Intro to Combinatorics (MATH413/CS413)
Official Course Description
Permutations and combinations, generating functions, recurrence relations, inclusion and exclusion, Polya’s theory of counting, and block designs.
Unofficial Description (Student Feedback)
This is a mainly computational-based course, with some proofs here and there. The course mainly covers introductory content in enumerative combinatorics, but also includes topics from other areas of combinatorics, like Ramsey Theory and partially ordered sets. While MATH314 is listed as an official prerequisite, this course is relatively reasonable to do even without prior proof experience.
Official Prerequisites
Notes on Enrolling
Enrollment is initially only open to Mathematics and Math&CS majors.
Degree Requirements Fulfilled
This course satisfies a core requirement or an elective requirement* for the following programs:
Mathematics and Computer Science, BS (Group III)
Computer Science, BS (Algorithms and Models of Computation Focus Area)
General Advice
This class leans more towards computation-based rather than proof-based and has a reasonable workload, and hence is generally the easiest course that satisfies the Group 3 requirement for Math&CS majors. Like MATH412, going to office hours will be very helpful for this course, and good performance in this course coupled with active interest and engagement can help with entering ICLUE.
General Postrequisites
Resources
Introductory Combinatorics (Brualdi 5th edition)
Recent Professors
Alexander Yong