COMP 170 Discrete Mathematical Tools For Computer Science http:course'cs'ust'hkcomp170fall06

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COMP 170 Discrete Mathematical Tools For
Computer Sciencehttp//course.cs.ust.hk/comp170/
fall06
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Personnel

• Instructors
• L1 Mordecai Golin golin_at_cs.ust.hk
• L2 Dit-Yan Yeung dyyeung_at_cs.ust.hk
• TAs Please see http//course.cs.ust.hk/comp170
  /fall06/

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Marking Scheme

• 10 short weekly homeworks
• (distributed on Tuesday should be
  submitted the following Tuesday)
• marked on scale of 0-2
• 0missing/all wrong 2 mostly
  correct
• 25 midterm 1
• (tentatively) Thursday, October 5,
  7-830PM
• covers first third of class
  material
• 25 midterm 2
• (tentatively) Thursday, November 2,
  7-830PM
• covers second third of class
  material
• 40 final
• covers entire semesters material

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Class material

• Text book You must have a copy!
• Discrete Math for Computer Science
• K. Bogart, C. Stein and R.L. Drysdale
• Key College Publishing, 2005
• Main ideas will be covered in class but some
  details might be skipped. You are responsible
  for all material in assigned sections of book,
  even if they are not taught in lecture
• Most material, e.g., lecture notes, assignments,
  exam solutions, will be available on class web
  site http//course.cs.ust.hk/comp170/fall06
• Please download lecture notes before class and
  bring them to class with you

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Tutorials

• There will be a tutorial once a week
• During this time the Teaching Assistant (TA) will
  explain the solutions to the homework you just
  submitted.
• The TA may also review class material that you
  find confusing. If you would like this, please
  email your TA at least a day in advance of your
  tutorial, stating what you would like to have
  reviewed.

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Interaction

• Please ask questions in class.
• Rule of thumb if youre having trouble
  understanding something, then at least 50 of the
  class is also having trouble
• theyll be very happy if you ask for more
  explanation
• Out of class
• Office-hours (of instructor, coordinator, TAs)
  
• will be posted shortly
• For out of office-hour meetings, please send
  email.
• Questions may be sent by email or posted on
  course
• newsgroup hkust.cs.class.170 (see class web
  site for access
• information)
• Note emailed Q/As might be posted on the
  class web site or the newsgroup to help other
  students

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• This is a relatively NEW class
• Until last year, students had to take MATH 132
  Discrete Math without CS orientation
• This new class teaches discrete math motivated by
  CS examples
• Since its new, this class is still a work in
  progress
• Your feedback is strongly requested and will
  shape further redesign of the course.
• Is it too hard/easy, fast/slow?
• Does it assume background you dont have?
• Too much work or more drilling needed?
• Etc. .

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• Since this is still a new course there will
  probably still be a few errors in the drafts of
  materials posted on the web-site.
• If you find mistakes or just think that
  somethings confusing, please email the
  instructor or class coordinator
• Your classmates and future students
• will thank you
• All changes to the notes will be noted in the
  revision log on the class web-site. Check the
  revision log regularly to make sure that you have
  the most up-to-date versions of the notes

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The HKUST Academic Honor Codehttp//www.ust.hk/vp
aao/integrity

•  Honesty and integrity are central tothe
  academic work of HKUST. Students of the
  University must observe and upholdthe highest
  standards ofacademic integrity and honesty in
  all the workthey do throughout their program of
  study.
• As members of the University community,students
  have the responsibility to help maintainthe
  academic reputation of HKUSTin its academic
  endeavors.
• Sanctions will be imposed on students,if they
  are found to have violated the regulationsgoverni
  ng academic integrity and honesty.

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Intellectual Honesty and Plagiarism

• All work submitted for grading, e.g.,
  assignments, must be your own.
• You are permitted to discuss problems with other
  students but you must write-up all solutions by
  yourself in your own words.
• If you got the main idea for a solution from
  another student or a web-site you must
  acknowledge that source in your submission.
• Submission of non-acknowledged material will be
  considered as plagiarism and dealt with under
  the university policy for cheating.

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• Another reason to do your
• assignments by yourself
• Many exam questions will be modified versions of
  homework questions. If you dont train on the
  homeworks, you might have real trouble on the
  exams.

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L1 vs. L2

• L1 and L2 will cover the same general material,
  share the same assignments and write the same
  exams.
• L1 and L2 will be graded together
• (using the same grading curve)
• Material covered is a function of class
  understanding a lecture might go faster/slower
  in different sections depending upon student
  feedback.
• So, it is not guaranteed, that the same material
  will be covered on the same day in both L1 and L2.

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Topics

• Counting
• e.g., How many computer passwords exist?
• How fast is a particular computer program?
• Cryptography and Number Theory
• e.g., Public-Key cryptography (the basis of all
  electronic commerce)
• Proofs, Induction and Recursion
• e.g., How can you be sure that something works
• Probability
• e.g., Computer Networking Protocols to share
  channels (wireless)
• Graphs
• e.g., modeling the Internet, (JUPAS)