550.471/671 Combinatorial Analysis

550.471/671
COMBINATORIAL ANALYSIS
FALL 2009

Instructor:
Dr. Donniell Fishkind, 304-B Whitehead Hall, <fishkind@ams.jhu.edu>

Office_Hours:
MWF 10:00-10:50am, and by appointment.

Lectures:
MWF 12:00-12:50pm, Whitehead 304.

Textbook:
Introductory Combinatorics by Ken Bogart, 3rd edition (Harcourt, Academic Press).

Teaching_Assistant:

Section for 550.471 is Tuesday 3:00-3:50pm in ,Whitehead 304, TA is TBA.
Section for 550.671 is Tuesday 4:30-5:20pm in NEB 12, TA is TBA.

Description:
(From JHU Manual) We present a broad introduction to the problems and methods of combinatorial analysis, with emphasis on the enumeration and construction of arrangements (having desired properties) or discrete elements. Our topics include: subsets, distributions, partitions, inclusion/exclusion, generating functions, enumerations of symmetry classes (Polya theory), and combinatorial designs. Comfort with reading and writing mathematical proofs is required.

Grades:
Weekly homework and exams. The exams may be in-class or take-home. It is likely that there will be at least one of each. For the take-home exams you will not be permitted to consult with any person or text, including the official class text, nor any web materials or (at any time) exams and/or solutions from previous years. You may, however, consult lecture notes that you write this semester. It is therefore very important that you maintain a good set of lecture notes. Take-home exams are only possible when I can trust the integrity of the exam. Any violation of academic ethics will be prosecuted vigorously, in accordance with the procedures outlined in the student manual.

General:
Everyone is responsible for attending all lectures and hearing all announcements.

Extra_help:
You are welcome to visit me anytime. Additional help is available through the teaching assistants. On the second floor of Whitehead Hall there is a large room with a glass wall off the main hallway. This is the room in which the TAs hold their office hours. By departmental policy, ALL TAs HOLDING OFFICE HOURS--even if not assigned to our course, as long as they are departmental graduate students--are obligated to assist you to the best of their ability. A list of TAs and their office hours is posted around the office of Dept of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, and is updated when changes are made.

Homework:

Homework 1 (download) is due Friday, September 18 at beginning of lecture.
Homework 2 (download) is due Wednesday, September 30 at beginning of lecture.
Homework 3 (download) is due Monday, October 12 at beginning of lecture.
Exam 2 (download) is due Wednesday, November 11 at beginning of lecture.
Homework 4 (download) is due Monday November 23.

Last modified 28 August, 2009 by Donniell Fishkind.

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Instructor:	Dr. Donniell Fishkind, 304-B Whitehead Hall, `<fishkind@ams.jhu.edu>`
Office_Hours:	MWF 10:00-10:50am, and by appointment.
Lectures:	MWF 12:00-12:50pm, Whitehead 304.
Textbook:	Introductory Combinatorics by Ken Bogart, 3rd edition (Harcourt, Academic Press).
Teaching_Assistant:	Section for 550.471 is Tuesday 3:00-3:50pm in ,Whitehead 304, TA is TBA. Section for 550.671 is Tuesday 4:30-5:20pm in NEB 12, TA is TBA.
Description:	(From JHU Manual) We present a broad introduction to the problems and methods of combinatorial analysis, with emphasis on the enumeration and construction of arrangements (having desired properties) or discrete elements. Our topics include: subsets, distributions, partitions, inclusion/exclusion, generating functions, enumerations of symmetry classes (Polya theory), and combinatorial designs. Comfort with reading and writing mathematical proofs is required.
Grades:	Weekly homework and exams. The exams may be in-class or take-home. It is likely that there will be at least one of each. For the take-home exams you will not be permitted to consult with any person or text, including the official class text, nor any web materials or (at any time) exams and/or solutions from previous years. You may, however, consult lecture notes that you write this semester. It is therefore very important that you maintain a good set of lecture notes. Take-home exams are only possible when I can trust the integrity of the exam. Any violation of academic ethics will be prosecuted vigorously, in accordance with the procedures outlined in the student manual.
General:	Everyone is responsible for attending all lectures and hearing all announcements.
Extra_help:	You are welcome to visit me anytime. Additional help is available through the teaching assistants. On the second floor of Whitehead Hall there is a large room with a glass wall off the main hallway. This is the room in which the TAs hold their office hours. By departmental policy, ALL TAs HOLDING OFFICE HOURS--even if not assigned to our course, as long as they are departmental graduate students--are obligated to assist you to the best of their ability. A list of TAs and their office hours is posted around the office of Dept of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, and is updated when changes are made.