NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Course title: Discrete Mathematics
Course prefix, number, and section number: MATH 2305 0600
Semester/Year of course: Spring 2026
Semester start and end dates: 1/12/2026 – 5/9/2026
Modality (Face to face):
Class meeting location: DNX 211, days, and times: TR 12:30-1:50 PM
Semester credit hours: 3 (Lecture hours: 48)
Course description: A course designed to prepare math, computer science, and engineering majors for a background in abstraction, notation, and critical thinking for the mathematics most directly related to computer science. Topics include: logic, relations, functions, basic set theory, countability and counting arguments, proof techniques, mathematical induction, combinatorics, discrete probability, recursion, sequence and recurrence, elementary number theory, graph theory, and mathematical proof techniques.
Course prerequisites: MATH 2413 Calculus I with a grade of “C” or better
Name of instructor: Jonathan Cohen
Office location: DNX 214
Email address: jcohen@nctc.edu
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Required course materials:
Included in Lion Book Bundle
Discrete Mathematics with Applications, Epps 4th Edition
Not included in Lion Book Bundle
Scientific calculator, TI-30X IIS is recommended
Note: Graphing calculators and phone calculators will not be allowed on exams. Calculators will largely not be helpful in this course.
Purchasing Course Materials
Starting in Spring 2026 NCTC is partnering with Barnes & Noble College (BNC) to make purchasing course materials easy and affordable. When students register for classes, they are automatically opted in to the Lion Book Bundle which will provide students first day access to course materials. In this program students are charged $24 per credit hour ($72 for a 3-hour class) as a fee on their NCTC student account. (These are labeled as “Book Fees” on NCTC invoice). Students may choose to opt out of this program, but would then be expected to purchase needed class materials on their own. If opting out, students would receive a refund on their NCTC student account. Students may choose to opt out starting one month prior to classes beginning through the first week of class. Students might benefit from opting out if they are enrolled in classes that use OER (free course materials). Note: The Lion Book Bundle applies to all classes a student is registered for in a given semester (both 16-week and 8-week). A student must either opt in or out for all classes—not each class individually. If you want to take advantage of the Lion Book Bundle, no action is needed as students are automatically opted in. If you would like to opt out of the program, you must go to the Opt-out page (click link below).
Click here for more information: Lion Book Bundle information
Lion Book Bundle for OER Courses
The Lion Book Bundle is a program NCTC has in partnership with Barnes and Noble College (BNC) where students are charged $24 per credit hour ($72 for a 3-hour course) for first day access to all required digital materials. This course uses OER (Open Educational Resources) which means there is no cost for students for course materials. Because you are enrolled in an OER course, you might be able to save money by opting out of the Lion Book Bundle program and purchasing required materials for each course individually. Note: A student must either opt in or out for all classes—not each class individually. Click here for more information and for a link to the Opt-out page: Lion Book Bundle information
STUDENT HOURS (OFFICE HOURS)
Each week instructors have time set aside to meet with students outside of class. (Traditionally these times are called “office hours”.) This is a time when a student may ask questions regarding the class, or discuss a particular problem/topic with an instructor one-on-one. Student hours may be held in-person or online. See below for instructions on where/when/how instructors will offer student hours in this class.
Office hours: <>
MATH TUTORING LAB
Students who need help with any math class can visit the NCTC Mathematics Lab to receive assistance. There are math tutors available on most campuses and online. This service is free for all students enrolled in an NCTC math class. For on-campus tutoring no appointment is needed. For online tutoring, go to UpSwing tutoring in OneLogin to make an appointment.
Tutor schedules and more information: www.nctc.edu/math-lab.
SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER
The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or writing.
SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
List of graded assignments: Weekly homework assignments, 3 midterm exams, one final exam. The homework will be worth 30% of the course grade, each exam will be worth 15%, and the final exam will be worth 25%. There will be no extra credit.
Final grade scale: 90 – 100% = A; 80 – 89% = B; 70 – 79% = C; 60 – 69% = D; Below 60% = F
The final exam may also be used to replace the lowest unit test grade.
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Homework Policy
Your homework assignment must be stapled together and ready to turn in at the beginning of
class. I will drop the lowest two homework grades when completing the semester grades. Homework will be turned in on paper during class. If you will be absent when homework is due, you can email a scanned copy to me. Cooperation on homework assignments (but not exams) is encouraged, but every student must turn in their own work.
Homework must be neat and legible, with the answers clearly marked (when applicable). Show all your work in clear steps on exams and homework. No (or little) work shown usually earns no credit - even if the answer is correct. Your proofs and solutions will be graded on four “C’s”: solutions must be clear, concise, complete, and correct. Your audience should an average student in this course, someone who has read the problem but does not know a solution. Rule of thumb: If a fact is “obvious,” then it can be proved in one or two lines, so you might as well include those lines. The back of the book contains hints, not solutions, to odd numbered problems: your solution must contain more detail than in the back of the book or any solution
guide. Copying the hint from the back of the book will earn little or no credit. In general, proofs
without enough detail or with confused steps will earn little or no credit.
How to Study:
Mathematics is a skill that requires practice to develop. It is also a language with its own rules
and conventions. In order to master the course material, you must exert consistent effort
throughout the semester:
• Read the relevant section(s) of the textbook carefully, including the examples, prior to and/or
immediately after each class period.
• Start working on each homework assignment as soon as possible after the corresponding
lecture.
• Make an honest attempt to solve the textbook review problems before reading the
hints/solutions.
Examination Policy
Tests will be closed-book and closed notes, but you will be permitted to bring a 3x5 index card.
