SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE

CIS 375 - Introduction to Discrete

Mathematics Fall 2015
Catalog Description
Basic set theory and symbolic logic, Methods of proof, including mathematical induction. Relations,
partitions, partial orders, functions, and graphs. Modular arithmetic. Credit cannot be given for both
MAT 375 and CIS 3 7 5 .

Instructor Information
Prof. Kishan Mehrotra (mehrotra@syr.edu)
Office: CST 4-177, x2811
Office hours: Mondays (2-4 PM) or by appointment

TA Information
TA Zhiruo Zhao (More information later)
Recitation sections for lecture section M007:
Wed
Wed

9:30 to 10:25 AM Link 114

11:40 to 12:35 AM Link 101

Course Details are available at Blackboard

Textbook
Edward R. Scheinerman, Mathematics: A Discrete Introduction, Third Edition. Brooks/Cole,
2013. ISBN 0-8400-4942-0.
A copy of this textbook has been placed on 2-hour course reserve at SUs Bird

Library.

Course Objectives
There are two primary goals of this course. The first goal is to introduce you to the fundamental
mathematical structures used throughout computer science and computer engineering, such as sets,
functions, relations, and graphs. These structures arise again and again in different settings, including
algorithms, artificial intelligence, databases, digital design, operating systems, security, and software
and hardware verification. The second goal is to help you develop the reasoning skills necessary for
learning-and evaluating claims about-new computing concepts. Given the dynamic nature of the
computing field, such skills are essential for success.

Prerequisites
In the pre-requisite course PHI 251 (Logic), you worked with both propositional and predicate logic,
studying notions of validity, logical consequence, and formal proof. This course builds on those
foundations to provide precise definitions of discrete structures used in computing and to support rigorous
(but not always formal) proof and analysis of the structures' properties.
Course Outcomes
After successfully completing this course, you should be able to do the following:
Translate between predicate (or propositional) logic and informal (but precise) English.
Be able to specify and manipulate basic mathematical objects, including sets, functions, and
relations.
Be able to construct and verify mathematical proofs.

 When given a property about sets, functions, or relations, determine its validity and p r o v i d e
either a rigorous proof or a counter-example.
Use induction to prove simple mathematical properties of a variety of discrete structures.
When given a set, determine whether it is countable and provide convincing support for that
answer.
Outcome Measurement
Your final grade will be based on a variety of activities:
Homework assignments (25% of final grade)
Homeworks are intended to give you practice with course material, as well as feedback on your
efforts: be sure to pick up and look at your graded assignments. There will be a homework
assignment approximately every week: all homeworks are equally weighted, and I will drop the
lowest homework grade at the end of the semester. Occasionally, students may be asked to
explain their homework to me or to the TA: in such cases, the homework grade will be based on
the results of this explanation.
Homeworks assignments should be turned in the class, in the beginning. Assignments are due by
the date and time specified on them: Late assignment will NOT be accepted.
Pop Quizzes and Participation (10% of final grade)
On occasion I may give an unannounced, brief quiz. These quizzes will be graded on the following
scale:
Points Meaning
3

Substantially correct

Partially correct

Primarily incorrect or no answer O

No quiz submitted (i.e., absence)
Pop quizzes are intended to provide both you and me with more timely feedback on the class's
understanding of key concepts.
Occasionally, I may introduce an in-class activity and also treat this participation grade wise
as a pop quiz.
Exams (65% of final grade)
Exams allow you to demonstrate your understanding and mastery of the course concepts. There
will be three in-class exams during the semester. There will also be a two-hour optional final
exam: the exam portion of your final grade will be the greater of
1. Your cumulative average of the in-class exams, and
2. Your score on the final exam.
All grades are recorded in the Blackboard system. I encourage you to check them frequently, and let me
know if you find any discrepancies.

Course Topics
Propositional logic, truth tables, and derivations. Predicate logic and the use of quantifiers. Basic proof
strategies. Elementary set theory: set operations, subsets, power sets. Functions and relations,
including equivalence relations and partial orders. Cardinality and notions of infinity. Recursive
definitions. Mathematical induction. Graphs (time permitting).

