Welcome to MAT 344: Introduction to Combinatorics

Draft Course Outline To be finalized

Instructor: Prof. Steve Tanny
email: tanny@math.utoronto.ca
Office: Bahen Centre 6187
Tel: 416-978-3324
Contact: Email, skype, usual office hours W: 10-11, 3-4:30; R:10-11 (general
availability, but try to give me a heads up if you can) and by appointment.
Meetings: Tuesday 3-5 and Thursday 2-4; check calendar for rooms. I have reserved 4
hours per week for the course. We will use these hours in different ways each week to
accommodate course and calendar requirements. Please be sure that you are available at
all these hours.
E-Location: portal.utoronto.ca and find Mat 344H5F LEC0101 Intro Combinatorics
Text/Notes: Alan Tucker, Applied Combinatorics, 6th Ed., Wiley, 2012. Slides shown in
lectures will be posted on the website.
Course Focus: Basic ideas in enumeration (that is, counting) (see Tucker, chapters 5-8
and Appendix A, as well as slides summarizing the lectures).
Course Prerequisites: Solid familiarity with basic concepts in finite math, sets, and
functions is essential. In addition, you must be willing to spend (sometimes considerable)
time puzzling over challenging questions (challenges). It is essential that you know how
to construct and write a clear proof or that you are willing to learn to do so. See my brief
guide on this topic for some tips and suggestions.
Marking Scheme: (1) There will be 4 (25 minute) quizzes. These will be held during
class hours on Sept. 23, Oct. 14, Nov. 6, and Nov. 27. The best 3 of 4 quizzes will count
for 24% of the final grade (or 8% each). (2) A term test worth 30% of the final grade will
be held in class Oct. 23. (3) An exam will be held during the official exam period in
December; it is worth 46% of the final grade.
A. Advise me as soon as possible of any conflicts for the above quiz and test dates with
your personal obligations. I will do my best to accommodate your needs.
B. There are no makeups for missed quizzes and the term test. If you miss any of these on
account of illness please provide me with a doctor's note on your return to class,
otherwise I must give you a score of 0.
C. The grade value of missed quizzes or term test will be added to the exam. For
example, if you miss the term test, then 30 percentage points are added to the weight of
the exam, so if you missed nothing else it's a 76% final! If you miss 1 quiz, you will get
the best 2 of 3 quizzes for 16% of the course grade. The 8 percentage point weight of the
missed quiz is added to the exam, so if you miss nothing else its a 54% exam weight. If
you miss two quizzes, your quiz score is based on the better of the two quizzes you wrote,
and is worth 8%; you write a 62% exam. If you miss 3 quizzes, your quiz score is based
on the one quiz that you wrote, with weight of 8%; you write a 62% exam.
Course Drop Date: The official drop date without academic penalty is Nov. 3. However,
please be aware that there is a substantial waiting list for entry into this course. In
consideration of your fellow students, please make every effort to determine your interest
in pursuing this course as soon as possible.
Course Tutor: To be determined.

Academic integrity: This is fundamental to learning and scholarship at the University of

Toronto. Participating fully honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in this academic
community ensures that the U of T degree that you earn will be valued as a true indication
of your individual academic achievement, and will continue to receive the respect and
recognition it deserves. For additional information on this important topic, please visit
www.artsci.utoronto.ca/osai/students and be sure to familiarize yourself with the material
located there and in the links provided. If you are experiencing personal challenges that
are having an impact on your academic work, please speak to me or seek the advice of
your college registrar.
Closing Remarks: Here are some things to keep in mind.
-Remember P3: Practice, Patience, Play!
-Learning is more fun in a group: collaborate with your fellow students.
-Everyone makes mistrakes. Let me know if I make one during the lecture or if you spot
one in the slides. Lets work together to make the course better.

I look forward to learning with you this year!