Instructor:

Joshua Laison

Office: MAP 310

Phone: x5674

E-mail: laisonj@kenyon.edu

T 2:40-4:00

Th 2:40-4:00

Introductory Combinatorics, Third Edition, by Kenneth P. Bogart

Grading:

Your final grade will be calculated as follows:
 

Homework Assignments:

Approximately once per class meeting, you will be asked to read a section of the text and do some problems from that section. You should not write these problems up as if to hand them in; instead, you should prepare them to present to the class at the following meeting. This means you will need to think carefully so that you can present the solution in a clear and precise way. It is just as important that you communicate your solution well to the class, as it is that you have a correct solution.

The vast majority of our class time will be used for such presentations. Therefore, it is extremely important that you come to each class prepared to present the problems you have been assigned, and to discuss the problems that other students will present. You will hurt your understanding and your classmates' understanding of the course material if you come to class unprepared, or worse, do not come to class at all.

This does not mean that you are required to solve every problem completely every time, but it does mean that you are required to think deeply about every problem so that you have something to say about it when the time comes. Some problems that are assigned will be difficult; some will not be solved the first time around. I strongly encourage you not to tackle them all by yourself. Please work on them in groups, and please ask me for help (in my office hours, or by appointment at other times). You can also just drop by my office hours to say hi, or shoot the breeze. Whatever the reason, please use my office hours as often as you like.

Final Presentation:

One of the great things about combinatorics is the accessibility of current research in the field. We will exploit this opportunity in the final presentation. Each student in the class will find and read a paper or a few papers on a topic of their interest within the course and then present their findings to the class (and hopefully a few others). We will talk about the final presentation more in class.

More about the final presentation

Exams:

You will have two tests and a final exam during the course of the semester. All three of these exams will be take-home, closed-book, closed-notes exams. You will be expected to adhere to the academic honor code for these exams. In other words, do not seek help from people other than your instructor or other written sources.

Note that these exams are the only opportunity you will have to write mathematics during this course. Therefore, make a good impression with these few samples of writing. Answer each question in full, grammatically correct sentences, and make an extra effort to communicate your ideas clearly.

Examination Dates:

Exam 1	due by Friday, October 12
Exam 2	due by Friday, November 30
Final Examination	due by Tuesday, December 18

Disabilities:

If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your ability to carry out assigned course work, feel free to discuss your concerns in private with me, but you should also consult the Office of Disability Services at 5453. The Coordinator of Disability Services, Erin Salva (salvae@kenyon.edu), will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accommodations are appropriate. (All information and documentation of disability is confidential.) It is Ms. Salva that has the authority and the expertise to decide on the accommodations that are proper for your disability. Though I am happy to help you in any way I can, I cannot make any special accommodations without proper authorization from Ms. Salva.