MATH 161Discrete Mathematics and Logic
Logic underlies all of mathematics. This course introduces the basic notions of logic and discusses what makes some arguments good or valid, and others invalid. This leads to a definition of a mathematical proof, whereby the truth of mathematical statements is guaranteed. Other topics include sets, relations, functions, elementary counting principles, and an introduction to number theory. The second half of the course introduces the fundamental concepts of graph theory, which is the study of networks, which have applications from computing to disease transmission.
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Course details
- Dates
- 24 Feb 2025 to 22 Jun 2025
- Starts
- Trimester 1
- Fees
- NZ$899.40 for
- International fees
- NZ$4,771.80
- Lecture start times
- Monday 9.00am
- Wednesday 9.00am
- Friday 9.00am
- Campus
- Kelburn
- Estimated workload
- Approximately 150 hours or 9.4 hours per week for 16 weeks
- Points
- 15
Entry restrictions
- Prerequisites
- approval of head of school or (16 Achievement Standard credits NCEA Level 3 Mathematics) or (12 Achievement Standard credits NCEA Level 3 Mathematics excluding the statistics standards 91580, 91581, 91582, 91583, 91584) or MATH 132
- Corequisites
- None
- Restrictions
- None
Taught by
School of Mathematics and Statistics—Faculty of Engineering
About this course
This course covers ideas in discrete (finite) mathematics and logic. We will study propositional logic, proofs, induction, sets, relations, functions, elementary number theory, and introductory graph theory.
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If you’re in high school, this course is a great choice for our VicStart programme!
If you pass any of ENGR 121–123, MATH 141–177, or QUAN 111 you can enroll in MATH 161.
Course learning objectives
Students who pass this course should be able to:
Understand the important definitions and results in introductory discrete mathematics.
Demonstrate their understanding by stating definitions and results and solving simple problems.
Demonstrate an ability to create mathematical arguments and communicate them.
How this course is taught
This course is designed for in-person study, and students are strongly recommended to attend lectures and tutorials on campus.
Some assessment items will require in-person attendance, particularly tests and any exam.
During the trimester, there will be 3 lectures per week. Tutorials start in the second week of the trimester. You may be required to sign up for a tutorial. The tutorial timetable will be advertised in the first week of lectures, and then posted on the course website. You can go to as many tutorials as you like. It is strongly advised that you go to at least one.
Assessment
- 1 final test Type: IndividualMark: 50%
- 8 assignments Mark: 20%
- 1 mid-course test Mark: 30%
Assessment dates and extensions
Once you've signed up to this course, you can use to see due dates for assessments and information about extensions.
Mandatory requirements
There are no mandatory requirements for this course.
Lecture times and rooms
What you’ll need to get
You do not need to get any texts or equipment for this course.
Who to contact
Selected offering
MATH 161
24 Feb–22 Jun 2025
Trimester 1 · CRN 17162