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\handout{course-information}{Course Information}{February 7, 1995}

\medskip

\noindent\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{llrr}
Lecturers: & Prof.\ Ronald Rivest & NE43-324 & x3-5880\smallskip\\
	& Prof.\ Mauricio Karchmer & 2-376 & x3-4989 \\
	& 			& NE43-307 & x3-9680\medskip\\
Teaching Assistants: 
	& Parry Husbands \\
	& \multicolumn{1}{r}{\tt parry@theory.lcs.mit.edu} 
	& NE43-334 & x3-5866\smallskip\\
	& Jennifer Huang \\
	& \multicolumn{1}{r}{\tt hcy@theory.lcs.mit.edu} 
	& NE43-309 & x3-5883\smallskip\\
	& Stephen Ponzio \\
	& \multicolumn{1}{r}{\tt \hspace*{.1in} ponzio@theory.lcs.mit.edu} 
	& NE43-371 & x3-9681\smallskip\\
	& Ravi Sundaram \\
	& \multicolumn{1}{r}{\tt koods@theory.lcs.mit.edu} 
	& NE43-372 & x3-3796\smallskip\\
Secretary: 
	&  Be Hubbard \\ 
	& \multicolumn{1}{r}{\tt be@theory.lcs.mit.edu} 
	& NE43-322 & x3-6098\\
\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 4-270}.  Recitations will be held once a week for an hour on Fridays.
There will be four recitations, at 1:00 in 26-210, 2:00 in 26-210, 
2:00 in 34-302, and 3:00 in 34-301.
Based on the information you give us today, we will assign recitation sections.
These assignments will be distributed in lecture Thursday.

\section{Tutorials}

All students must attend a one-hour tutorial every week on Monday;
attendance will be taken.
Each tutorial group will consist of approximately five students.  
Each TA will conduct two tutorials in parallel.  
Each tutorial group will be given one or two problems to solve 
at the beginning of the hour. 
The group is expected to work together as a team in the solving of the
problems.  The TA will then ask one member from each group to present
the solutions to both the groups.  Based on this presentation the TA
will assign a grade to each group. If the presentation is not
satisfactory the TA may ask the entire group to write up the
solutions.
	
% The worst tutorial grade for each group will be omitted from
% consideration for the final grade. In other words you can afford to
% absent yourself from at most one tutorial during the whole semester.

\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 NE43-311.

Handouts will also be available in postscript form on Athena.
Type {\tt attach 6.042} at the Athena prompt and then 
{\tt cd /mit/6.042} to get into the course directory.  
Once there, you can type {\tt lpr -P$\ang{\mbox{printer-name}}\
\ang{\mbox{file-name}}$} to print the file of your choice.  For example, to
print this handout you would type {\tt lpr
-P$\ang{\mbox{printer-name}}$ H01-Info.ps}.

\section{Books}

The textbook for the course is {\it Discrete Mathematics for Computer
Scientists} by J.K. Truss, Addison-Wesley
(1991).  Readings will be assigned from Truss for the first part of the
course.  The later part of the course (probability) is not well
covered by any existing textbook.  The required text for this part of
the course is a small inexpensive book, {\it Theory and Problems of
Probability\/} by Seymour Lipschutz, Schaum's outline Series.

Another text, a small paperback entitled {\it The Nuts and Bolts of
Proofs\/} by Cupillari 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, you should buy this book.

All texts are available at The Coop.

\section{Grading}

Grades will be based on 
written problems ($\approx 20 \% $) and		%($\approx 20 \% $),
performance in tutorials ($\approx 10 \% $),	%($\approx 15 \% $), 
two quizzes ($\approx 20\% $ each), 		%($\approx 15 \%$ and $20\% $),
and the final exam($\approx 30 \% $). 		%($\approx 30 \% $).
We will drop your lowest tutorial grade and your lowest problem set grade.

As in most subjects, the written problems are essential to learning
the material. In addition $\approx 85 \% $ is the cutoff for an A
grade. This means that if you miss the tutorials then you will have to
be perfect in the rest of the course to get an A.  
The quizzes will be held in
the evening on March 15 and April 20 from 7:00--9:00 {\sc p.m.}

\section{Problem sets}

Problem sets will be assigned on a weekly basis.  They will usually be
issued in lecture on Thursday to cover that week's lectures and
recitation, and then due in recitation the following week. They will
be graded and returned, along with printed solutions, in recitation
the week after.

Please clearly mark your problem sets with
\begin{enumerate}
\item your name, 
\item the date, 
\item problem numbers, and 
\item the name of your TA.
\end{enumerate}

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.  Presentation is very important. Poorly
written solutions will be penalized. 
Also, please do not use red ink to write up your homework.

Late homeworks will not be accepted.

\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.  You must
neither copy solutions nor provide solutions to be copied.  Your
write-up of a problem solution must be done alone and without help.
No collaboration will be allowed on exams.  Plagiarism, cheating, and
other antiintellectual behavior will be dealt with severely.

\vfill

\begin{quotation}
\it
A great discovery solves a great problem but there is a grain of 
discovery in the solution of any problem.  Your problem may be modest; 
but\ldots if you solve it by your own means, you may experience the
tension and enjoy the triumph of discovery.

\rm
\hfill George Polya

\end{quotation}

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