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Discrete Mathematics

Code: M3011     Acronym: M3011     Level: 300

Keywords
Classification Keyword
OFICIAL Mathematics

Instance: 2017/2018 - 1S Ícone do Moodle

Active? Yes
Responsible unit: Department of Mathematics
Course/CS Responsible: Bachelor in Biology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym No. of Students Study Plan Curricular Years Credits UCN Credits ECTS Contact hours Total Time
L:B 0 Official Study Plan 3 - 6 56 162
L:CC 0 Plano de estudos a partir de 2014 2 - 6 56 162
3
L:F 2 Official Study Plan 2 - 6 56 162
3
L:G 3 study plan from 2017/18 3 - 6 56 162
L:M 36 Official Study Plan 2 - 6 56 162
3
L:Q 0 study plan from 2016/17 3 - 6 56 162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

With this course, it is intended that students will know and understand some of the main results of Discrete Mathematics that, for its present relevance within Mathematics, and by its special applicability, inside and outside Mathematics, should be of general knowledge for mathematicians. In this course the students should also develop their ability to solve combinatorial problems and the ability do solve problemas looking for the more suitable structure.

Learning outcomes and competences

Upon completing this course, the student should know and be able to apply the concepts and results covered in the course. It is intended that this unit contribute to the furthering of skills in the field of discrete mathematics. In summary, it is intended that upon completion of this class the student can:

-Understand and apply fundamental combinatorial techniques as well as understand when these can or cannot be applied.
-Use appropriate techniques and problem solving skills on new problems.
-Recognize mathematical structures (e.g. algebraic ones) in combinatorial problems, can formulate them and solve them using the corresponding techniques.
-Be mathematically creative and inquisitive, being capable of formulating interesting new questions in combinatorics.

Working method

Presencial

Program

Module AUTOMATA:

  1. WORDS AND LANGUAGES: words, free monoids, languages.

  2. RATIONAL AND RECOGNIZABLE LANGUAGES: rational expressions, finite automata, alternative versions, transition monoid, recognizability by a finite monoid.

  3. CLOSURE OPERATORS: closure properties of recognizable languages, Kleene's Theorem.

  4. DECIDIBILITY: minimal automaton of a rational language, syntactic monoid, decidable properties, pumping lemma.


Module DISCRETE DYNAMICS:
  1. Sharkovsky's Theorem 

  2. Dynamics of the shift mapping

  3. Dynamics of the quadratic family

  4. Sperner's Lemma and Brower's Fixed Point Thorem


Module GRAPH THEORY:
  1. Matchings and the personnel assignment problem. 

  2. Eulerian graphs and the Chinese postman problem.

  3. Hamiltonian graphs and the travelling salesman problem.

Depending on the available time, we may also discuss one (or both) of the following subjects: 
  • Edge coloring and the timetabling problem. 
  • Vertex coloring and the storage problem.

Mandatory literature

Bondy J. A.; Graph theory with applications. ISBN: 0-333-17791-6
Burns Keith and Hasselblatt Boris; The Sharkovsky Theorem: A Natural Direct Proof, The American Mathematical Monthly, Vol. 118, No. 3, pp. 229-244, 2011
Devaney Robert L.; A first course in chaotic dynamical systems. ISBN: 0-201-55406-2
Howie John M.; Automata and languages. ISBN: 0-19-853424-8
Sakarovitch Jacques; Elements of automata theory. ISBN: 978-0-521-84425-3
Shashkin Yu. A.; Fixed points. ISBN: 0-8218-9000-X

Teaching methods and learning activities

Expositional classes with discussion of examples and resolution of exercises.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation Weight (%)
Teste 100,00
Total: 100,00

Calculation formula of final grade



  • There will be a test after the classes of each module are completed, worth 6.67 points. 




  • The tests are mandatory to be approved in the first season of exams, since there will be exam only at the second season. 



  • The final mark will be the sum of the marks obtained in each test (with the exception described below).


  • Those which will have a positive grade in a test do not need to do the part of the second season exam corresponding to that module, keeping the test's grade. But this is not possible for those cases where the student has already been approved.




  • Those which submit for marking the part of the second season exam corresponding to a module, will keep the mark obtained in the exam, independently of being higher or lower than the test's mark. 




  • Those obtaining a grade higher than 18 in the exam or in the full collection of tests must do an extra short exam to confirm their mark. 



Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Special exams will consist of a written test, which might be preceded by an eliminatory oral test to assess whether the student satisfies minimum requirements to tentatively pass the written test.

Observations

Artigo 13º do Regulamento Geral para Avaliação dos Discentes de Primeiros Ciclos, de Ciclos de Estudos Integrados de Mestrado e de Segundos Ciclos da U.Porto, aprovado em 19 de Maio de 2010 (cf. http://www.fc.up.pt/fcup/documentos/documentos.php?ap=3&ano=2011): "A fraude cometida na realização de uma prova, em qualquer das suas modalidades, implica a anulação da mesma e a comunicação ao órgão estatutariamente competente para eventual processo disciplinar."

Any student may be required to take an oral examination should there be any doubts concerning his/her performance on certain assessment pieces.

Jury:

Jorge Manuel Martins da Rocha
Luís António Teixeira de Oliveira
Pedro Ventura Alves da Silva
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