Acerca de este curso: Mathematical thinking is crucial in all areas of computer science: algorithms, bioinformatics, computer graphics, data science, machine learning, etc. In this course, we will learn the most important tools used in discrete mathematics: induction, recursion, logic, invariants, examples, optimality. We will use these tools to answer typical programming questions like: How can we be certain a solution exists? Am I sure my program computes the optimal answer? Do each of these objects meet the given requirements? In the course, we use a try-this-before-we-explain-everything approach: you will be solving many interactive (and mobile friendly) puzzles that were carefully designed to allow you to invent many of the important ideas and concepts yourself. Prerequisites: 1. We assume only basic math (e.g., we expect you to know what is a square or how to add fractions), common sense and curiosity. 2. Basic programming knowledge is necessary as some quizzes require programming in Python.
Para quién es esta clase: Our intended audience are all people that work or plan to work in IT, starting from motivated high school students. Prerequisites: 1. We assume only basic math (e.g., we expect you to know what is a square or how to add fractions), common sense and curiosity. 2. Basic programming knowledge is necessary as some quizzes require programming in Python.
Creada por: Universidad de California en San Diego, National Research University Higher School of Economics
Enseñado por: Alexander S. Kulikov, Visiting Professor
Department of Computer Science and EngineeringEnseñado por: Michael Levin, Lecturer
Computer ScienceEnseñado por: Vladimir Podolskii, Associate Professor
Computer Science Department
| Información básica | |
| Nivel | Principiante |
| Compromiso | 6 weeks, 2–5 hours/week |
| Idioma | English |
| Cómo aprobar | Aprueba todas las tareas calificadas para completar el curso. |
| Calificaciones del usuario |
Programa
SEMANA 1
Making Convincing Arguments
Why some arguments are convincing and some are not? What makes an argument convincing? How to establish your argument in such a way that there is no possible room for doubt left? How mathematical thinking can help with this? In this week we will start digging into these questions. We will see how a small remark or a simple observation can turn a seemingly non-trivial question into an obvious one. Through various examples we will observe a parallel between constructing a rigorous argument and mathematical reasoning.
10 videos, 4 lecturas
- Vídeo: Proofs?
- LTI Item: Puzzle: Tile a Chessboard
- Vídeo: Proof by Example
- Vídeo: Impossibility Proof
- Vídeo: Impossibility Proof, II and Conclusion
- Reading: Slides
- Reading: Python
- Vídeo: One Example is Enough
- Vídeo: Splitting an Octagon
- Vídeo: Making Fun in Real Life: Tensegrities
- Vídeo: Know Your Rights
- Vídeo: Nobody Can Win All The Time: Nonexisting Examples
- Reading: Slides
- Reading: Acknowledgements
Calificado: Tiles, dominos, black and white, even and odd
Calificado: Puzzle: Two Congruent Parts
Calificado: Puzzle: Pluses, Minuses and Splitting
SEMANA 2
How to Find an Example?
How can we be certain that an object with certain requirements exist? One way to show this, is to go through all objects and check whether at least one of them meets the requirements. However, in many cases, the search space is enormous. A computer may help, but some reasoning that narrows the search space is important both for computer search and for "bare hands" work. In this module, we will learn various techniques for showing that an object exists and that an object is optimal among all other objects. As usual, we'll practice solving many interactive puzzles. We'll show also some computer programs that help us to construct an example.
16 videos, 5 lecturas, 1 cuestionario de práctica
- Vídeo: Narrowing the Search
- Vídeo: Multiplicative Magic Squares
- Vídeo: More Puzzles
- Vídeo: Integer Linear Combinations
- Vídeo: Paths In a Graph
- Reading: Slides
- LTI Item: Puzzle: N Queens (Optional)
- Vídeo: N Queens: Brute Force Search (Optional)
- Reading: N Queens: Brute Force Solution Code (Optional)
- Vídeo: N Queens: Backtracking: Example (Optional)
- Vídeo: N Queens: Backtracking: Code (Optional)
- Reading: N Queens: Backtracking Solution Code (Optional)
- LTI Item: Puzzle: 16 Diagonals (Optional)
- Vídeo: 16 Diagonals (Optional)
- Practice Quiz: Number of Solutions for the 8 Queens Puzzle (Optional)
- Reading: Slides (Optional)
- Vídeo: Warm-up
- Vídeo: Subset without x and 100-x
- Vídeo: Rooks on a Chessboard
- Vídeo: Knights on a Chessboard
- Vídeo: Bishops on a Chessboard
- Vídeo: Subset without x and 2x
- Reading: Slides
Calificado: Puzzle: Magic Square 3 times 3
Calificado: Puzzle: Different People Have Different Coins
Calificado: Puzzle: Free accomodation
Calificado: Is there...
