Instructor: Stephen Brill
Office: MB (Mathematics Building) 218-A
Phone: (208) 426-3122
Fax: (208) 426-1356
Email: sbrill@boisestate.edu
I am required by University policy to include the following language (immediately below in boldface and italics) in this syllabus due to ongoing COVID concerns.
Many Boise State classes have resumed face-to-face meetings in the midst of a global pandemic and a recent local surge of infections. Our goal is to have a successful academic year while keeping our students, faculty, and local community healthy and safe. Public health requirements are in place to achieve that goal, the primary mechanism for which includes the mandatory use of facial coverings that protect all of us.
We have taken health precautions on campus so that you can have the option of a face-to-face course. However, there is still inherent risk associated with face-to-face courses during a pandemic because of proximity to others and length of potential exposure to the virus. Therefore, as members of this learning community, it is imperative that we all engage in behaviors that protect the overall public health.
You have enrolled in a face-to-face course, and this format offers a number of benefits that appeal to many students. In order to preserve your access to this face-to-face option you are required to
sit in the same seat all semester (for purposes of contact tracing) and
wear facial coverings in all face-to-face learning environments. You must keep your mouth and nose covered at all times throughout class — facial coverings cannot be pulled up or down. As a health precaution, eating and drinking are NOT permitted in the classroom.
By enrolling in an in-person course, you agree to comply with Boise State’s rules and precautions which include, but are not limited to, facial coverings, frequent hand washing, hand sanitizing, and sitting in the same seat all semester. Failing to comply with these rules and precautions is a violation of Boise State’s Student Code of Conduct and will subject you to university sanctions and discipline.
University policy states that I am not allowed to begin/continue with instruction unless and until everyone present has a facial covering in place.
This course is designed to be accessible to all students. A very small percentage of people cannot wear facial coverings for reasons related to medical conditions or disabilities. If this is your experience, please contact the Educational Access Center to document your condition so that we may determine the best accommodation for you. Until an accommodation is in place, you will need to participate remotely. If you need to read lips or facial expressions to understand what people are saying, please let the Educational Access Center and me know via email.
If you are unwilling to wear a facial covering, you cannot participate in person. If this is the case, please dismiss yourself and either inquire whether you may participate in the class fully remotely, or contact the Registrar's Office (208-426-4249) to pursue your learning experience in a different remote or online section. Should you refuse to cover your mouth and nose and also refuse to leave the classroom, I have been directed to dismiss the class and you will be reported to and contacted by the Dean of Students Office.
Class meetings: 1330 to 1445, Monday, Wednesday and Friday in room RFH 102B.
Textbook: We will be using the zyBook entitled Discrete Mathematics. The ISBN number is 978-1-394-12489-3. This book is available by subscription. To obtain a subscription:
Sign in or create an account at learn.zybooks.com
Enter zyBook code: BOISESTATEMATH189BrillFall2021
Subscribe
Office hours: Fridays: 1200-1300. Other times by appointment.
Academic Honesty and appropriate behavior: All students are expected to be familiar with and adhere to the policies and standards given in the BSU Student Code of Conduct.
Cell phones, paging devices, etc.: Please turn off or silence your devices during class time.
Late work and/or extensions: If you seek an extension on an assignment and the request occurs after the due date or time, your request will be summarily denied (except in the most extraordinary circumstances). Such requests that occur before the due date and time will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Contesting grades: If you think I have graded you unfairly on a particular assignment, you must bring this to my attention within a week from the time that the assignment was returned to the class. After a week I will not consider any requests to review and possibly change my grading.
Learning outcomes: At the end of the semester, the student will be able to:
Understand basic logic and logical arguments.
Produce and interpret valid mathematical arguments (proofs) with a variety of structures, such as direct proof, proof by contrapositive, proof by contradiction, and proof by induction.
Obtain basic familiarity with areas of mathematics including set theory, functions, graph theory, modular arithmetic, counting methods, and other topics in discrete mathematics.
Communicate mathematical knowledge in writing. Interpret and appropriately use mathematical notation.
Homework: When we finish our classroom instruction of a particular textbook section, I will announce this fact. This is your cue that homework for that textbook section is assigned. Homework consits of those exercises in the book included in the section just concluded. While homework is not graded, it is far from being optional. Doing the homework exercises is how you will learn the material. You will have the opportunity to ask questions about homework exercises in class.
Grading policy: Your grade will be determined by your performance in three areas:
Weekly take-home quizzes (50%). These are due on Friday at the beginning of class. You may work on these quizzes solo or in pairs. Groups of size three or larger are not allowed. At the end of the semester, the lowest quiz score for each student will be "dropped".
Take-Home Midterm Exam (20%). Due 13 October at 1330.
Your grade will be computed via the following algorithm. Let x be the number of points accumulated throughout the semester (between 0 and 100):
A+: x > 97
A: 93 < x < 97
A-: 90 < x < 93
B+: 87 < x < 90
B: 83 < x < 87
B-: 80 < x < 83
C+: 77 < x < 80
C: 73 < x < 77
C-: 70 < x < 73
D: 60 < x < 70
F: x < 60
This page was most recently updated on 12 December 2021.