Make-up exams will not be offered, except in extraordinary circumstances. I reserve the right to
test your ability to solve generalizations of the material covered in class or the textbook. In short, the problems on the exams may not look exactly like the ones in the book. Everything that I say in class is fair game for exam material. You will be responsible for everything unless I advise you to the contrary. The final exam will be comprehensive in the sense that problems may come from any of the sections covered during the semester.
Late work policy: Generally late homework will not be accepted for any reason. If you are unable to attend class, you may email me a scanned copy of your homework. However, if attendance becomes an issue, I reserve the right to insist on physically submitted homework. Makeup exams will only be offered in cases of extenuating circumstances.
Tentative Calendar:
Week 1: 5.1-5.2
Week 2: 5.3-5.4
Week 3: 5.5 and 2.1-2.3
Week 4: 3.1-3.3
TEST 1
Week 5: 4.1-4.3
Week 6: 4.4-4.6
Week 7: 1.2, 6.1-6.2
Week 8: 7.1-7.2
TEST 2
Week 9: 7.3, 8.1
Week 10: 8.2-8.3
Week 11: 9.1-9.3
Week 12: 9.3-9.5
TEST 3
Week 13: 10.1-10.3
Week 14: Spare room
Week 15: Final Exam Review
SEE CANVAS FOR THE COMPLETE COURSE CALENDAR, OUTLINE, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF GRADED WORK, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIAL.
COURSE POLICIES
Academic Integrity Policy: Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation, and collusion. The use of online math solvers with submitted work is considered academic dishonesty. Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty. See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Code of Conduct” for more details.
Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:
- Zero on the assignment
- Failing grade for the course
Canvas Access: All students must have complete access to Canvas and other online course materials for the entire semester. It is the student’s responsibility to have access to the internet, as well as all needed programs to complete both in-person and online courses. Students are not to give any other person access to his/her Canvas or online course platforms. Students can be removed from the course immediately upon violating this rule. Once a student his given another person access to his/her Canvas account, the credibility of any work completed becomes questionable.
Attendance Policy: Regular attendance is expected and necessary for student success in this course. For more information on attendance regulations please see the NCTC Catalog. (Attendance Regulations – NCTC Catalog). In the event of an absence, please contact me to address the issue promptly. We only meet twice a week and will be moving at a fast pace; it will be very easy to fall behind.
Withdrawal Policy: A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form.
Last day to withdraw from a Spring 2026 course with a “W” is: Monday, March 30, 2026
Student Learning Outcomes: At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
- Construct mathematical arguments using logical connectives and quantifiers.
- Verify the correctness of an argument using propositional and predicate logic and truth tables.
- Demonstrate the ability to solve problems using counting techniques and combinatorics in the context of discrete probability.
- Solve problems involving recurrence relations and generating functions.
- Use graphs and trees as tools to visualize and simplify situations.
- Perform operations on discrete structures such as sets, functions, relations, and sequences.
- Construct proofs using direct proof, proof by contraposition, proof by contradiction, proof by cases, and mathematical induction.
- Apply algorithms and use definitions to solve problems to prove statements in elementary number theory.
Core Objectives:
X Critical Thinking
X Communication
X Empirical and Quantitative
Teamwork
Personal Responsibility
Social Responsibility
COLLEGE POLICIES
ADA STATEMENT
NCTC will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations. See the OSD Syllabus Addendum.
AI STATEMENT
Absent a clear statement from a course instructor, use of or consultation with generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other similar technologies shall be treated analogously to assistance from another person, agency, or entity. In particular, using generative AI tools to substantially complete an assignment or exam is not permitted. Students should acknowledge the use of generative AI (other than incidental use) and default to disclosing such assistance when in doubt.
When students use generative AI to replace the rigorous demands of personal engagement with their coursework, it runs counter to the educational mission of the college and undermines the heart of education itself. Artificial Intelligence, large language models, and other such technologies hold promise for deploying knowledge in service to others and accelerating the discovery of new knowledge. However, such technology poses new challenges to pedagogy and to integrity. Within the context of the teaching mission of the college and consistent with the Student Code of Conduct, the authority to define the appropriate use, study, and deployment of these technologies rests with the faculty.
Individual course instructors, in coordination with their divisions, set policies regulating the use of generative AI tools in their courses, including allowing or disallowing some or all uses of such tools. Course instructors will set such policies in their course syllabi and clearly communicate such policies to students. Students who are unsure of policies regarding generative AI tools are encouraged to ask their instructors for clarification.
AI MATH DIVISION STATEMENT
Many online calculators, equation solvers, and graphing tools exist that may aid students in computing and visualizing math problems. These tools are a great resource for helping better understand how to work problems and can be a huge help in studying. However, these tools can be misused/overused. Math classes require students to develop a certain level of skill that a student must be able to demonstrate without the aid of these tools. Often a student may become reliant on these tools or have false sense of confidence in their knowledge and skills. Generally, if a student is using tools or resources to help learn material, eventually they must take away those resources to ensure they are able to work problems with only the tools allowed in the class. In short, we encourage students to use whatever tools they find useful in developing their knowledge and skills. But, these tools must be used thoughtfully so that true understanding and proficiency are developed.
STUDENT HANDBOOK
Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.
STUDENT SERVICES
NCTC provides a multitude of services and resources to support students.
See the NCTC Student Services page for those departments/programs and links to their sites.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS
The student should contact the instructor to deal with any questions, concerns, or complaints specific to the class. If the student and faculty are not able to resolve the issue, the student may contact the chair or coordinator of the division. If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may proceed to contact the instructional dean.
Name of Chair: Ben Owens
Office location: Corinth 174
Telephone number: 940.498.6209
E-mail address: bowens@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean: Mary Martinson
Office location: Gainesville 1403
Telephone number: 940.668.7731 ext. 4377
E-mail address: mmartinson@nctc.edu