Outline

Overview

This unit provides an introduction to fundamental aspects of discrete mathematics, which deals with 'things that come in chunks that can be counted'. It focuses on the enumeration of a set of numbers, viz. Catalan numbers. Topics include sets and functions, counting principles, discrete probability, Boolean expressions, mathematical induction, linear recurrence relations, graphs and trees.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Mathematics and Statistics Academic Operations
Credit points	3
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	MATH1904 or MATH1064
Assumed knowledge ?	HSC Mathematics or MATH1111. Students who have not completed HSC Mathematics (or equivalent) are strongly advised to take the Mathematics Bridging Course (offered in February)
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Oded Yacobi, oded.yacobi@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Oded Yacobi, oded.yacobi@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Joseph Baine, joseph.baine@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Supervised exam ?	Final Exam multiple choice and written calculations	60%	Formal exam period	1.5 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment 1 written calculations	5%	Week 03 Due date: 17 Aug 2023 at 23:59 Closing date: 27 Aug 2023	2-3 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Quiz 1 multiple choice or written answers	11.5%	Week 06 Due date: 07 Sep 2023 at 23:59 Closing date: 07 Sep 2023	40 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Quiz 2 multiple choice or written answer	11.5%	Week 10 Due date: 12 Oct 2023 at 23:59 Closing date: 12 Oct 2023	40 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment 2 written calculations	10%	Week 11 Due date: 19 Oct 2023 at 23:59 Closing date: 29 Oct 2023	6-10 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Tutorials Participation in tutorials	2%	Weekly	50 minutes/week
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Quizzes : Two quizzes will be held online through Canvas. The quizzes are 40 minutes and have to be submitted by the closing time of 23:59 on the due date. The quiz can be taken any time during the 24 hour period before the closing time. The better mark principle will be used for the quizzes so do not submit an application for Special Consideration or Special Arrangements if you miss a quiz. The better mark principle means that for each quiz, the quiz counts if and only if it is better than or equal to your exam mark. If your quiz mark is less than your exam mark, the exam mark will be used for that portion of your assessment instead.
Assignments : There are two assignments. Each assignment must be submitted electronically, as one single typeset or scanned PDF file only via Canvas by the deadline. Note that your assignment will not be marked if it is illegible or if it is submitted sideways or upside down. It is your responsibility to check that your assignment has been submitted correctly and that it is complete (check that you can view each page). Late submissions will receive a penalty. A mark of zero will be awarded for all submissions more than 10 days past the original due date. Further extensions past this time will not be permitted. Detailed information for each assignment can be found on Canvas.
Tutorial Participation: This is a satisfactory/non-satisfactory mark assessing whether or not you participate in class activities during the tutorials. It is 0.25 marks per tutorial class up to 8 tutorials (there are 12 tutorials).
Examination : There is one examination during the examination period at the end of Semester. Further information about the exam will be made available at a later date on Canvas. If a second replacement exam is required, this exam may be delivered via an alternative assessment method, such as a viva voce (oral exam). The alternative assessment will meet the same learning outcomes as the original exam. The format of the alternative assessment will be determined by the unit coordinator.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Representing complete or close to complete mastery of the material.
Distinction	75 - 84	Representing excellence, but substantially less than complete mastery.
Credit	65 - 74	Representing a creditable performance that goes beyond routine knowledge and understanding, but less than excellence.
Pass	50 - 64	Representing at least routine knowledge and understanding over a spectrum of topics and important ideas and concepts in the course.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to the unit; The Catalan numbers	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Sets	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Functions	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Counting principles; Ordered selections	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Unordered selections; Multinomial coefficients	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	The inclusion–exclusion principle	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Boolean expressions	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Logic	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Mathematical induction	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Introduction to prime numbers	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Generating functions	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Linear recurrence relations	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Revision	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Students are expected to attend a minimum of 80% of timetabled activities for a unit of study, unless granted exemption by the Associate Dean. For some units of study the minimum attendance requirement, as specified in the relevant table of units or the unit of study outline, may be greater than 80%.
Tutorial attendance: Tutorials (one per week) start in Week 2. You should attend the tutorial given on your personal timetable. Attendance at tutorials will be recorded. Your attendance will not be recorded unless you attend the tutorial in which you are enrolled. While there is no penalty if 80% attendance is not met we strongly recommend you attend tutorials regularly to keep up with the material and to engage with the tutorial questions. Since there is no assessment associated with the tutorials do not submit an application for Special Consideration or Special Arrangements for missed tutorials.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 3 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 60-75 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Recommended textbook: K. G. Choo and D. E. Taylor. Introduction to Discrete Mathematics. Addison Wesley Longman Australia, Melbourne, Vic, Australia, 1998

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. identify combinatorial objects involved in counting problems
LO2. understand how to construct switching circuits representing Boolean functions
LO3. factor numbers using sieve methods and use the Euclidean algorithm to compute greatest common divisors
LO4. solve linear recurrence relations by using generating functions or characteristic equations.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Minor changes were made to the weightings for the quizzes due to the introduction of a tutorial participation mark.

Additional information

Work, health and safety

We are governed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Codes of Practice. Penalties for non-compliance have increased. Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety at work. The University’s Work Health and Safety policy explains the responsibilities and expectations of workers and others, and the procedures for managing WHS risks associated with University activities.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

MATH1004: Discrete Mathematics

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links