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\handout{course-information}{Course Information}{September 5, 1996}

\noindent\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{llrr}
Lecturers: & Prof.\ Nancy Lynch & NE43-365 & x3-7225\smallskip\\
	& Prof.\ F. Tom Leighton & 2-377 & x3-3662 \\
	& 			& NE43-328 & x3-5876\medskip\\
Teaching Assistants: 
	& Mojdeh Mohtashemi\\
	& \multicolumn{1}{r}{\tt mojdeh@theory.lcs.mit.edu} 
	& NE43-369 & x3-1499 \smallskip\\
	& Gunnar Hoest \\
	& \multicolumn{1}{r}{\tt gunnar@theory.lcs.mit.edu} 
	& NE43-370 & x3-6097 \smallskip\\
	& Dimitri Papaionnou\\
	& \multicolumn{1}{r}{\tt \hspace*{.2in} dimitrip@theory.lcs.mit.edu} 
	& 35-307   & 3-6165 \smallskip\\
	& Alex (Manuela) Vasilescu\\
	& \multicolumn{1}{r}{\tt alexv@theory.lcs.mit.edu} 
	&  & \smallskip\\
	& Yong-yeow Yeoh\\
	& \multicolumn{1}{r}{\tt } \hspace*{.2in} yyyeoh@theory.lcs.mit.edu
	& NE43-369 & x3-1499 \smallskip\\
Secretary: 
	& Joanne Talbot \\ 
	& \multicolumn{1}{r}{\tt joanne@theory.lcs.mit.edu} 
	& NE43-366 & x3-6054\\
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\section{Prerequisites and ``antirequisites''}

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

Students who have taken 18.063 or 18.310 should not take this course.
To learn probability, we recommend these students instead take 6.041,
18.440, 18.313, or 18.05.  Students can substitute 18.063 for 6.042 in
the EECS department M.Eng.\ and S.B. requirements.

%	It will be very useful for students to have some programming
%	experience, such as is acquired in the course 6.001.  Although no
%	programming course is a prerequisite, you should have some experience,
%	since we will at times refer to notions and terminology drawn from
%	computer programming.  For example, we will study induction and
%	recursion, and may at times refer to pointers or stacks.  If you have
%	no idea what these things are, then you will be at a disadvantage.

\section{Lectures and recitations}

Lectures will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 to 4:00 in Room
{\bf 6-120}.  Recitations will be held once a week for an hour on
Fridays.  The six recitations are scheduled for 10:00 and 11:00 in
36-372, 1:00 and 3:00 in 26-310, and 12:00 and 2:00 in a room to be
announced. Based on the information you give us today, we will assign
recitation sections.  These assignments will be posted on the web page
on Friday.  You may attend the recitation section of your choice
tomorrow.  In general, recitations will cover new material, so
attendance is required.

\section{Tutorials}

All students must attend a one-hour tutorial every week; attendance
will be taken.  Each tutorial group will consist of approximately twenty
students, which will be broken into groups of 4-5 students.  Each
individual tutorial group will be given one problem to solve at the
beginning of the hour.  The group is expected to work together as a
team in solving the problem.  The TA will then ask one member from
one or more groups to present the solutions to the entire tutorial.  If the
presentation is not satisfactory, the TA may ask the entire group to
write up the solutions.


\section{Handouts and course notebook}

In order to keep your handouts organized, get a loose-leaf notebook
for the course.  All handouts will be on standard three-hole punched
paper and will be numbered consecutively.  Handouts will be available
in a file cabinet outside room NE43-309.

Handouts in postscript format will also be available in the WWW.\\
\verb+URL ftp://theory.lcs.mit.edu/pub/classes/6.042/www/6.042-top.html+ will
point you to the 6.042 homepage where you can retrieve the
postscript files.  You can directly access them in \verb+URL
ftp://theory.lcs.mit.edu/pub/classes/6.042/fall96/handouts.+ 

\section{Books}

The textbook for the course is {\it Discrete Mathematics and its Applications}
by Kenneth H. Rosen, Third Edition, McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995.
The recommended textbooks are {\it The Nuts and Bolts of Proofs\/} by
Cupillari and {\it The Essentials of Probability\/} by Lutfiyya. 

