Discrete Math Implementation
ABET criteria state that students graduating with an ECE major
demonstrate a knowledge of discrete mathematics. To ensure
adequate coverage of discrete math concepts, the UPC
followed
the following steps
:
- Determine what topics constitute discrete math
- Determine:
- which topics are covered in existing courses
(both within ECE and in other departments), and
- which topics
are not covered in existing courses
- Identify best "home" for topics not covered:
- within ECE (modify existing ECE course or add course)
- within another department (require an existing out-of-department course)
Prof. Whitmal chaired an ad hoc discrete math subcommittee which
reported
on these issues.
After research on definitions of discrete math from organizations
such as MAA and ACM/IEEE, the following topics were identified:
- Sets / Functions
- Boolean algebra
- Proofs
- Graph theory
- Matrices
- Analysis of algorithms
- Sequences / recurrence relations
- Probability / combinatorics
Although there was coverage of discrete math topics in existing
courses (e.g. Boolean algebra in EE2022), some topics
traditionally associated with discrete math (e.g. graph theory,
proofs/algorithms) were not covered in ECE courses.
The UPC considered
a number of options for increasing coverage
of the discrete mathematics, including:
- requiring an existing discrete mathematics course (CS2022/MA2201) of
all students, or
- ensuring that the required discrete mathematics concepts were
covered in ECE courses
The discrete math subcommittee of the UPC studied the
issue by looking into the content of CS2022/MA2201
as well as coverage of discrete math concepts in the existing ECE
curriculum. The subcommittee
reported
that CS2022/MA2201 was
not a good option: the course did not cover all of the topics necessary
for ECE students, and spent time on topics not of interest to ECE
students. Conversely, many of the required discrete math concepts were
already covered in ECE courses. For those concepts not already covered,
material was moved to make room for the necessary discrete math concepts
in some ECE courses. The final motion creating the ECE major
incorporated
revised course descriptions
reflecting these changes. With these revised descriptions, coverage of
discrete math concepts maps to course work as follows:
| Topic
| Courses
|
| Sets / Functions
|
EE2022
|
| Boolean algebra
|
| Proofs
|
| Graph theory
|
EE2801
|
| Matrices
|
MA2071
|
| Analysis of algorithms
|
CS2005
|
| Sequences / recurrence relations
|
EE2312
|
| Probability / combinatorics
|
MA2631
or
MA3613
|
Although WPI's educational philosophy limits the use of required
courses, the distribution requirements were written so as to
ensure that virtually all students satisfying the distribution
requirements will take all of the courses listed in the table.
Note that the list in the table is not exhaustive; examples of
discrete math
concepts also covered in upper level courses:
- EE2799: Probability
- EE3703: Sequences, recurrence relations
- EE3801: Boolean algebra, proofs
- EE3901: Graph theory
- EE4304: Probability
- EE4502: Matrices, graph theory
- EE4801: Analysis of algorithms