Discrete Structures

Course Coordinator: Dr Keith LK Lee, BEng, PhD (HKU)

Course Developer: The Open University, UK, Course Team

COMP S263 is primarily designed for students who intend to specialize in computing. It is an introductory course covering essential formal and theoretical concepts needed for further study of computing. The course covers fundamentals of computer science, such as specification and abstraction in code, data structures, data types and classes. The course then moves on to efficiency and proof of correctness of programs, providing a basis for formal methods of software development. The course includes an introduction to formal logic. Mathematical ideas (such as sets and functions) are introduced where they help to clarify computing concepts.

Aims
This course aims to:

• Provide students with knowledge of code, data types, data structures and classes;
• Enable students to write code in classes;
• Develop students' knowledge and understanding of important data structures;
• Introduce formal logic as a means to write specifications and prove program correctness;
• Equip students to analyse the efficiency of algorithms.

Contents
This course covers the following topics:

• Data: Form and function, introduction to code, data types, and introduction to classes
• Important data structures and their associated classes: Logo-like graphics class, sequence-based collection classes, sets, and binary trees
• Introduction to formal logic and aspects of databases
• Recursion: Analysis of algorithms and proof of correctness

Learning support
There will be 12 tutorials and 15 surgeries throughout the course.

Assessment
There will be four assignments and a final examination. Students are required to submit assignments via the Online Learning Environment (OLE).

Online requirement
This course is supported by the Online Learning Environment (OLE). You can find the latest course information from the OLE. Through the OLE, you can communicate electronically with your tutor and the Course Coordinator as well as other students. To access the OLE, students will need to have access to the Internet. The use of the OLE is required for the study of this course.

Equipment
A PC-compatible computer ready for connecting to the Internet is essential. The minimum configuration of the computer is:

• IBM compatible PC with an x86 CPU or equivalent
• 256 MB RAM
• Hard disk
• CD-ROM drive
• Sound card with speakers
• Internet access

You need to be familiar with the basic use of a computer.

Software
You should have English Windows with Microsoft Word. Some other software will be provided or downloaded from the Internet. Familiarity with word-processing software is required. Besides, experience in using the Internet and World Wide Web is highly recommended.

If you cannot access the Internet for some reason, make sure that someone can access it for you.

Set book(s)
There are no set books for this course.

Students with disabilities or special educational needs
The audio and visual components of this course may cause difficulties for students with hearing or vision impairments. You are encouraged to seek advice from the Course Coordinator before enrolling on the course.