CS 441: Discrete Structures for Computer Science

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to understand and use (abstract) discrete structures that are backbones of computer science. In particular, this class is meant to introduce logic, proofs, sets, relations, functions, counting, and probability, with an emphasis on applications in computer science.

Textbook

Kenneth H. Rosen. Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications (8th Edition). McGraw-Hill, 2018.

ISBN 1-259-67651-X

Online textbook resources available here.

Health and Safety

It is extremely important that you abide by the public health regulations, the University of Pittsburgh’s health standards and guidelines, and Pitt’s Health Rules.

If you are required to isolate or quarantine, become sick, or are unable to come to class, contact me as soon as possible (and at least one hour in advance) to discuss accommodations.

If you are sick, please stay home.

Course Communications

The instructor will periodically post updates to the course website and Canvas page. It is each student’s responsibility to regularly monitor these updates.

The instructor and TA will periodically email enrolled students with announcements. Students must check their Pitt email at least once per day to ensure these announcements are received.

When contacting the course staff via email, messages must be addressed to (or CC) both the instructor and the TA. Email subject should be prefaced with “[441]”.

Academic Integrity

Unless otherwise specified by your instructor, all submissions must be the sole work of each individual student. Students may not read or copy another student’s solutions or share their own solutions with other students. Students may not review solutions from students who have taken the course in previous years. Submissions that are substantively similar will be considered cheating by all students involved, and as such, students must be mindful not to post their work publicly. If an assignment explicitly permits the use of external resources, any such resources must be credited in submissions, and material may not be copied verbatim. Any use of electronics or other resources during a quiz or examination will be considered cheating.

If you have any doubts about whether a particular action may be construed as cheating, ask the instructor for clarification before taking such action. The instructor will make the final determination of what is considered cheating.

Cheating in this course will result in a report to the appropriate school and/or university authority. The instructor will impose a grade of F for the course, and additional sanctions may be imposed by school or university authorities.

Please read, understand, and abide by the Academic Integrity Policy for the School of Computing and Information.

Lecture Attendence

Students are expected to attend all lectures, which frequently include material that is not directly taken from the text. If a student misses a lecture, they are still responsible for the material covered and are advised to acquire notes from a classmate.

Respectful Discussion

This course may include open discussion or other interactions among students. To allow all participants to express their viewpoints, all discussion must remain civilized and respectful, and participants must avoid comments and behaviors that disparage others. A student who feels their viewpoints are not being respected is encouraged to contact the instructor, who will work to correct the situation without revealing the student’s specific concerns to the rest of the class. A student in this situation who does not feel comfortable contacting the instructor directly is encouraged to contact the TA, who will uphold the same degree of confidence in relaying the issue to the instructor.

Diversity and Inclusion

The University of Pittsburgh does not tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, familial status, sex, age, sexual orientation, veteran status or gender identity or other factors as stated in the University’s Title IX policy. The University is committed to taking prompt action to end a hostile environment that interferes with the University’s mission. For more information about policies, procedures, and practices, see here.

I ask that everyone in the class strive to help ensure that their classmates can learn in a supportive and respectful environment. If you witness any instances of the aforementioned issues, please contact the Title IX Coordinator by calling 412-648-7860, emailing titleixcoordinator@pitt.edu, or filing a report online. You may also choose to report this to a faculty/staff member; they are required to communicate this to the University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. If you wish to maintain complete confidentiality, you may also contact the University Counseling Center at 412-648-7930.

Audio/Video Recordings

To ensure the free and open discussion of ideas, students may not record lectures, discussion or other course activities without the advance written permission of the instructor. Any recording properly approved in advance can be used solely for the student’s own personal use.

Copyrighted Materials

All course material is subject to copyright, including notes, slides, assignments, exams, and solutions. Students are allowed to use the provided material only for personal use, and may not share the material with others, including posting the material on the Web or other file sharing venues.

Collaboration

We believe that students should be able to distinguish between helping one another understand the core concepts of the course material and cheating. We encourage students to discuss the content of the course in ways that will improve understanding without violating academic integrity, such as clarifying the objective of an assignment or discussing general solution tactics. Under no circumstances should students view one another’s partial or complete solutions nor share specific details of their solutions.

Late Assignments

All assignments specify a precise due date and time. Late assignments will not be accepted. Students must ensure they understand each assignment’s submission procedure in advance of its deadline to ensure that submission difficulties do not cause an assignment to be rejected.

Grade Records

All graded materials that a student receives should be saved until after the term has ended and the student receives and accepts their final grade. In this way, any grade discrepancies can be easily resolved.

Grade Appeal

An evaluation grade can be appealed up to two weeks after it has been returned. After this point, no appeals will be considered. The goal of a grade appeal is to ensure a fair and consistent score. Thus, a score will not be adjusted on an issue of partial credit if the awarded points are consistent with the grading policy adopted for the class as a whole.

When appealing a grade, first contact the grader. For grades returned on electronic platforms that have a “regrade request” feature, follow its instructions; otherwise, contact the grader directly using email (CC’ing the instructor) or office hours. If the grader does not find any mistakes made in the assigned grade, and is unable to clarify adequately the reasons for any assessed penalties, directly contact the instructor describing why you feel the assignment was graded unfairly. The entire assignment may be re-graded by the instructor, so the score may increase, remain the same, or even decrease.

Make-up Exams and Quizzes

Students must be present for all exams and quizzes. Make-up exams will be given only in the event of a documented medical or family emergency, in which case the instructor must be informed of the emergency in advance of the missed exam. Missing an exam or quiz under any other circumstances will result in a score of 0.

Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and Disability Resources and Services, 140 William Pitt Union, 412-648-7890, drsrecep@pitt.edu, as early as possible in the term. Disability Resources and Services will verify your disability and recommend reasonable accommodations for this course.

Religious Observances

In order to accommodate the observance of religious holidays, students should inform the instructor (by email, within the first two weeks of the term) of any such days which conflict with scheduled class activities.

Top Hat

Top Hat is our primary platform for in-class participation questions. It can be accessed via Canvas or via the Top Hat mobile app. Students will be added to the Top Hat section prior to Week 2. To ensure that you get credit for your participation, link your Canvas and Top Hat accounts by clicking “Top Hat - New” from our course Canvas page.

Opportunities will be given later in the semester to make up missed participation questions.

Illness

If you are required to isolate or quarantine and/or if you become sick, contact me as soon as possible (and at least one hour in advance) to discuss accommodations. Note that this does not extend to elective travel or other personal conflicts.

Schedule

Students are responsible for reading assigned materials prior to the lecture in which they will be discussed. Unless otherwise specified, readings are from Rosen, 8/e.

This schedule is subject to change.