Intermediate Counting & Probability

Description

This course covers a variety of powerful tools in discrete mathematics, including clever one-to-one
correspondences, principle of inclusion-exclusion, generating functions, distributions, pigeonhole
principle, induction, constructive counting and expectation, combinatorics, recursion, and conditional
probability. Discrete mathematics is an important area for computer science; students who complete
this course will have a huge advantage when they encounter discrete mathematics in college.

Class Outline

Week 1: Review of Counting & Probability Basics

Week 2: Principle of Inclusion & Exclusion I
Week 3: Principle of Inclusion & Exclusion II
Week 4: Constructive Counting
Week 5: One-to-one Correspondences and Counting
Week 6: The Pigeonhole Principle
Week 7: Constructive Expectation
Week 8: Distributions
Week 9: Mathematical Induction and Fibonacci Numbers
Week 10: Recursion and Catalan Numbers
Week 11: Conditional Probability
Week 12: Combinatorial Identities
Week 13: Events with States
Week 14: Generating Functions I
Week 15: Generating Functions II
Week 16: Graph Theory I
Week 17: Graph Theory II
Week 18: Challenging Problems

Who should take this class

Students should have a complete mastery of basic counting as described in the diagnostic test below
before taking this course. Students should also have a solid algebra background through at least
Algebra 2. Students who have completed the Art of Problem Solving Algebra 3 and Introduction to
Counting & Probability classes should feel comfortable taking this class. (However, students are not
required to take these classes before taking Intermediate Counting & Probability - use the diagnostic
test below to determine if this class is right for you.)