Other Information
Academic Integrity

All members of the Syracuse University c o m m u n i t y -faculty, staff, and students-are

expected to exhibit and promote academic integrity in all situations. As a member of this
community, you should also be familiar with the University's academic-integrity policy, which
is available at: http://academicintegrity.syr.edu
I expect all students to behave with academic integrity: do not CHEAT, plagiarize, or
commit fraud. Fraud includes altering previously graded work; plagiarism includes using
someone else's work without proper credit. If I discover any instances of cheating, fraud, or
plagiarism, I will give the guilty parties failing grades for the course and report the culprits to
the program director and the Office of Academic Integrity. If you are unsure whether a certain
action constitutes cheating, fraud, or plagiarism, assumes that it does: you may ask us for
clarification at any time.
I highly recommend the following (inexpensive!) book to help you successfully navigate the
academic-honesty waters during your collegiate career:
Charles Lipson, Doing Honest Work in College: How to Prepare Citations, Avoid
Plagiarism, and Achieve Real Academic Success, Second Edition, The University of
Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, 2008.
This book introduces the three basic tenets of academic honesty, and also provides excellent
suggestions for studying for exams, working in groups, writing research papers, and other tasks
youll encounter as a college student.
Every student must read and sign a copy of the course Honor Policy, which details your obligations
to behave ethically. Students will receive zeroes on all coursework until this sheet is turned in.

Accommodations
Our community values diversity and seeks to promote meaningful access to educational
opportunities for all students. Syracuse University and I are committed to your success and to
supporting Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and the Americans with
Disabilities Act (1990). This means that in general no individual who is otherwise qualified shall
be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under
any program or activity, solely by reason of having a disability.

If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact the Office of

Disability Services (ODS), http://disabilityservices.syr.edu, located at 804 University Avenue,

Room 309, or call 315-443-4498 for an appointment to discuss your needs and the process for
requesting accommodations. ODS is responsible for coordinating disability-related
accommodations and will issue students with documented disabilities "Accommodation
Authorization Letters," as appropriate. Because accommodations may require early planning and
generally are not provided retroactively, please contact ODS as soon as possible.
Religious Observances SUs religious observances policy, found at
http://supolicies.syr.edu/emp_ben/religious_observance.htm, recognizes the diversity of faiths represented
among the campus community and protects the rights of students, faculty, and staff to observe
religious holydays according to their tradition. Under the policy, students are provided an opportunity to
make up any examination, study, or work requirements that may be missed due to a religious observance
provided they notify their instructors before the end of the second week of classes. For fall and spring
semesters, an online notification process is available through MySlice/Student Services/Enrollment/My
Religious Observances from the first day of class until the end of the second week of class.
Attendance
If you are unable to attend a lecture for some reason, then please send me email before that
lecture begins: in such cases, I will then excuse a missed quiz or participation grade.

CIS 275: Introduction to Discrete Mathematics

Honor Policy

As stated in the course syllabus, every student is expected to behave with academic integrity: do
not cheat, plagiarize, or commit fraud.
Fraud includes altering previously graded work; plagiarism includes using someone else's work
without proper credit. The following guidelines further detail these definitions:
If you happen to find a solution to a problem in a written source (e.g., in a textbook or on
the web) and use that solution, you should state the original source.
If you get help from someone (either a classmate or someone else) on a problem, you
should state that (and give their name).
In this course, it is legitimate to discuss problems with each other at a conceptual level: for
example, it's okay to figure out how to break a problem up into smaller, easier-to-solve pieces,
or to discuss general approaches to solving a problem.

However, the final solution must be your own: it is not legitimate to share code or other
written solutions with anyone else. All participants in improper sharing are culpable: if
person A sends/gives work to person B, both parties are in violation of the academic
integrity policy.
If you are unsure whether a certain action constitutes an academic-integrity violation, assume
that it does and then ask us for clarification.

Honor Pledge

I have read and understood the course Honor Policy, and I hereby promise to abide by
it. I realize that the penalty for breaking this policy is a failing grade (XF) for the course.
Printed Name:
--------------------------Signature: _

Date:

Email Address :

Fall 2015