NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
FACULTY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION
BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (HONOURS)
Course Outline
DISCRETE MATHEMATICS PST 1232
SYNOPSIS
Real number systems: natural numbers; integers; rational and irrational numbers; real
numbers; decimal representations; interval rotation; inequalities and their solutions; absolute
value.
Set theory: introducing sets; set description; basic description and language; operation on
set; Venn diagrams; theorems of inclusion and operations on sets. De Morgan’s laws; indexed
sets and power sets; ordered pairs and Cartesian products; set theorems and proofs.
Relations: properties; symmetric and anti-symmetric; transitivity; types of relations; partial
order and equivalence relations.
Functions: properties; injective (one to one), surjective (onto functions), bijective, inverse of
a function, composition of functions.
Logic and proportions: predicates; truth values; logical equivalence and quantifiers.
Mathematical proofs: proof by mathematical induction; direct proof; proof by transposition;
contra-positive; proof by contradiction. Mathematical structures and operations; binary
operations and properties; groups and rings.
COURSE AIM
The aim of this course is to introduce some concepts and techniques of discrete and
combinatorial mathematics from an applicable point of view.
OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course students should be able to:
Define and perform operations on sets
Define and determine set relations
Familiarize with the real number system
Use truth tables to determine the veracity or falsity of given statements
Perform proofs of mathematics
COURSE DURATION
±60 hours on block release
COURSE CONTENT:
THE REAL NUMBER SYSTEM:
Types of number sets
Decimal Representations of Numbers
Inequalities and their solutions
Absolute value
SET THEORY:
Introducing sets
Theorems of inclusion operations on sets
Indexed sets
Set theorems and proofs
RELATIONS:
Introduction
Properties of relations
Types of relations
FUNCTIONS
Introduction
Types of Functions
Composition of functions
LOGIC AND PROPORTIONS:
Predicates
Truth Tables on conjunctions and disjunctions
Logical equivalence and quantifiers
MATHEMATICAL PROOFS:
Proof by Induction
Proof by transposition, contrapositive and contradiction
Mathematical Structures and operations
Binary operations and properties
Groups and Rings
ASSESSMENT:
Course work 40% (will consist of two in class tests and one assignment)
Examination 60% (one 3 hr written paper)
SUGGESTED READING
Ralph P Grimald, 5th [Link] and Combinatory Mathematics
Susanna S Epp, 4th edition Discrete Maths with Applications
Oscar Levin, 2nd Edition Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction
Lecturer: Mrs K Moyo 0775817953 email: kudamoyo5@[Link]
