G51MCS Mathematics for Computer Scientists
(Last Updated:08 April 2013)

Year  07/08

Total Credits: 10

Level: Level 1

Target Students:  First year undergraduate students in the School of Computer Science and IT and students in the School of Mathematics.  Available to JYA/Erasmus students.

Taught Semesters:

Prerequisites: None.

Corequisites:  None.

Summary of Content:  The module covers basic concepts in mathematics of relevance to the development of computer software. Some topics are linked to problems in G51APS. This module provides relevant mathematical techniques, whilst G51APS provides additional motivation.

• Boolean algebra: truth tables, propositional calculus.
• Simple number theory: inequalities, floor and ceiling function, greatest common divisor, modulo arithmetic. Elementary combinatorics.
• Sets, functions and relations: union, intersection, complementation of sets. Bijections and surjections. Ordering relations. Hasse diagrams.
• Quantifiers. Sum and product. Universal and existential quantification (at this stage, understanding of meaning of quantified expressions only).
• Simple induction on natural numbers (linked to recursion in G51APS). Module Web Links:
  

  Reading List

  Method and Frequency of Class:
  

  Activity	Number Of Weeks	Number of sessions	Duration of a session
  Lecture	11 weeks	2 per week	1 hour
  Tutorial	11 weeks	1 per week	1 hour

  
  Activities may take place every teaching week of the Semester or only in specified weeks. It is usually specified above if an activity only takes place in some weeks of a Semester
  
  Further Activity Details:
  Two lectures per week, associated coursework and weekly tutorials.

  Method of Assessment: 

  Assessment Type	Weight	Requirements
  Exam 1	75	1 hr written examination
  Coursework 1	25	Individual coursework

  Convenor: 
  Professor R Backhouse
  Dr H Nilsson
  

  Education Aims:  To provide students with the basic mathematical skills needed within a Computer Science degree course.

  Learning Outcomes:  Knowledge and Understanding: Understanding of basic mathematical concepts, definitions and notation. Intellectual Skills: The ability to understand and apply simple logical reasoning. Transferable Skills: The ability to use mathematics to solve problems.

  Offering School:  Computer Science
  
  

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