IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

Mathematics 201A: Introduction to Proofs

Instructor: Jonathan Smith, 496 Carver, 4-8172 (voice mail)

e-mail: jdhsmithATiastateDOTedu (substitute punctuation)

Office Hours: Mon. 11 am, 2.30 pm; Wed. 11 am; Fri. 11am, (subject to change).

Grading: 80% for in-class assignments (at random times), homework, and class participation; 20% for the final (Tue., 12/14, 7.30-9.30am).

Click here for information about special accommodations.

Click here for tally of points earned.

Textbook: G. Chartrand, A.D. Polimeni and P. Zhang, Mathematical Proofs, Pearson, 2008. ISBN 978-0-321-39053-0.

Study Plan: Regular attendance and participation in class activities are the prerequisites for success. Except in extreme circumstances, no accommodation can be given for failure to meet this responsibility.

Assignments will be given regularly. They will not be graded each week, but it is absolutely essential to solve each homework problem in order to understand the material and develop the necessary skills.

Communication devices must remain switched off during the class periods and final.

Syllabus: Chapters 1-7, 12: Sets, logic, proofs in algebra and calculus.

Assignments

Click here for Practice Final in Portable Document Format

Third graded homework due 12/6: Exercises 12.31, 12.8 (any proof), 12.14 (pp. 294-5).

12/1 for 12/3: Read Section 12.3; do Exercises 12.11, 12.15, 12.19 (p. 294).

11/29 for 12/1: Read Section 12.2; do Exercises 12.3, 12.9, 12.5 (pp. 293-4).

11/19 for 11/29: Read Section 12.1; do Exercises 12.2, 12.4, 12.6 (pp. 293-4).

Click here for Practice Test #2 in Portable Document Format

11/8 for 11/10: Scan Chapter 7; do Exercises 7.22, 7.34, 7.36, 7.44 (pp. 171-2).

11/5 for 11/8: Read Section 6.2; do Exercises 6.14, 6.18, 6.25(a) (p. 151).

11/3 for 11/8: Read Section 6.1; do Exercises 6.9, 6.11 (p. 150).

11/1 for 11/3: Read Section 6.1 (pp. 131-5); do Exercises 6.4, 6.5, 6.6 (p. 150).

10/27 for 10/29: Read Section 5.5; do Exercises 5.37, 5.36 (p. 125).

10/25 for 10/27: Read Section 5.1; do Exercises 5.1, 5.5, 5.4 (p. 124).

Second graded homework due 10/27: Exercises 5.20, 5.28, 5.38 (pp. 124-5).

10/22 for 10/25: Read Section 5.3; do Exercises 5.25, 5.27 (p. 125).

10/20 for 10/22: Read Section 5.4 (just through page 120); do Exercises 5.29, 5.30 (p. 125).

10/18 for 10/20: Read Section 5.2; do Exercises 5.9, 5.8, 5.14 (p. 124).

10/15 for 10/18: Read Sections 4.4, 4.5; do Exercises 4.36, 4.30 (p. 103).

Click here for Practice Test #1 in Portable Document Format

10/6 for 10/8: Read Section 4.3; do Exercises 4.18, 4.20, 4.24 (pp. 102-3).

10/4 for 10/6: Read Section 4.1; do Exercises 4.2, 4.4, 4.6 (pp. 101-2).


First graded homework (due 10/4)

For each question, state the proposition and write a formal proof.
  1. (5 points.) If  x  is an integer, then  x2 - 3x + 1  is odd.

  2. (5 points.) If  x  is an integer, and  x2 - 2  is odd, then  x  is odd.
Click here for printable version.

9/29 for 10/1: Read Section 3.4; do Exercises 3.20, 3.22, 3.23 (p. 83).

9/27 for 9/29: Read Section 3.3; do Exercises 3.12, 3.14, 3.16 (p. 83).

9/22 for 9/24: Read pages 70-1; do Exercises 3.7, 3.6 (p. 83).

9/17 for 9/22: Read Section 2.10; do Exercises 2.48, 2.46, 2.49 (pp. 62-3).

9/15 for 9/17: Read Section 2.9; do Exercises 2.39, 2.40, 2.42 (p. 62).

9/13 for 9/15: Read Sections 2.7, 2.8; do Exercises 2.30, 2.32, 2.36, 2.38 (pp. 60-1).

9/10 for 9/13: Read Sections 2.5, 2.6; do Exercises 2.18, 2.20, 2.24, 2.26 (p. 60).

9/8 for 9/10: Read Section 2.4; do Exercises 2.13, 2.14, 2.15 (p. 59).

9/3 for 9/8: Read Sections 2.2, 2.3; do Exercises 2.8, 2.10, 2.12 (pp. 58-9).

9/1 for 9/3: Read Section 2.1; do Exercises 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.6 (pp. 57-8).

8/30 for 9/1: Read Section 1.6; do Exercises 1.42, 1.44, 1.46 (p. 31).

8/27 for 8/30: Read Section 1.3; do Exercises 1.20, 1.24 (p. 29).

8/25 for 8/27: Read Section 1.2; do Exercises 1.8 - 1.12 (p. 28).

8/23 for 8/25: Read Section 1.1; do Exercises 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6 (pp. 27-8).