{\it
The Nuts and Bolts of Proofs\/} is recommended for those who are
interested in learning more about how and why proofs of mathematical
statements work.  If you find mathematical proofs difficult
(especially at the beginning of the course), you should buy this book.
{\it The Essentials of Probability\/} will be useful near the end of
the course.  It does an excellent job of covering the latter material
(probability).

All texts will be available at The Coop under the heading 6.042 by
next week.  Supplies are low, but should be higher tomorrow.

\section{Grading}

The following grading scheme will be used
\vspace{-10pt}
\begin{tabbing}
Problem sets (drop lowest score) \hspace{1in} \= 25\% \\
Tutorial (drop lowest score)  \> 20\% \\
Quizzes \> 30\% (each 15\%)\\
Final \> 25\%
\end{tabbing}

Tutorial grades will be 100\% for showing up and actively
participating.  0\% for not showing up.  The default grade will be
100\% for simply showing up.  However, if the TA feels the student is
not putting forth a valid effort, he can lower the student's grade.

The quizzes and final {\bf WILL BE HARD}.  It
is imperative that students do well on the problem sets and tutorials
in order to raise their average.  Not only are the problem sets and
tutorials essential to learning the material, they will be a
significant part of your final grade.

The quizzes will be held in the evening on October 16 and November 13,
from 7:00--9:00 {\sc p.m.} in room 54-100.

\section{Problem sets}

Problem sets will be assigned on a weekly basis.  They will usually be
issued in lecture on Tuesday to cover that week's lectures and
recitation, and then due in lecture on Tuesday the following week.
They will be collected at the start of class.  Any problem sets turned
in past the start of class will be considered {\bf
LATE}.  Late problem sets will be penalized 20\% of the final grade.
Problem sets will not be accepted after the solutions are distributed.
Solutions to the problem sets will be distributed in the lecture
following the one in which they were due.
% We hope to follow the schedule indicated in the Course Outline handout, but
% difficulties may arise.  The problem set itself will provide official
% due dates.
Please clearly mark your problem sets with
(1) your name, 
(2) the date, 
(3) problem numbers, and 
(4) the name of your TA.
Also, acknowledge any persons you collaborated with on the problem
sets.  Your name should appear on every page.

Try to be as clear and precise as possible in your written solutions.
Understandability of the solution is as desirable as correctness.
Sloppy answers will be at a disadvantage and will receive fewer points
even if they are correct.  Do not use red ink to write up your
homework, because red is our color for grading.

If you are unable to complete a homework by the date assigned, please
talk to your TA {\em in advance}. If you are unhappy with the way that
your homework has been graded, see your TA\@.  Questions, suggestions,
and complaints will be welcomed by the course staff.

\section{Collaboration}

You are encouraged to collaborate in solving the homeworks.  Study
groups provide an excellent means to master the material of the
course.  You must write up solutions on your own, however.  If you do
collaborate on homeworks, you must cite all of your fellow
collaborators on the written problem set.  You must neither copy
solutions nor provide solutions to be copied.  Your write-up of a
problem solution must be yours.  No
collaboration will be allowed on exams.  Plagiarism, cheating, and
other anti-intellectual behavior will be dealt with severely.  If you
feel you may have violated this code of ethics, please talk with
either Professor Lynch or Professor Leighton.

\section{Office Hours}

TA's will be available to answer questions during office hours
according to the following schedule.  You are welcome to talk to any
TA.

Monday, 2:00pm-4:00pm in NE43-3rd floor, in lounge near office 366 -- Alex\\
Monday, 4:00pm-6:00pm in NE43-370 -- Gunnar \\
Monday, 7:00pm-9:00pm in NE43-308 -- Dimitri \\
Tuesday, 11:00am-1:00pm in NE43-369 -- Mojdeh or Yong-yeow  

%monday time may change to Fridays from 3-5pm.

Special office hours will be posted before exams and problem sets that
are not due on a Tuesday.
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