1. Jeremy Bolton, PhD Assistant Teaching Professor
COSC030: Math Methods
Jeremy Bolton, PhD
Assistant Teaching Professor

2. Outline Welcome! Course Overview Course Expectations Grading
Assignments
Ethics
Goals

3. Welcome! COSC-030 – Math Methods Instructor: Jeremy Bolton, Ph.D.
Instructor: Jeremy Bolton, Ph.D.
Assistant Teaching Professor
Department of Computer Science
Office Hours: Daily hours will be entered on Course calendar (or by appointment)
TAs: TBD (see Course calendar for office hours)

4. Course Summary
This course, designed to be taken concurrently with COSC-052, covers mathematical tools and principles that are valuable to the computer scientist. Topics include: propositional and predicate logic; mathematical proofs, including induction; counting and basic probability theory; logarithmic and exponential functions; elementary graph theory; and "Big-O" notation and asymptotics.
This course prepares computer science majors and minors for subsequent course requirements. COSC 030 is a demanding course and will require a notable amount of time. Expect to spend hours each week, or more, studying and solving problems.

5. Course Website

6. Goals
Provide fundamental mathematical concepts necessary for a CS track
Each concept / topic will be extended in your upcoming courses
Prepare you for overall expectations moving forward in a CS track

7. Course Structure
The class will be run using an inverted (or flipped) format. The lectures are recorded and the students are expected to watch the recorded lectures before attending class. The time in class will be dedicated to solving problems relying on the concepts from lecture.
Suggested weekly schedule (recipe for success):
Complete assigned readings from text (1 – 2 hours)
Watch corresponding lecture(s) (2 - 3 hours)
Attempt/Complete Practice Problems (2 - 3 hours)
Attend Class (2 - 3 hours)
Attempt/Complete Assignments (2 - 3 hours)

8. 1. Complete assigned readings from text
READ (the words). Rosen does a good job explaining concepts.
Try Hammack to supplement.
Step through the many examples.
Do not focus on memorizing Equations.
Take notes and/or write down questions (to be answered in class or office hours).

9. 2. Watch corresponding lecture(s)
Watch the pre-recorded lectures
Links found on course website.
Take your own notes.
Write down questions (to be answered in lecture or office hours.)

10. 3. Attempt/Complete Practice Problems
Suggested practice problems are listed on the course website.
I suggest about 10 per Rosen Section.
I encourage you to practice in groups; HOWEVER, you should also practice alone.

11. 4. Attend Class Example day in class Come with questions Take Notes
Quick Review of topics (~ 10 min)
Q+A (~ 10 min)
Examples / Group Exercises (~ 40 min)
Challenge Problems (~ 15 min)
Come with questions
Take Notes

12. 5. Attempt/Complete Assignments
I encourage you to do this last.
Treat the Assignments as exams and attempt to complete them without the use of notes / text.
This will
mimic an exam scenario – are you prepared?!
help to identify any deficiencies in understanding – review the corresponding concepts
Digitize and submit via Canvas

13. Test your Understanding
Do you understand?
Can you have an intelligent conversation about the topic?
Can you explain the topic to a friend?
Can you design your own practice problems and answer them?
Can you prove that an answer is correct?

14. Study Methods Things TO DO Things NOT TO DO
Study throughout the term (Do not “cram”).
Follow the recipe!
Test your understanding!
Put in the time (You get out what you put in)
Things NOT TO DO
Do not “memorize” equations (instead “understand” concepts)
Do not “study for exams”
Do not undermine your own education

15. Grading and the “Curve”
Due to the challenging nature of the course, the grading scale is unconventional.
Essentially a “pre-curve” has been set
You are in “competitive collaboration”
General Observations

16. Extra Credit Challenge Questions
5 extra credit (final grade) points are up for grabs!
These points will be split between the AM and PM classes
In some classes challenge questions will be presented
Extra correct answers will be recorded and the extra credit points will be split between the AM and PM classes proportionally based on number of correctly answered questions.

17. Questions
Up next: tour of course website and review of syllabus.