Introduction and Mathematics Review
Overview
Starting early in this course can be quite important!
The first lecture introduces the subject and learning goals of this course. Details about course admnistration are also included in this lecture.
Supplemental material for the first lecture includes a review of mathematical proofs and a proof technique that will be used throughout the course — mathematical induction. Students should read this material before looking at other course material. The first tutorial exercise concerns this material.
The second tutorial exercise should be completed after you have worked through the first two of the Java development exercises for this course but before you attend the second tutorial of this course. This should not be hard to do, and it will help to make sure that any Java programs that you write for assignments in this course can be compiled by markers.
Lecture #1: Introduction to the Course and Mathematics Review
Required Reading
- Lecture Notes: Welcome to Computer Science 331! [ PDF ] [ Video ]
- More about Course Administration
[
PDF
]
- Supplemental Notes: Review of Discrete Mathematics
[ PDF ]
[ Video ]
- Questions for Review: [ PDF ]
Lecture Presentation
Additional Information That May Be Useful
Students are not always as familiar with mathematical induction as the instructor hopes. The first two links review material about this that will be useful, almost immediately, in this course. The material linked to, after this, is potentially of use in all the courses you will take now, and after this.
- An Introduction to Mathematical Induction: The analogy with “climbing a ladder” might be helpful to hear, if you do not feel like that you understand why “mathematical induction” really is a valid proof technique. Please don’t the “other way to prove the result” at the end.
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Strong Form of Mathemtical Induction:
This includes the rest of what I hoped you had
learned about mathematical induction in a prerequisite course.
- How to Take Better Notes: The 5 Best Note-Taking Systems
Ice-Breaking Topics
During the pandemic — when lectures were held using Zoom — students were moved to breakout rooms, at the end of the lecture, and encouraged to talk about “silly things” in order to get to know each other. The silly thing suggested, for the first CPSC 331, is as follows: Which of the following comic-book superheroes is your favourite?
- Information about Various Comic Book Superheroes: [ Superman ] [ Batman ] [ Captain America ] [ Iron Man ] [ Matter-Eater Lad ] [ Arm-Fall-Off Boy ]
