MATH 331, Section 201—Problem Solving

Announcements

The room for the final exam has been changed!  The new room is Geography 229.

The final exam will be on Tuesday, April 29 from 8:30–11:00 am in room 229 of the Geography building (just west of the math building).  Details:

Reading assigned

To download

Miscellaneous Handouts Homework Assignments Solutions to HomeworksSolutions to Team Problems
Course Outline Homework #1
 Solutions #1
Team Solutions #1

Homework #2
 Solutions #2
 Team Solutions #2

Homework #3
 Solutions #3
 Team Solutions #3

Homework #4
 Solutions #4
 Team Solutions #4

Homework #5
 Solutions #5
 Team Solutions #5

Homework #6
 Solutions #6
 Team Solutions #6

Course Information

2002-2003 Term II
Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:00 am-12:30 pm
Mathematics 229
Textbook: Concrete Mathematics (2nd edition) by Graham, Knuth, and Patashnik (Addison-Wesley)
Prerequisites: MATH 200 or MATH 226, together with MATH 221 or MATH 223

Instructor: Prof. Greg Martin
Office: Mathematics 212
Email address: gerg@math.ubc.ca
Phone number: 822-4371
Office hours: Mondays 10:00-11:30 am and Wednesdays 1:30-3:00 pm

Description: This course presents a collection of techniques for solving concrete mathematical problems. Much of the focus is on simplifying complicated or implicitly-given expressions, and several important mathematical topics that do not fit neatly into other courses are introduced. The main topics will be techniques for evaluating finite sums, binomial coefficients and related combinatorial numbers, recurrence sequences, generating functions, discrete probability, and asymptotic estimation. These topics correspond to Chapters 2 and 5–9 of the textbook.

Use of the web: All homework assignments and solutions will be posted on this course web page. Assignments and solutions will not be distributed in class. You may access the course web page on any public terminal at UBC or via your own internet connection. Accounts for the Mathematics department undergraduate computer lab (located in the MSRC building) will be given to any enrolled student who requests one; please email or visit the instructor to request an account.

All documents will be posted in PDF format and can be read with the free Acrobat reader. You may download the free Acrobat reader at no cost by following the link.

Evaluation: Every two weeks, there will be a homework assignment, an in-class team problem, and a quiz; there will also be a final exam at the end of the term. The course mark will be computed as follows:
You are required to be present at the final exam. No makeups will be given. Non-attendance at the exam will result in a mark of zero being recorded. Unavoidable, documented medical emergencies are the only exception to this policy.

Homework will be due in class every other Tuesday of class starting January 21. Late homework will not be accepted. The quizzes will be given on these Tuesdays as well. The in-class team problems will be scheduled for every other Thursday of class beginning with January 16. No make-up team problems or quizzes will be given. To account for unforseen circumstances, each student's lowest team problem score and lowest quiz score will be dropped. Missed assignments will not be excused beyond this point, except for documented medical reasons.

Students are allowed to consult one another concerning the homework problems, but your submitted solutions must be written by you in your own words.  If two students submit virtually identical answers to a question, both can be found guilty of plagiarism.