2016 - 2017 Spring Semseter
MATH 3050 Discrete Mathematics Section 101 ( Barsamian )
Class Discussion Topics

In MATH 3050 Section 101, the class meetings will be run as seminars, not lectures, so your participation is essential. I will give each of you a small assignment to prepare for discussion in each class meeting. Starting with Day 2 ( Wednesday, January 11 ), you will have a class participation score for each class meeting, a score that indicates your contribution to the classroom discussion. The class participation score for each class meeting will be either 0, 1, 2, or 3, computed as follows:

Please note that the Class Participation assignments canot be made-up in the case of absence, even excused absence, because they involve participation in a class discussion.

The daily assignments are listed below.


Wed Jan 11 ( Meeting Number 2 )
Section 2.2 Conditional Statements


Fri Jan 13 ( Meeting Number 3 )
Section 2.3 Valid and Invalid Arguments

One of you will answer this general question about argument forms:

Eight of you will answer questions about these four sample argument forms:

Example 1Example 2Example 3Example 4
pq
p
q
pq
~q
~p
pq
q
p
pq
~p
~q

Four of you will answer questions about valid arguments.


Wed Jan 18 ( Meeting Number 4 )
Section 3.1 Predicates and Quantified Statements I


Fri Jan 20 ( Meeting Number 5 )
Section 3.2 Predicates and Quantified Statements II


Mon Jan 23 ( Meeting Number 6 )
Section 3.3 Statements with Multiple Quantifiers

Changing the order of multiple quantifiers. In each pair of statements, Statement B is obtained by switching the order the quantifiers of Statement A.

  1. Which of the statements are true ? ( might be one or both ) Explain.
  2. One of the statments is famous property of real numbers. Which statement, and what is the name of the property ? Explain.
  3. F∈ D the negation of any of any of the statements that are false.

Changing the domain in quantifiers. Consider statement S: ∀ xD ( ∃ yD ( xy > y ) ).

Interchanging ∀ and ∃ in multiple quantifiers.

Interchanging x and y in the quantifiers. Consider Statement A and Statement B, which is obtained by interchanging x and y in the quantifiers of Statement A.

Choosing correct order for symbols to create a true statement.


Wed Jan 25 ( Meeting Number 7 )
3.4 Arguments with Quantified Statements

Re-casting a rule in symbolic form.

Next Eight Students: Are these arguments valid or invalid ? Justify by citing a valid argument form or common error form. If possible, draw a Ven diagram to illustrate.

Next Three Students: Rewrite the argument so that its first statement is in the form of a universal conditional statement. (Notice that this can be done in two ways, because once you find a universal conditional statement that works, you can also use the contrapositive of that statement.) Are these arguments valid or invalid ? Justify by citing a valid argument form or common error form. If possible, draw a Ven diagram to illustrate.

Last one!


Mon Jan 30 ( Meeting Number 9 )
4.1 Direct Proof and Counterexample I: Introduction


Wed Feb 1 ( Meeting Number 10 )
4.2 Direct Proof and Counterexample II: Rational Numbers


Fri Feb 3 (Meeting Number 11 )
4.3 Direct Proof and Counterexample III: Divisibility


Mon Feb 6 (Meeting Number 12 )
4.4 Direct Proof and Counterexample IV: Division into Cases and the Quotient-Remainder Theorem


Wed Feb 8 (Meeting Number 13 )
Sections 4.4 and 4.6


Leftovers from Monday: 4.4 Direct Proof and Counterexample IV: Division into Cases and the Quotient-Remainder Theorem

New Stuff from Section 4.6: Indirect Argument: Contradiction and Contraposition


Wed Feb 15 (Meeting Number 16 )
Section 5.1 Sequences


Useful Symbols: ~ ∧ ∨ → ⇒ ∴ ∀ ∃ ∈ ≤ ≥ ε x2



( page maintained by Mark Barsamian, last updated February 14, 2017 )