Course: MCS 421, Combinatorics
Call no: 28305 and 28306
Time: MWF 1100-1150pm
Place: 2 AH

Professor: Dhruv Mubayi
Office: 620 SEO
Tel: 3-8036
E-mail: mubayi@math.uic.edu
Course Web Page: http://www.math.uic.edu/~mubayi/421Spring09info.html
Office Hours: To be decided

Grading Policies:
Attendance and class participation: 15%
Homework (due Friday every two weeks): 20%
Two in-class midterms, 15% each: 30%
Final Exam: 35%
Be sure to staple your homework. No late homework will be accepted.

Disability Policy: Students with disabilities who require accommodations for access and participation in this course must be registered with the Office of Disability Services (ODS). Please contact ODS a 312/413/-2183 (voice) or 312/413-0123 (TTY).

Prerequisite: Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in MATH 215; and Grade of C or better in MATH 310 or Grade of C or better in MATH 320; or consent of the instructor.

Description: The pigeonhole principle, permutations and combinations, generating permutations and combinations, binomial coefficients, inclusion-exclusion principle, recurrence relations and generating functions, special counting sequences, Polya theory of counting. We will attempt to cover most of Chapters 1--8, 10, and 14 from the text.

Text: Brualdi, Introductory Combinatorics, Prentice Hall.

Homework 1, Due Friday Jan 23:
Chapter 1: 1, 2, 3, 25, 38, 43
Solutions to HW1

Homework 2, Due Friday Feb 6
Chapter 2: 1,2,5 a,b, 8,11,16,28 a, 38, 39 a,c, 42, 45 a,b
Solutions to HW2

TEST 1 on MONDAY FEB 16

Homework 3, Due Friday Feb 27 (very long so start early)
Chapter 3: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 22, 27
Chapter 4: 5, 8a, 20, 35, 37, 47 a,b,c
Chapter 5: 11, 16, 18, 25, 48, 49
Solutions to HW3

Homework 4, Due Friday March 13
Chapter 6: 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 13, 19, 22, 23, 26
Solutions to HW4

Homework 5, Due Friday April 3
Chapter 7: 1, 5, 8, 9, 16, 17, 21, 26, 33, 34, 42, 47
Solutions to HW5

TEST 2 on FRIDAY APRIL 10

Homework 6, Due Friday April 17
Chapter 8: 1, 2, 9, 12, 19, 25, 26d
Chapter 10: 19, 26, 28, 32, 38
Solutions to HW6

Homework 7, Due Friday May 1
Chapter 10: 42
Chapter 14: 7, 8, 12, 13d, 15, 19, 26, 35, 48
Solutions to HW7