Course Description
This course covers the basic mathematics that is required for subsequent courses in Computer Science. The student applies mathematical ideas in understanding Computer concepts. The student is able to use the computer to address real-life problems that can be expressed mathematically.
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, the student will be able to:
- Understand the basic concepts of mathematics as they apply to computer science, and have developed an appreciation of the way that mathematics can assist their own problem solving and implementation of solutions.
- The ability to determine the validity of a given argument and will be able to construct mathematical proofs independently.
- The ability to solve mathematical problems numerically.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to solve problems, including applications outside of mathematics.
- Facility with mathematics is perhaps the ultimate transferable skill for a computer scientist or engineer, promoting a logical and analytical approach to problem-solving over a wide range of topics and domains, and providing a toolkit of general principles for understanding relationships between concepts and objects.
Course Content
- Introduction to Discrete Structures
- Extrapolation
- Set Theory
- Predicate Logic
- Recursion
- Functions
Compulsory reading materials
- Set Theory and Related Topics, Seymour Lipschutz, Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies (1998), ISBN: 0-07-038159-3
Optional reading materials
- Sets Logic and Maths for Computing, 2nd Edition, David Makinson, Publisher: Springer-Verlag London Limited (2012), ISBN 978-1-4471-2500-6
- Open Course Ware on Critical Thinking, Logic, and Creativity, Joe Lau and Jonathan Chan, 2012, http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/