Math 156
Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science
Fall 2003

COURSE HOME PAGE

Course Description

Instructor

Randall Pruim
office: North Hall 284
phone: (616) 526-7113
E-mail: rpruim@calvin.edu

Time & Location

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday at 12:30 in North Hall 259

Office hours

Regular office hours are currently scheduled for

Mondays	11:30-12:20
Tuesdays	2:30-3:20
Thursdays	2:30-3:20
Fridays	11:30-12:20

If these times do not work for you, other times can be arranged by appointment. Alternatively, you can simply stop by my office and see if I am available. (You might like to consult my current schedule before proposing a time.)

Internet Resources

Email

I will maintain an email list of all students registered in this class and will occassionally use it to distribute information and reminders of various things pertaining to this course. If you do not know how to access your email, please talk to someone at the IT helpdesk. If you prefer to read your email from an account other than your calvin student account, send me email with the email address you prefer.

Web Pages

In addition to this home page, I will also maintain a list of web resources pertaining to this course. Items I have prepared and maintain online include

• a customizable calendar of daily readings, lecture topics, exams, homework etc. You are responsible for any information appearing on the course calendar. (Last modification: Tuesday, 16-Dec-2003 13:58:28 EST.)
• a list of homework assignments. Due dates will be maintained on the calendar above.
• information about tests and exams.

KnightVision

I am also making partial use of KnightVision. You can go to there to check your grades, send email to individuals or groups in the class, and to read all the other information (like this page) that I have on line. Two Notes: (1) I maintain a separate calendar page that is not part of KnightVision. (2) Except for checking grades, everything related to this course is available without using KnightVision.

Important Information

See me

If you are having difficulty with any portion of the course, do not hesitate to see me (during the office hours listed above or at some other time). Do this as soon as possible, certainly well in advance of any deadlines (like tests) so that we can work to fix the problem.

Required Textbook

Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications (5th ed.) by Ken Rosen. (The link here showed a picture of the 4th edition the last time I looked. Your book should NOT be purple.)

Grading

Grading will be based on the following approximate weighting:

15%	Homework, etc.
60%	Tests (see calendar for tentative dates)
25%	Final Exam on Wednesday, December 17, at 1:30 pm

• Tests must be taken when they are scheduled. I do not generally offer make-up, alternate or late tests. Instead, if you miss one test (for any reason) or if your final exam score is better than your worst test, then your final exam score will be substituted for that test.

• Homework. You will not be able to master the material in this course without practice. I will make assignments nearly every day. Some portions of these assignments will be collected and others will not. Please follow the homework guidelines when turning in written work.

Working Together

You may find it pleasant and useful to work together on many portions of this course. I encourage you to do so. BUT you must write up your own solutions to homework problems. Also, avoid the mistake of working with someone who is too helpful. That can lead to a false asessment of how well you know the material.

Attendance

Although I will not be recording attendance on a daily basis, attendence is required. Skipping class can have a detrimental effect on your grade in several ways. Most importantly, by missing class, you are missing an important part of the course.

Preparing for class

You should bring with you each day:

• the homework due that day,
• your textbook,
• any additional readings due that day (or the previous day if we have not finished discussion from the class period before),
• and any other materials I announce ahead of time.

Of course, you should have read (and thought about) any assigned readings prior to coming to class. You may want to have your notes handy, especially if you have questions regarding the readings or homework.

Special Circumstances

Occassionally there are special circumstances that require that the rules and guidelines above be adjusted for a particular student. In such cases, it is the responsibility of the student to inform me of the situation as soon as possible, so that the appropriate arrangements can be made. This includes, but is not limited to, students with documented disabilities.

Last modified: Sunday, 07-Sep-2003 21:08:39 EDT