisites

The prerequisite for the course is 18.01. You should be familiar with sequences and series, limits, and integration and differentiation of univariate functions.

Course Schedule

Lecture/Team Problem-solving Sessions
Sessions are MWF, 3:00-4:30 in room 32-044. Lectures will be interleaved with team problem-solving sessions and demos. TA's and lecturers will act as coach/facilitators during problem-solving sessions. Lecture/Problem-solving session attendance is mandatory. There are no separate recitations.
Reading & Problem Sets
Reading from Class Notes and Problem Sets are generally assigned on Mondays, with Problem Sets due the following Monday, but this varies with holidays and quizzes. See the Course Calendar for exact schedule. There is no textbook.
Short Online Problems & Email Comments
These are generally assigned on Monday and due Wednesdays by 1pm.

Course Website

The class has a comprehensive web site:

http://theory.lcs.mit.edu/classes/6.042

Notes, problem sets, solutions, etc., will be posted in the course calender. Other course information such as staff contact information, mailing lists, and announcements are also available on this website. It is always worth checking the website for corrections and announcements before starting problem sets.

Team Problem Solving

Approximately half the class meeting time will be devoted to problem-solving in teams of 5–7 students. A TA will act as a team coach, providing hints and explanations as requested. We believe that the team problem solving activity is a key learning experience. Problem-solving participation counts for 25% of the grade and will be graded mainly on degree of active, prepared participation, rather than problem-solving success.

Problem Sets

Problem Sets are normally due at the beginning of Monday lecture.

Doing the problem sets is, for most students, the best way to master the course material. Problem sets will count for up to 30% of the final grade. However, there is no penalty for incorrect or omitted problems: any credit you miss on problems will be reallocated to your quizzes and/or final. So problem sets enable you to lock in partial credit towards an "A", but cannot harm your grade.

Solutions to the problem sets will be posted immediately after the due date. Late problem sets will not be accepted.

The last page of each problem set has a cover page for use when you submit the problem set. Complete the information called for on the cover page and attach it as the first page of your submission. Be sure to complete the full collaboration statement on the cover page:

"I worked alone and only with course materials",
or
"I collaborated on this assignment with (students in class),
got help from (people other than collaborators and course staff),
and referred to (citations to sources other than the class material from this term and Fall '02)".

No problem set will be given credit until it has a collaboration statement.

Pset grading: Submissions which are unduly hard to follow (or illegible) will get little credit even if the solutions are ``correct.'' If you are unhappy with the way that your homework has been graded, first see your TA. If you're still unhappy after that, feel free to contact a Lecturer.

Online Tutor Problems

Online Tutor Problems consist of straightforward questions about the assigned reading and should take about 20 minutes after you finish the reading. A standard question on the reading appears every week and an email answer is required:

*Required* Comments for Reading: send email to 6042-probs@theory.lcs.mit.edu citing a passage in the reading – including its page number – and explaining, in at most three sentences, why you found it

most difficult, or

most surprising, or

would like to have discussed more fully it in the next lecture.

Most weeks, the Tutor Problems and Reading Comments will be due by 11am before Wednesday class. We try to slant the lectures in response to student email on the reading.

Collaboration and Outside Sources

We encourage you to collaborate on homework as you do on in-class problems. Study groups can be an excellent means to master course material (besides, they can be fun and a good way to make friends.) However, you must write up solutions on your own, neither copying solutions nor providing solutions to be copied. If you do collaborate on homework, you must cite, in your written solution, all of your collaborators. Also, if you use sources beyond the course materials in one of your solutions, e.g., an "expert" consultant, another text, or material other than the course text & handouts and the Fall '02 course materials, be sure to include a proper scholarly citation of the source.

We discourage, but do not forbid, use of materials from prior terms other than Fall '02 to which a student may have access. We repeat, however, that use of such material requires a proper scholarly citation; omission of such citation will be taken as a priori evidence of plagiarism.

Plagiarism, cheating, and similar anti-intellectual behavior are serious violations of academic ethics and will be penalized. However, we understand the pressure that students may experience while at MIT, and we try to respond to such incidents in a balanced way.

If you are concerned about a possible violation of this kind, please talk with your TA and/or a Lecturer. It is better if you take the initiative to contact us in such cases, rather than vice-versa.

Exams and Grades

Quizzes and Final

There will be two in-class quizzes and a regular three-hour final.

Quiz 1: Monday, Oct. 17
Quiz 2: Monday, Nov. 14
Final Exam: Wednesday, Dec. 21, 9am--noon, du Pont

Grades

Grades for the course will be based on the following weighting:

Problem Sets:	0–30% ^†
Quizzes (2):	20–35% (10–17% 10–18%)
Class participation	25%
Final:	20–35%
Online Tutor Problems & Email:	5%

Questions, Suggestions, and Complaints

You can send email to 6042-staff@theory.csail.mit.edu or individual staff members using the addresses on the staff contact page.

This document last modified Wednesday, 28-Sep-2005 09:09:45 EDT