MATH 113: Discrete Structures
Fall 2022
Sections 1 and 2
Professor: Angélica Osorno
Office: Library 305
Phone: x5093 (503-517-5093)
This is the course information website for sections F01 and F02 of Math 113: Discrete Structures.
All other material for the class will be posted on the Moodle page.
General Information
Schedule
- Lecture (section 1): MWF 10:00-10:50am, Lib 389.
- Lecture (section 2): MWF 2:40-3:30pm, Lib 389.
- Office hours: Monday 11am-12pm, Tuesday and Thursday 3-4:30pm; you can also make an appointment or stop by my office. If my door sign says "please knock", you are welcome in. My office is a safe space to ask questions.
- Evening sessions: A teaching assistant is available Tuesday and Thursday 7:30-8:30pm in Lib 389, to help with Math 113.
- Math help center: Student tutors are available to help you on SMTuTh from 7:00 to 9:00pm in Library 204. Individual tutoring is also available.
Text: Discrete Structures, by Kyle Ormsby and David Perkinson. Full text available online.
Course description: This course is a rigorous, problem-centered exploration of the mathematics of discrete structures focusing on the following subjects:
- Combinatorics tells us why there are 40,320 ways to place eight non-attacking rooks on an $8\times 8$ chessboard. We will learn how to count permutations, combinations, and other collections, develop the language of sets and functions, and utilize basic proof techniques like the pigeonhole principle and mathematical induction.
- Probability tells us why it's likely that two people in a class of 23 students share a birthday. We will study conditional probability, Bayes' Theorem, and expected values.
- Number theory tells us why we shouldn?t try to solve the equation $a^3+b^3 = c^3$ with nonzero integers. Topics include divisibility, prime numbers, the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, modular arithmetic, and Fermat's Little Theorem.
Learning outcomes: After actively and thoughtfully engaging in this course, I'm confident students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the topics above;
- apply this understanding in mathematics, science, technology, and other contexts;
- work as part of a small group to solve mathematical problems; and
- communicate mathematical ideas verbally and in writing.
Distribution Requirements: This course can be used towards your Group III, "Natural, Mathematical, and Psychological Science," requirement. It accomplishes the following learning goals for the group:
- Use and evaluate quantitative data or modeling, or use logical/mathematical reasoning to evaluate, test or prove statements.
- Given a problem or question, formulate a hypothesis or conjecture, and design an experiment, collect data or use mathematical reasoning to test or validate it.
This course does not satisfy the "primary data collection and analysis" requirement.