Minimal competencies for CSC 133 – Approved 4/14/00

Discrete Structures

Logic

·         Compound Statements: Demonstrate understanding of the logical connectives conjunction, disjunction and negation by applying logical equivalence laws to reduce complex expressions.

·         Quantified Statements: Recognize valid argument forms including the rule of universal instantiation, universal modus ponens and universal modus tollens and be able to correctly identify converse and inverse errors.

·         Compound Quantified Statements: Write the negation of compound quantified statements.

Elementary Number Theory

·         Use the division algorithm to prove parity of the integers.

·         Solve problems using integer division and modulo arithmetic.

·         Recognize instances of and solve problems using the sum of the first n integers and the sum of a geometric sequence.

·         Use logarithms, floor, and ceiling notation in calculations.

·         Demonstrate proficiency in matrix arithmetic.

Sequences

·         Demonstrate proficiency with summation and product notation including transformation by change of variable.

Methods of Proof

·         Write simple proofs of theorems relating to elementary number theory utilizing several of the following methods: Direct Proof, Disproof by Counter Example, Indirect Arguments using either Contraposition or Contradiction, and Mathematical Induction.

·         Use Mathematical Induction to prove the validity of an explicit formula for a recurrence relation.

Set Theory

·         Know the definitions of equality, union, intersection, set difference, and complement of sets, empty set, power set, set partition, and Cartesian products.

·         Distinguish between "element of" and "subset of".

·         Use logical equivalencies to simplify complex set statements.

 

Boolean Algebra

·         Incorporate an axiomatic basis of Boolean Algebra, including DeMorgan's Theorem in problem solving.

·         Utilize Canonical Forms: Product Form, Sum Form, Minterms, and Maxterms.

·         Demonstrate familiarity with design aids: Karnaugh maps and the Quine-McClusky method.

·         Implement logic circuits using AND/OR and NAND/NOR circuits..

 

 

Recursion

·         Demonstrate an understanding of recursion using prototypical examples: Towers of Hanoi, Fibonacci numbers, and factorials.

·         Solve recurrence relations iteratively.

·         Find an explicit formula for second order linear homogeneous recurrence relations given the characteristic equation, single and double root theorems.

Graphs and Trees

·         Know basic definitions of multigraph, simple graph, digraph, bipartite graphs, walks, paths, circuits, subgraph, connected graph, and graph components.

·         Represent graphs using matrices. Identify basic graph properties in matrices: n-walks, degrees of vertices, in-degree, out-degree, and connectedness.

·         Determine isomorphism for small graphs or use isomorphic invariants to show two graphs are not isomorphic.

·         Identify Eulerian graphs.

·         Be familiar with basic properties of trees, rooted trees, binary trees, full binary trees and m-ary trees.

·         Determine the feasibility of basic graphs given properties such as order, size, cardinality of internal or terminal vertices, and score sequence.

·         Use either Kruskal's or Prim's algorithm to find a minimum spanning tree.

Relations

·         Define relations on sets, binary relations, and m-ary relations.

·         Identify Reflexive, irreflexive, symmetric, asymmetric, and transitive relations using digraphs, adjacency matrices, and or set elements as applicable.

·         Determine whether relations are equivalence or partial order relations.

·         Identify equivalence classes of a relation defined on a finite set.

Counting

·         Demonstrate understanding of sample space.

·         Count elements of lists, sublists, and one-dimensional arrays.

·         Distinction between finite and infinite sets

·         Distinction between countable and uncountable sets

·         Use the multiplication and addition rules.

·         Use the formulae for permutations and combinations.

·         Demonstrate proficiency using the inclusion/exclusion rule.

·         Use the binomial theorem and Pascal's triangle.