Lectures: Tuesday and Thursday 10-11:30
Instructor: Thomas Lam, 2834 East Hall, tfylam@umich.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 2-3:30pm
No office hours on October 4 or October 6.
On October 13, I have to attend a thesis defense at 2. However, I should be back in my office some time after 3pm.
Prerequisites:
You have to be comfortable with reading and writing proofs. Some experience with abstract algebra, such as group theory or proof-based linear algebra
is assumed. Past experience with combinatorics is also helpful.
Grading:
There will be problem sets every one or two weeks. There will be no final exam.
The midterm will be on Thursday October 20 during class time.
Grades will be calculated from: Midterm (25%) and Problem Sets (75%).
Midterm: The midterm covers material in Chapters 3,4,5,33. The midterm is "one open book". You can bring your textbook, or a single book consisting of your notes. The midterm will be 80 minutes.
Textbook (Required): A course in combinatorics, J. H. van Lint and R. M. Wilson, 2nd edition.
Homework policy: You are allowed to work with other students on the problem sets, but you must include the names of those you worked with when you hand in your homework. You are not allowed to post homework problems on question websites such as mathoverflow or stackexchange. If you use a solution you find in a book, online, or elsewhere, you must acknowledge the source.
Syllabus (subject to change):
Extremal Graph Theory and Combinatorics:
Turan's theorem, Ramsey's theorem, Brooks' theorem, chromatic number and polynomial, planar graphs and graphs on surfaces, five-color theorem, Van der Waerden's theorem
Geometric Combinatorics:
projective and combinatorial geometries, matroids, hyperplane arrangements, characteristic polynomials, geometric lattices, polytopes
List of lectures: