- Context
This course was taught to two types of student in the University of York's Computer Science Department. There were students studying for a taught M.Sc. in Information Processing and the Human-Computer Interface. This was a conversion course, giving IT skills to students whose first degree was not Computer Science. And there were undergraduates studying for a B.A. in Information Technology, Business Management and a modern foreign Language (ITBML). In neither case was it possible to assume anything other than the most rudimentary mathematical knowledge. Fear of maths was also prevalent. I taught the course in 1995 and 1996.
- Workload
- Lectures: 18 * 1 hr lectures
- Practicals: 9 * 2 hr practicals
- Private study: 52.5 hrs (including revision)
- Assessment: 1.5 hrs (excluding revision)
- Prerequisites
A willingness to learn some maths.
- Assessment
An unseen 90-minute paper, worth 50 marks. All questions to be answered.
- Description
The course introduces students to some of the branches of discrete mathematics that are most important to information processing.
- Aims
- Students should acquire the ability to formulate and evaluate mathematical expressions in a range of mathematical models that are used in information processing.
- Students should master mathematical material that is co-requisite and pre-requisite for other courses.
- Content
- (L1) The role of maths in information processing.
- (L2-L3) Expressions and evaluation.
- (L4-L6) Set theory.
- (L7-L8) Relations.
- (L9) Functions.
- (L10-L12) Syntax and semantics of propositional logic.
- (L13-L14) A proof theory for propositional logic.
- (L15-L18) An introduction to the syntax and semantics of first-order predicate logic.
- Teaching material
- Copies of course notes (292k), Notation sheet (14k) and examination formula sheet (28k).
- Exercise sheets with answers (gzipped postscript):
- Mock exams with answers (gzipped postscript):
- Mock 1 (30k);
- Alternate 1 (31k);
- Mock 2 (34k);
- Alternate 2 (35k);
- Mock 3 (30k);
- Alternate 3 (30k).
- Copies of overheads (235k).
- Exam papers (gzipped, postscript):
- 95-96 (39k),
- 95-96(Resit) (39k),
- 96-97 (42k),
- 96-97(Resit) (49k).
- Recommended books
- ** Lipschutz S.: Set theory and related topics, McGraw-Hill, 1964
(Any other book by Lipschutz that covers set theory, functions and relations will be just as suitable.) - ** Foxley, E. and Burke, E.: Logic and its applications, Prentice Hall, 1996
- ** Lipschutz S.: Set theory and related topics, McGraw-Hill, 1964