Alexander Knop
S.E. Warschawski Assistant Professor
Research interests:
Proof complexity, structural complexity, algorithms, cryptography.

For UCSD students
Math 184A (Combinatorics)

2018

Tests

Information

  • Textbook:
    The textbook for this course is: Miklòs Bòna, A Walk Through Combinatorics, Third Edition, 2011
  • Grading policy:
    Student's cumulative average will be computed by taking the maximum of these two grading schemes:
    • 5% Quizzes, 5% Homework, 25% Midterm I, 25% Midterm II, 40% Final Exam
    • 5% Quizzes, 5% Homework, 30% maximum of Midterm I and Midterm II, 60% Final Exam
  • Homework:
    Homework is a very important part of the course and in order to fully master the topics it is essential that you work carefully on every assignment and try your best to complete every problem.
    Your total homework score will be based on the total possible homework points available. After each homework you can complete an optional online HW review highlighting key concepts. If you complete the questionnaire for an assignment and that assignment is your lowest homework score, that score will be dropped from your homework average.
    Homework solutions should be neatly written or typed and turned in through Gradescope by 11pm. Illegible assignments will not be graded. For step-by-step instructions on scanning and uploading your homework, see this handout. Late homeworks will not be accepted. Submit early drafts well before the deadline to make sure partial work is graded.
  • Quizzes:
    Quizzes are another significant part of the course. We will have them in the last ten minutes of each Friday lectures and they will cover the last Friday, Monday, and Wednesday's material.
  • Discussion Board:
    The Piazza forum for our class where questions can be posted and answered. It is a very helpful resource!

    • Office Hours

    • 5880B, AP&M building,
      • Tuesday: 2-3 PM,
      • Wednesday: 2-3 PM,
      • Friday: 2-3 PM

    Teaching assistants

    • Jason O'Neill,
      6446, AP&M building,
      • Monday: 4-5 PM,
      • Wednesday 3-4 PM
    • Viswanatha Karlapati,
      5722, Mayer,
      • Thursday: 12-2 PM,
      • Friday 3-5 PM

    Calendar

    Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
    January 07 January 08
    1 Pigeonhole Principle
    Discussion
    		January 09 January 10
    2 Mathematical Induction
    		January 11 January 12
    3 Elementary Counting Problems
    		January 13
    January 14 January 15
    Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
    Discussion
    		January 16 January 17
    4 Binomial coefficient identities
    		January 18 January 19
    4 Binomial coefficient identities
    		January 20
    January 21 January 22
    5 Partitions
    Discussion
    		January 23 January 24
    Catch up Review
    		January 25 January 26
    Midterm I
    		January 27
    January 28 January 29
    5 Partitions
    Discussion
    		January 30 January 31
    8.1 Ordinary Generating Functions
    		February 01 February 02
    8.1 Ordinary Generating Functions
    		February 03
    February 04 February 05
    8.1 Ordinary Generating Functions
    Discussion
    		February 06 February 07
    6.1 Cycles in permutations
    		February 08 February 09
    6.1 Cycles in permutations
    		February 10
    February 11 February 12
    6.1 Cycles in permutations
    Discussion
    		February 13 February 14
    7 Inclusion-Exclusion
    		February 15 February 16
    9.1-9.3 Graph Theory
    		February 17
    February 18 February 19
    Presidents' Day Holiday
    Discussion
    		February 20 February 21
    Catch up Review
    		February 22 February 23
    Midterm II
    		February 24
    February 25 February 26
    9.1-9.3 Graph Theory
    Discussion
    		February 27 February 28
    9.1-9.3 Graph Theory
    		March 01 March 02
    10.1 Trees
    		March 03
    March 04 March 05
    10.1 Trees
    Discussion
    		March 06 March 07
    10.1 Trees
    		March 08 March 09
    10.3 Counting walks using powers of the adjacency matrix
    		March 10
    March 11 March 12
    11 Coloring and Matching
    Discussion
    		March 13 March 14
    11 Coloring and Matching
    		March 15 March 16
    Catch up Review
    		March 17
    March 18 March 19 March 20 March 21 March 22 March 23
    Final Exam
    		March 24