COMPSCI 250: Introduction to Computation

Marius Minea and Ghazaleh Parvini

Fall 2020

Topics: COMPSCI 250 is the undergraduate core course in discrete mathematics and will deal with logic, elementary number theory, proof by induction, recursion on trees, search algorithms, finite state machines, and a bit of computability. This course is primarily intended for undergraduates in computer science and related majors such as mathematics or computer engineering.

Basic Information:

• Instructora: Marius Minea (marius at cs), Ghazaleh Parvini (gparvini at cs)
• TAs: Sarah Brockman, Fabien Delattre, Joshua Levine, Lijun Zhang
• UCAs: Kunj Dedhia, Jenny Guo, George Jiang, Ishita Kumar, Hongyue Lin, Genglin Liu, Liwen Ouyang, Kalin Petrov, Kevin Vicente
• Exams:
  Midterm 1: Thu 1 Oct (7-9 p.m.) on Lectures 1-15). Sample solutions
  Midterm 2: Thu 29 Oct (7-9 p.m.) on Lectures 16-27). Sample solutions
  Final exam, Fri 4 Dec., cumulative. Sample solutions

Prerequisites: COMPSCI 187 (programming with data structures) and MATH 132 (Calculus II) are prerequisites.

Textbook (required): David Mix Barrington, A Mathematical Foundation for Computer Science, e-book, Kendall Hunt publishing, 2020. Also available via eCampus.

• Learning Goals for the Course
• Course Requirements and Grading
• Syllabus and Schedule
• Academic Honesty and Collaboration Policy

Equity and Inclusion Statement We are committed to fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. This course is for you, regardless of your age, background, citizenship, disability, sex, education, ethnicity, family status, gender, gender identity, geographical origin, language, military experience, political views, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or work experience.
We all bring different skills to the course, and we will all be learning from and with each other. Please be kind and courteous. There’s no need to be mean or rude. Respect that people have differences of opinion, and work and approach problems differently. There is seldom a single right answer to complicated questions. Please keep unstructured critique to a minimum. Criticism should be constructive.
Disruptive behavior is not welcome, and insulting, demeaning, or harassing anyone is unacceptable. In particular, we don’t tolerate behavior that excludes people in socially marginalized groups. If you feel you have been or are being harassed or made uncomfortable by someone in this class, please contact a member of the course staff immediately, or if you feel uncomfortable doing so, contact the Dean of Students office.

Disability Accommodations If you have a disability and would like to request accommodations, please contact Disability Services, located in 161 Whitmore Hall, (413) 545-0892. If you are eligible, they will grant you accommodations and notify the instructors.