INSTRUCTOR: Vivek Dhand, dhand@math.msu.edu
OFFICE HOURS: Wells Hall A-300. Mon. 1-2pm, Wed. 9:30 - 11:30am, and by appointment.
LECTURE: MWF, 11:30-12:20, Wells Hall C-105.
TEXT: Harris, Hirst, and Mossinghoff, Combinatorics and Graph Theory . We will cover Ch. 2 and parts of Ch. 1 (see the Syllabus below).
SYLLABUS: Course Schedule and Important Dates.
NOTES: I will post notes here to supplement the text.
8/25: Overview and some basic set theory
9/3: Proofs of three basic formulas
9/19: Multinomial coefficients
10/10: Burnside's Lemma and Polya's Formula (some group theory required)
10/20: The first theorem of graph theory (and homework hints)
10/24: Two recognition theorems and Cayley's formula
HOMEWORK: There will be 10 homework assignments, each worth 30 points. Homework will usually be due every Wednesday. You are encouraged to work in groups, but the final writeup must be your own. You should acknowledge the contributions of others, when appropriate. I will post homeworks, review problems, and solutions below.
Homework 1 Due Sep. 3
Homework 2 Due Sep. 10
Homework 3 Due Sep. 24
Homework 4 Due Oct. 1
Homework 5 Due Oct. 15
Homework 6 Due Oct. 22
Homework 7 Due Oct. 29
Homework 8 Due Nov. 5
Homework 9 Due Nov. 19
Homework 10 Due Nov. 26
Review Problems Due Dec. 8 (Extra Credit)
MIDTERM EXAMS: There will be three midterm exams, each worth 100 points. The exams will be given in class on Sep. 17, Oct. 15, and Nov. 12. No makeup tests will be given unless you make arrangements before the test.
FINAL EXAM: The final exam will be worth 200 points. It will be held on Thursday Dec. 11 in Wells Hall C-105, 10am - 12 noon.
GRADES: In most cases, your final course grade will be primarily determined by the total out of 800 points from homework (300 points), midterm exams (300 points), and the final exam (200 points). Approximate grade-lines for the course are as follows:
720-800 is 4.0
640-720 is 3.5
560-640 is 3.0
480-560 is 2.5
400-480 is 2.0
320-400 is 1.5
240-320 is 1.0
below 240 is 0.0
If your total is near a border line, it will be handled individually with consideration of other factors such as attendance, classroom contributions, improvement over time, clarity of homework, etc.