Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science

Announcements:

Homeworks

Homeworks are all done; good luck on the final!

Recitation sections start on Thursday, May 14th. There are two recitation sections, on Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00-2:15 pm.

We will use Piazza to communicate with each other outside of class and both Gradescope and Sakai to collect homework. Other class information may be posted on Piazza.

We will use Sakai to record grades. However, some grades will appear on both Gradescope and Sakai. If those scores are updated on Gradescope, it may take some time for Sakai to be updated. At the end of the semester, the Sakai grade will be used.

There is one midterm exam on Wednesday 6/3, and a final exam from 1-5PM EST on Thursday, June 25. The exam formats will be determined soon. The schedule for the final is set by Duke's Registrar.

Detail of Ada Lovelace portrait Punch cards for the analytical engine

Augusta Ada King, the Countess of Lovelace (1815-1852) wrote what is arguably the first computer program for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, a general-purpose mechanical computer for which Ada had only a design on paper (below). The program was to be encoded on punch cards (above right), some of which stored numerical values and some of which stored operations, and computed the nonzero Bernoulli numbers by an algorithm equivalent to this Python function or this racket function.

This class follows in Lady Lovelace's footsteps and explores the basics of the intimate connection between mathematics and computers. It meets virtually on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 2:45-4:15 pm. Recitations are on Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00-2:15 pm.

Analytical engine diagram

COMPSCI , Duke University, Site based on Professor Carlo Tomasi's 230 website