Calificado: Maximum Number of Two-digit Integers
Calificado: Puzzle: Maximum Number of Rooks on a Chessboard
Calificado: Puzzle: Maximum Number of Knights on a Chessboard
Calificado: Puzzle: Maximum Number of Bishops on a Chessboard
Calificado: Puzzle: Subset without x and 2x
SEMANA 3
Recursion and Induction
We'll discover two powerful methods of defining objects, proving concepts, and implementing programs — recursion and induction. These two methods are heavily used, in particular, in algorithms — for analysing correctness and running time of algorithms as well as for implementing efficient solutions. You will see that induction is as simple as falling dominos, but allows to make convincing arguments for arbitrarily large and complex problems by decomposing them and moving step by step. You will learn how famous Gauss unexpectedly solved his teacher's problem intended to keep him busy the whole lesson in just two minutes, and in the end you will be able to prove his formula using induction. You will be able to generalize scary arithmetic exercises and then solve them easily using induction.
13 videos, 2 lecturas
- Vídeo: Coin Problem
- Vídeo: Hanoi Towers
- Reading: Slides
- Vídeo: Introduction, Lines and Triangles Problem
- Vídeo: Lines and Triangles: Proof by Induction
- Vídeo: Connecting Points
- Vídeo: Odd Points: Proof by Induction
- Vídeo: Sums of Numbers
- Vídeo: Bernoulli's Inequality
- Notebook: Bernoulli's Inequality
- Vídeo: Coins Problem
- Vídeo: Cutting a Triangle
- Vídeo: Flawed Induction Proofs
- Vídeo: Alternating Sum
- Reading: Slides
Calificado: Largest Amount that Cannot Be Paid with 5- and 7-Coins
Calificado: Pay Any Large Amount with 5- and 7-Coins
Calificado: Puzzle: Hanoi Towers
Calificado: Number of Moves to Solve the Hanoi Towers Puzzle
Calificado: Puzzle: Two Cells of Opposite Colors
Calificado: Puzzle: Connect Points
Calificado: Induction
SEMANA 4
Logic
We have already invoked mathematical logic when we discussed how to make convincing arguments by giving examples. This week we will turn mathematical logic full on. We will discuss its basic operations and rules. We will see how logic can play a crucial and indispensable role in creating convincing arguments. We will discuss how to construct a negation to the statement, and you will see how to win an argument by showing your opponent is wrong with just one example called counterexample!. We will see tricky and seemingly counterintuitive, but yet (an unintentional pun) logical aspects of mathematical logic. We will see one of the oldest approaches to making convincing arguments: Reductio ad Absurdum.
10 videos, 2 lecturas
- Vídeo: Counterexamples
- Vídeo: Basic Logic Constructs
- Vídeo: If-Then Generalization, Quantification
- Reading: Slides
- Vídeo: Reductio ad Absurdum
- Vídeo: Balls in Boxes
- Vídeo: Numbers in Tables
- Vídeo: Pigeonhole Principle
- Vídeo: An (-1,0,1) Antimagic Square
- Vídeo: Handshakes
- Reading: Slides
Calificado: Puzzle: Always Prime?
Calificado: Examples, Counterexamples and Logic
Calificado: Puzzle: Balls in Boxes
Calificado: Puzzle: Numbers in Boxes
Calificado: Puzzle: Numbers on the Chessboard
Calificado: Numbers in Boxes
Calificado: How to Pick Socks
Calificado: Pigeonhole Principle
Calificado: Puzzle: An (-1,0,1) Antimagic Square
SEMANA 5
Invariants
"There are things that never change". Apart from being just a philosophical statement, this phrase turns out to be an important idea that can actually help. In this module we will see how it can help in problem solving. Things that do not change are called invariants in mathematics. They form an important tool of proving with numerous applications, including estimating running time of programs and algorithms. We will get some intuition of what they are, see how they can look like, and get some practice in using them.
