CISC 1100: Structures of Computer Science



Class times: Monday and Thursday, 5:30 – 6:45pm, John Mulcahy Hall (JMH) 302
Instructor: Dr. Daniel D. Leeds (my homepage)
Office: JMH 328A
E-mail:
Office hours: T 2:00 – 4:00pm and by appointment

Course website: http://storm.cis.fordham.edu/~leeds/cisc1100R05/

Required text: "Fundamentals of Discrete Structures", D. Lyons, C. Papadakis-Kanaris, G. Weiss, and A. Werschulz, Pearson, 2013.

Tutoring room: Location: JMH 312     Hours: M-F, 9am-5pm

Course description: An introductory course in the discrete structures used in computer and information technology. Emphasis will be placed on the ability to solve problems and develop logical thinking. Topics to be covered include:

Approximately 15% of the class time will be spent in the Computer science laboratory on computer-based projects. This course fulfills the Mathematical Reasoning requirement of the Core Curriculum.

Objectives: To develop mathematical and computational reasoning abilities and to master the basics of discrete mathematics; to become more comfortable and confident with both mathematics and computation. A student who successfully completes this course will be able to:

Attendance and class participation: It is important to attend every class, and to arrive on time. One unexcused/unexplained absence is permitted for the semester. Attendance will be taken every day. Please actively participate in class since this will make the course more interesting for everyone! Ask questions if you are unsure about something.

Course assignments: There will be 5 – 7 homeworks and 2 lab projects assigned for the course. The homeworks usually will be taken from problems in the textbook, and will be announced at least 4 days before they are due, e.g., a homework announced on Thursday may be due the following Monday. The lab projects in web design and programming will be announced at least 3 weeks before they are due; we will spend 2 – 3 days in the computer science lab to learn and practice the skills for each of these projects. All assignments must be turned in on time.

Academic honesty: All work produced in this course should be your own unless it is specifically stated that you may work with others. You may discuss the assignment problems with other students generally, but may not provide complete solutions to one another. Copying of assignments is never acceptable and will be considered a violation of Fordham's academic integrity policy. Violations of this policy will be handled in accordance with university policy which can include automatic failure of the assignment and/or failure of the course. See Fordham's Undergraduate Policy on Academic Integrity for more information.

Exams: There will be two mid-term exams – one in October, one in November – the exact dates will be announced at least 3 weeks in advance of the exam. There will be a final in the week of December 16th.

Timing conflicts: If you have a significant issue and cannot complete an assignment on time, or cannot attend class on a certain day, whenever feasible let me know beforehand – I tend to be reasonable in such cases. Examples of significant issues include personal illness (with doctor's note) or a religious holiday on an announced exam day. In general, let me know of any significant issues that affect your performance early on.

Grading: The percentages given below are guidelines for both the student and instructor and may be changed as needed to reflect circumstances in the course. Any changes that occur during the semester will be minor.
Participation5%
Homeworks15%
Projects15%
Mid-terms40%
Final exam25%