Topic outline

  • General

    This course takes place in period IV / 2024, and lasts six weeks. Every week there are two lectures (Wednesday and Thursday 8-10). When enrolling to the course, you also enroll to one of the exercise groups. Each group has two exercise sessions each week (A = beginning of the week, and B = end of the week). Neither lectures or exercises are mandatory, but both are recommended for learning, and from exercises you also gain points.

    The lecturer is Jukka Kohonen and the head assistant is Ivy Woo.

    Discrete mathematics is the study of mathematical objects and structures that are, roughly speaking, "distinct" or "separate", for example, integers, finite sets, and graphs. This is in opposition to "continuous" things like real numbers and their continuous functions. Discrete mathematics is a very broad and modern topic with connections to computer science, cryptography, optimization, probability, and logic. On this course we learn some fundamental notions of discrete math, including combinatorics, graphs and number theory (modular arithmetic). We also learn very fundamental things of university level math, like set theory, logical statements, and proof methods.

    For whom? The course is suitable for all Aalto students: high school mathematics is the only prerequisite. However, students who already have experience of university level mathematics or computer science will benefit from their existing knowledge, and will find connections between the topics of this course with other fields.

    Structure: Every week you should attend the early-week (A) exercise sessions, the two lectures, and the late-week (B) exercise sessions. Session 1A (early first week) is before the first lecture, and will contain preparatory exercises, to be solved during sessions. For all remaining 11 sessions, there will be homework to be done before the session. In the exercise session, you will mark which problems you have solved, and then students will present their solutions in the session. The teaching assistant will then comment on the problems and the solutions. Note you don't "submit" your solutions anywhere (unlike some other courses). You present your solutions in the exercise sessions. See "Exercises" section for the list of exercise groups and TA in charge.

    Passing the course: The only mandatory thing for passing the course it to take the course exam. However, from exercises you can gain points towards the course grade. From session 1A you gain points by attending it. From the remaining sessions 1B-6B you gain points from solved homework. For every student we compute two grades:

    • Combination grade: From a combination of exam points (making 60 % of the total) and exercise points (making 40 %). This grade is computed only if your exam points are at least 30 % of the maximum exam points (e.g. if the exam has 24 points maximum, then you must obtain at least 7.2 exam points to pass the course, no matter how many exercise points you have).
    • Exam grade: From the exam points directly (using a different scale).

    The better of these two grades is automatically applied. The exact point limits will be published after the grading is complete. Half of the points (either combination points or exam points) is sufficient to pass the course. So exercise points can help your grade, but even without any exercise points you can obtain any grade by simply doing the exam well enough.

    The course exam is on 19.4.2024, and no separate registration is needed (your course registration includes the course exam). The next retake possibility is on 7.6.2024, with exercise points still valid; for the retake you need to register in Sisu.
    Please see https://math.aalto.fi/exams for
    (a) Individual study arrangements for exams (deadline to submit the form is 1 week before the exam, but the earlier the better)
    (b) Exam rooms (announced 1 or 2 days before the exam).

    Allowed equipment in the course exam: Writing tools, and a handwritten cheat sheet of at most A4 size, both sides can be used. No calculators of any kind.

    Contacts. A Zulip channel has been set up for this course, and this is the primary platform for discussions, asking for help or information.
    Link: https://ms-a0402-2024.zulip.aalto.fi/ 
    If for some reason you need to e-mail the teachers, always include the course code MS-A0402 in the subject field. This helps the teachers notice your message in the midst of all other e-mail.