| MATH1061: Discrete Mathematics | Subject profile |
| Lecturer |
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any difficulties or questions. It is best to resolve any issues promptly, and not leave things until they become insurmountable. I also welcome suggested improvements, or even nice comments if you like what we are doing.
| Teaching methods |
You need to purchase a copy of the text (described below), and you will be given a copy of a student `workbook'. The workbook will be your primary study aid for MATH1061. It directs you to sections in the book which need to be studied, and includes exercises and examples for you to work through. We will not collect or assess your workbooks: they are only for your personal use. It is intended that they will not only structure the material for you, they will also provide an excellent study guide at the end of semester.
To support this teaching method, we will hold no (or very few) formal lectures. Each week there will be some discussions in a general lecture format, but I do not intend to work through the subject material in any detail. We will discuss general problems, resolve administrative issues, and briefly talk about the material you worked through last week, and what you need to work through this week. But we will not work through any theorems or proofs, or even definitions.
This means that there is a very strong responsibility placed on you: you cannot afford to be slack, or to not do any work, because if you fall behind then you may find it very difficult to catch up. So you need to allocate an amount of time each week, and you must work through the workbook and textbook at your own pace, during those times.
A number of tutorials are scheduled each week. You can attend as many of them as you like, and individual help is available during those tutorials. So the suggested study method is: come to the lecture time each Wednesday, and find out what you need to achieve that week. Then go away and work through the workbook and textbook in your own time. Then come to one or more tutorials, with questions and problems you have encountered in your readings and workings. But there is little point attending tutorials if you haven't done any preparatory work.
To encourage you to keep up to date, there is a lot of continuous assessment (assignments and two progressive exams), so you shouldn't fall too far behind.
Some of these presentation methods are experimental. If you are finding that you are not coping, or would like standard lecture formats, then speak to the lecturer, and we may modify the approach being used.
| Classes, credit and contact times |
As described in the section on Teaching methods, this subject does not really have formal lectures, and you will very much need to work in a self-directed manner. However, an amount of class contact is available, so please read this section very carefully.
Lectures are scheduled on Wednesday morning, 10am to 12noon, in Building 14 Room 202, at the Ipswich campus. You should be available to attend at these times each week. However, it is unlikely that we will use 2 hours in most weeks. Also, these are not formal lectures, and will consist more of a discussion of problems we are encountering, and general directions of the subject. If you cannot make these times, then contact the lecturer to discuss what other action you should take instead.
Much more importantly, there are a number of tutorial hours scheduled per week. They are Wednesday 12noon-1pm in Building 14 Room 202, Wednesday 1pm-2pm in Building 12 Room 113 and Friday 10am-12noon in Building 2 Room 109. You may attend as many of these classes as you like. I would recommend AT LEAST one hour on Wednesday and one on Friday, but it is up to you. Some students may like to attend ALL of the tutorial classes. If there is great demand, then we'll schedule extra tutorial classes.
There will be tutorials in the first week, but only on Friday. No work needs to be submitted, but you may find it useful to help you slide into the joys of this subject.
| Students with disability |
Any student with a disability who may require alternative academic arrangements in the course is encouraged to seek advice at the commencement of the semester from a Disability Adviser at Student Support Services.
| Assessment |
Assessment will consist of assignments to be submitted during semester, two exams during semester and a larger exam at the end of semester.
Let
Then the formula we use is F = max(E,0.90E+A, 0.73E+A+M, 0.72E+A+N, 0.55E+A+M+N)
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
Solutions will be marked for accuracy, appropriateness of mathematical techniques and clarity of presentation as will be demonstrated by exemplars presented in lectures.
To earn a Grade of 7, a student must demonstrate an excellent understanding of the course material. This includes clear expression of nearly all their deductions and explanations, the use of appropriate and efficient mathematical techniques and accurate answers to nearly all questions and tasks with appropriate justification.
To earn a Grade of 6, a student must demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the course material. This includes clear expression of most of their deductions and explanations, the general use of appropriate and efficient mathematical techniques and accurate answers to most questions and tasks with appropriate justification.
To earn a Grade of 5, a student must demonstrate an adequate understanding of the course material. This includes clear expression of some of their deductions and explanations, the use of appropriate and efficient mathematical techniques in some situations and accurate answers to some questions and tasks with appropriate justification.
