CSCI 2200: Foundations of Computer Science (FOCS), Spring 2026
Personnel
- Instructor:
Rado Ivanov
(ivanor@rpi.edu), Lally 309
- Course Coordinator: Shianne Hulbert (hulbes@rpi.edu), Aemos Eaton 125
- TAs: Hannah Powers (powerh), Shuhang Tan (tans5)
- Course Assistant: Eric Scheer (scheee2)
- Mentors: Jayden Carlson (carlsj6), Bryan Diep (diepb), Maddi Kriha (kriham), Aaron Li (lia10)
- Office hours:
- Rado: M 4-5pm, T 4-5pm (Lally 309)
- Shuhang: M 1-2pm (Lally 209B, Conference Room)
- Hannah: T 2-3pm (Lally 209B, Conference Room)
- Eric: F 2-3pm (Lally 209B, Conference Room)
- Mentors: by appointment
Class Time and Location
- Class: TF 10am-noon (DCC 324)
- Recitations (note some sessions start late to minimize TA inconvenience):
- W 11am-noon (Sage 4101)
- W noon-1pm (Sage 4101)
- W 3pm-4pm (Sage 4101)
- W 4pm-5pm (Sage 4101)
- Quiz 1: 8-9am, Feb. 11 (Sage 3303)
- if you need special accommodations, please go to Sage 5101
- Quiz 2: 8-9am, Apr. 1 (Sage 3303)
- if you need special accommodations, please go to Sage 5101
- Quiz 3: 8-9am, Apr. 22 (Sage 3303)
- if you need special accommodations, please go to Sage 5101
- Midterm Exam: 8-10am, Mar. 11 (DCC 318)
- if you need special accommodations, please go to Sage 5101
- Final Exam: TBD (scheduled by the Registrar)
Course Description
This is a theory course in discrete mathematics and the theory of computation. Every computer scientist should have a solid grasp of these concepts in order to be able to develop fast algorithms, design large systems and be able to reason about program correctness.
Discrete Mathematics
(i) Proofs, especially induction (ii) Sums and Recurrences (iii) Graphs (iv) Counting and Probability
Theory of Computing
(v) What is computing? (vi) How to compute? (vii) What can we compute? (viii) How fast? (P vs. NP)
Textbook
Discrete Mathematics and Computing, M. Magdon-Ismail.
The textbook is required. Reading the book is complementary to lecture material – you are also required to work through all exercises in addition to attending the lectures. Homework problems will be assigned from the book as well.
Grading
- Quizzes: 30% (10% each)
- Midterm Exam: 30%
- Final Exam: 30%
- Homeworks: 10%
- Bonus in-class pop-quizzes and in-recitation problems (see intro slides)
Useful Resources
Announcements
It is the student's responsibility to be aware of and understand all announcements made in the lectures.
Assignments
Unless otherwise noted, each assignment will be due
at midnight Tuesday. All assignments must be submitted through Submitty. You are expected to work alone on all assignments - please check the syllabus for a clarification of what constitutes academic dishonesty.
- . Deadline: 11:59pm, Tuesday, Jan. 20.
- . Deadline: 11:59pm, Tuesday, Jan. 27.
- . Deadline: 11:59pm, Tuesday, Feb. 3.
- . Deadline: 11:59pm, Tuesday, Feb. 17.
- . Deadline: 11:59pm, Tuesday, Feb. 24.
- . Deadline: 11:59pm, Tuesday, Mar. 17.
- . Deadline: 11:59pm, Tuesday, Mar. 24.
- . Deadline: 11:59pm, Tuesday, Apr. 7.
- . Deadline: 11:59pm, Tuesday, Apr. 14.
- . Deadline: 11:59pm, Tuesday, Apr. 28.
Past Quizzes and Exams
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Lectures
- Jan. 13 -- Course Overview []
- Jan. 16 -- Discrete Objects []
- Jan. 20 -- Precise Statements []
- Jan. 23 -- Proofs []
- Jan. 27 -- Induction []
- Jan. 30 -- Strong Induction []
- Feb. 3 -- Recursion []