Combinatorics and Computing, Term 2, 2023-24 Link to CAS 721 homepage (www.cas.mcmaster.ca/~franek/courses/cas721)
| The instructor and the university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of each student to check his/her McMaster email, the Avenue notices, and the course web site daily during the term and to note any changes. |
F. Franek, ITB-126
extension: 23233office hours are variable, so please, first check Prof. Franek's web site where the current office hours
are posted: http://www.cas.mcmaster.ca/~franek
Except the instructor, there is no course assistance by Teaching or Research assistants.
The student course evaluation is conducted on-line in the period TBA.
Lectures |
Day | Time | Location | Comments |
C01 |
Wednesday |
13:30-16:20 | ITB 222 |
|
| Topics in applied combinatorics and graph theory of importance to both theoretical computer science and practical computing including combinatorial computing. Main topics: graph theory and algorithms, combinatorial optimization and algorithms, design theory and coding theory. Solving problems in finite combinatorics using computers. |
| Three lectures, first term |
| Prerequisites: Registration in any graduate programme at McMaster University and a permission from the instructor |
This year, the main course objective is to study and discuss
zero-knowledge proofs and their role in cryptography and secure computing. We will cover some of the major
areas and current directions of research:
Each student in the class will be given a topic to research and prepare a 1/2 hour - 1 hour lecture and write a report, depending on the number of students enrolled. The presentations will take place at the end of the term, details will be posted. |
Evaluation is based on a research topic presentation and a write-up concerning the topic, see below.
| midterm test | 50 % |
|
| presentation | 30 % |
|
| report | 20 % |
After the midterm recess, each student in the class will select one topic from a list of topics provided by the instructor, or come with his/her own topic that is connected to the course material. The students are expected to consult additional sources than just the material presented in the class.The result of the study will be a 30-60 minute presentation in the class at the end of the term (the length will be adjusted to the number of student sin the class). In addition, each student will submit a report describing the research for the presentation in more details. The length of the report should be 10-20 pages. |
Most of the communication and the course management is provided via the course
web site It is the responsibility of each student to check the web site regularly and keep
informed about the course and possible changes. Some of the course web site features are
only accessible to students with a valid course password. A valid password is created by
the student registered in the course via the course web site |
| Students with disabilities can receive accommodations to assist them in the completion of lab and home projects. Please contact the Student Accessibility Services (SAS) at https://sas.mcmaster.ca/ for advice and for arranging assistance. Since most of the course is conducted via internet, their are very few issues concerning accessibility. Students are encouraged to discuss with the instructor about all these issues. |
| The Faculty of Engineering is concerned with ensuring an environment that is free of all adverse discrimination. If there is a problem that cannot be resolved by discussion among the persons concerned individuals are reminded that they should contact the Department Chair, the Sexual Harassment Officer or the Human Rights Consultant, as soon as possible. |
| Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by other
fraudulent means and can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an
assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: "Grade
of F assigned for academic dishonesty"), and/or suspension or expulsion from the
university. It is the student's responsibility to understand what constitutes academic
dishonesty. For information on the various kinds of a academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy located at https://secretariat.mcmaster.ca/university-policies-procedures-guidelines/quick-link-students/ |