To earn a Grade of 4, a student must demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts in the course material. This includes occasionally expressing their deductions and explanations clearly, the occasional use of appropriate and efficient mathematical techniques and accurate answers to a few questions and tasks with appropriate justification. They will have demonstrated knowledge of techniques used to solve problems and applied this knowledge in some cases.
To earn a Grade of 3, a student must demonstrate some knowledge of the basic concepts in the course material. This includes occasional expression of their deductions and explanations, the use of a few appropriate and efficient mathematical techniques and attempts to answer a few questions and tasks accurately and with appropriate justification. They will have demonstrated knowledge of techniques used to solve problems.
To earn a Grade of 2, a student must demonstrate some knowledge of the basic concepts in the course material. This includes attempts at expressing their deductions and explanations and attempts to answer a few questions accurately.
A student will earn a Grade of 1 if they show a poor knowledge of the basic concepts in the course material. This includes attempts at answering some questions but showing an extremely poor understanding of the key concepts.
| Textbooks and teaching materials |
Teaching materials for this subject are:
The textbook for this subject is called Discrete Mathematics with Applications, with author Susanna S. Epp. It is essential that you purchase a copy of this book: it is available in the bookstore on campus, and there may be second-hand copies available at St Lucia. We will work from this book very very heavily, so you most definitely require your own copy.
Copies of the workbook and extra reading material will be given to you in the first week of classes (for free!). Assignments, sample exams and other goodies will be given to you progressively through semester.
If you wish to read more books on mathematics, then the following ones are recommended for reference. They are all available in the PSE library (in the Engineering Building at St Lucia).
| Calculators |
You are welcome to use a calculator, if you like. They are not essential, but may be useful for multiplying or dividing some largish numbers. You certainly do not need a whizz-bang one, with 500 keys and lots of mathematical functions. All you need is plus, minus, times and divide: anything more than that is overkill. Certainly, you will not be allowed to take fancy programmable calculators into exams.
| Surfing the Web |
MATH1061 is on the web! If you have an internet connection, then you can use your favourite web browser to go to the address
The web page can be accessed from anywhere on the internet, so you can use your own connection, or one at the University.
It is not absolutely essential for you to use the web, but it is likely to be very very useful for you to do so. To check your answers, obtain hints and so on, then the web will be your primary tool. As semester progresses, some locations and instructions may change a bit: we'll keep you informed of any updates.
| General comments |
The University expects that most students will need to spend about 12 hours per week on this subject, including class contact. A few people may need to take a bit longer, while some might manage with a little less time each week; it will depend upon your mathematical background. You are welcome to attend additional tutorials if you feel it will help.
| Subject Outline |
The following is intended as a rough guide only. The time spent on each section will vary a bit, and we may add or delete a few sections as semester progresses.
As well as being of great mathematical interest, the topics covered in this subject play an important role in information technology and computer science. From hardware circuits and related logic to formal proofs of correctness of software, from sophisticated data structures to computational search and counting algorithms, discrete mathematics forms an important basis for studies in information technology.
People tend to respond to subjects like MATH1061 in different ways. Some students find it quite difficult to adjust their way of thinking, and may require extra work in the early stages of semester. Other students find it to be a refreshing change from previous mathematical study. However, if you treat the subject seriously and keep relatively up to date, then you should find the subject satisfying, and even enjoyable.
| Graduate Atributes |
On completion of the course, the graduate will have
IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF THE FIELD OF STUDY
An in-depth understanding and well-founded knowledge of the mathematics presented in this course.
An understanding of the breadth of mathematics.
An understanding of the applications of mathematics to relevant fields.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
An enhanced ability to present a logical sequence of reasoning using appropriate mathematical notation and language.
An enhanced ability to interact effectively with others in order to work towards a common goal.
An enhanced ability to select and use the appropriate level, style and means of written communication, using the symbolic, graphical, and diagrammatic forms relevant to the context.
INDEPENDENCE AND CREATIVITY
An enhanced ability to work and learn independently.
An enhanced ability to generate and synthesise ideas.
An enhanced ability to formulate problems mathematically.
An enhanced ability to generate approaches for the mathematical solution of problems including the identification and adaptation of existing methods.
ETHICAL AND SOCIAL UNDERSTANDING
A knowledge and respect of ethical standards in relation to working in the area of mathematics.
An appreciation of the history of mathematics as an ongoing human endeavour.
An appreciation of the power of mathematics to affect our culture and technology.