Homework assignments will be due every other class period and will be posted to the course webpage. They must be turned in at the beginning of class. Solutions to the homework will also be posted to the course webpage. Please take the time to write up your solutions neatly and carefully! All homework assignments consisting of more than one page must be stapled. Your lowest two homework scores will be dropped.

Although there will certainly be some "computational" problems in the course, most of the homework involves writing proofs and/or detailed explanations. This means that there are often many correct answers. This also means that the clarity of exposition and the proper use of mathematical terminology are as vital to your solutions as having the correct idea. A major goal of this course is to learn how to express your mathematical ideas correctly and write convincing detailed proofs. Do not be alarmed if your homework has many comments about how to improve (nobody starts out as an expert).

Unless you have a serious emergency which you bring to my attention before a homework assignment is due, late homework will not be accepted. However, please feel free to take advantage of the fact that two homework scores are dropped to skip writing up a homework assignment if you have more pressing demands on your time.

There will be three in class exams and a scheduled three hour final exam.

In class exams dates: To be announced.

Final exam date: Tuesday, December 13 at 9:00am.

• Again, understanding concepts and learning to write mathematical proofs are one of the primary goals of this course. Although most homework will involve some "computations", the emphasis will be on explaining ideas and presenting nontrivial arguments. You will not succeed in this course by simply pattern patching and mimicking computations done in the class. You need to invest deeply in understanding the key ideas and how to use them in unfamiliar settings.
• Spend time reading the book. And by "time" I mean a lot of time. You should not expect to master a section from going to class and reading it once. When reading the book, do not sit down and read through it like you would a novel. Always have a pencil and paper at your side to work through steps on your own. After reading a proof, stop to process it in your own way and then work through it again in your own words. When you see an example illustrating a result, go back through the proof in the context of that one example.
• If you are stuck on a problem, begin by working on simple examples and special cases. Don't be afraid to "play" and "experiment". Although I encourage doing this in all of your math courses, Combinatorics is a subject where this approach is especially helpful and often leads to key insights. The process of abstracting from special cases to general patterns is difficult at first, but the only way to improve is not to be afraid to try.

Homework: You must cite other books or online sources if you use them to help solve a problem. If you enjoy working in groups, I encourage you to work with others in the class to solve the homework problems, but you must write on your homework the names of those with whom you worked. In all cases, your homework is to be written up independently in your own words. This means you can not write a communal solution and all copy it down, and you can not copy and paste a solution from somewhere else. In general, getting ideas from other people or sources is fine (so long as you do not read another solution), but you need to cite such assistance and then take those ideas and write the problem up on your own.

Exams and final: You may neither give nor receive help. Written notes and computers are not permitted.

Students with learning, physical, or psychiatric disabilities enrolled in this course that may need disability-related classroom accommodations are encouraged to make an office appointment with me in first few weeks of class. You will need to provide documentation of your disability to the Associate Dean and Director of Academic Advising, Joyce Stern, located on the third floor of the JRC (x3702).

If you have a religious observance that conflicts with your participation in the course, please come speak with me as soon as possible to discuss appropriate accommodations.