11 videos, 4 lecturas, 3 cuestionarios de práctica
- Vídeo: `Homework Assignment' Problem
- Reading: Slides
- Practice Quiz: Coffee with Milk
- Vídeo: Invariants
- Practice Quiz: More Coffee
- Vídeo: More Coffee
- Vídeo: Debugging Problem
- Reading: Slides
- Practice Quiz: Football Fans
- Vídeo: Termination
- Vídeo: Arthur’s Books
- Reading: Slides
- Vídeo: Even and Odd Numbers
- Vídeo: Summing up Digits
- Vídeo: Switching Signs
- Vídeo: Advanced Signs Switching
- Reading: Slides
Calificado: Puzzle: Sums of Rows and Columns
Calificado: 'Homework Assignment' Problem
Calificado: 'Homework Assignment' Problem 2
Calificado: Chess Tournaments
Calificado: Debugging Problem
Calificado: Merging Bank Accounts
Calificado: Puzzle: Arthur's Books
Calificado: Puzzle: Piece on a Chessboard
Calificado: Operations on Even and Odd Numbers
Calificado: Puzzle: Summing Up Digits
Calificado: Puzzle: Switching Signs
Calificado: Recolouring Chessboard
SEMANA 6
Solving a 15-Puzzle
In this module, we consider a well known 15-puzzle where one needs to restore order among 15 square pieces in a square box. It turns out that the behavior of this puzzle is determined by mathematics: it is solvable if and only if the corresponding permutation is even. We will learn the basic properties of even and odd permutations. The task is to write a program that determines whether a permutation is even or odd. There is also a more difficult bonus task: to write a program that actually computes a solution (sequence of moves) for a given position assuming that this position is solvable.
8 videos, 3 lecturas, 1 cuestionario de práctica
- Vídeo: Permutations
- Vídeo: Proof: The Difficult Part
- Vídeo: Mission Impossible
- Vídeo: Classify a Permutation as Even/Odd
- Vídeo: Bonus Track: Fast Classification
- Reading: Slides
- Vídeo: Project: The Task
- Reading: Even permutations
- Reading: Bonus Track: Finding The Sequence of Moves
- Practice Quiz: Bonus Track: Algorithm for 15-Puzzle
- Vídeo: Quiz Hint: Why Every Even Permutation Is Solvable
Calificado: Puzzle: 15
Calificado: Transpositions and Permutations
Calificado: Neighbor transpositions
Calificado: Is a permutation even?
Preguntas Frecuentes
Cómo funciona
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
Help from Your Peers
Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.
Certificates
Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.
Creadores
Universidad de California en San Diego
UC San Diego is an academic powerhouse and economic engine, recognized as one of the top 10 public universities by U.S. News and World Report. Innovation is central to who we are and what we do. Here, students learn that knowledge isn't just acquired in the classroom—life is their laboratory.
National Research University Higher School of Economics
National Research University - Higher School of Economics (HSE) is one of the top research universities in Russia. Established in 1992 to promote new research and teaching in economics and related disciplines, it now offers programs at all levels of university education across an extraordinary range of fields of study including business, sociology, cultural studies, philosophy, political science, international relations, law, Asian studies, media and communications, IT, mathematics, engineering, and more.
Learn more on www.hse.ru
Tarifa
| Comprar curso | |
|---|---|
| Accede a los materiales del curso | Disponible |
| Accede a los materiales con calificación | Disponible |
| Recibe una calificación final | Disponible |
| Obtén un Certificado de curso para compartir | Disponible |
Calificaciones y revisiones
Nice course! I want to say thanks to teachers. Course was informative and new for me!
This course helps you to put your arguments forward to convince self and other people. There are several techniques to do that. Sometimes providing a single example does the trick while providing counter examples become necessary in other situations. Learners of this course will get new insight about known puzzles. How to find examples is an important part of this course. Alex and Michale are pretty good to put the thoughts that they have. Other lecturers sometimes may confuse pupil. Overall a great start to learn discrete mathematics.
I like the new title "Mathematical Thinking in Computer Science" rather than "What is a proof?". Good course for beginners of the subject discrete mathematics. It really does what the title says. It helps improve your mathematical thinking and prepares you for computer science studies.
Coursera brinda acceso universal a la mejor educación del mundo, al asociarse con las mejores universidades y organizaciones, para ofrecer cursos en línea.
© 2018 Coursera Inc. Todos los derechos reservados.
EZ
The course is well structured, and made interesting with interactive puzzles.