Advanced Graph Theory
MATH 656
SYLLABUS

Spring 2020
TR 11:0012:15
  Harris Hall 4145

 
VCU

Instructor: Richard Hammack
Office hours:
Office: Harris Hall 4166
Tuesday, 9:30–10:45
Course webpage: www.people.vcu.edu/~rhammack/Math656 Wednesday, 12:00–12:50
Home: 355-3963
Thursday, 9:30–10:45
E-mail: rhammack@vcu.edu
and by appointment

Required Text: Introduction to Graph Theory (Second Edition) by Douglas B. West
(ISBN 0-13-014400-2)

This is a second course in graph theory, building on the material of MATH 556. Topics include material from Chapters 5 (coloring), 6 (planarity) and 7 (edges and cycles). Topics in the later part of the semester will be selected from Chapter 8 and determined by student interest.

Your grade is determined by two tests, homework and a final exam.

Homework: Written homework assignments will be collected, graded and returned throughout the semester. Please adhere to the following guidelines. Take particular note of items 5 and 6 concerning collaboration and resources.
  1. Papers are collected at the beginning of class on appointed days.
  2. If you must miss class when an assignment is due, please give it to me early or have a classmate turn it in for you.
  3. If you are unable submit your homework in class you may email it to me, but it must arrive in my inbox no later than the beginning of class on the day it is due.  I sometimes don't print emailed assignments, so you may not get any written feedback from me. If the scan is of poor quality I will not be able to grade it. The file should be a single PDF document with correct orientation, pagination and scale.
  4. Exceptionally sloppy or disorganized work is not graded.
  5. I encourage you to work together, though the work you turn in must be your own.
  6. If you are really stuck I can give you a hint. You may also consult other printed textbooks or articles for ideas and additional background. However, do not search the Internet for solutions. I do not grade work that I recognize as copied or paraphrased. Repeated offenses will be treated as honor violations.
  7. In addition to the work you hand in, you should work lots of extra problems for practice. Your best strategy is to work the problems that interest you the most. If an unassigned exercise become boring or tedious, then move on.
  8. In addition to regularly assigned exercises, I may occasionally suggest optional open-ended and more challenging exercises. Such problems can be turned in at any time during the semester. Correct solutions will garner extra credit.
  9. Some assigned problems are intended to make you think about ideas not discussed in class.
Tests: Both tests are closed-book and closed-notes, and no computing technology of any type is allowed. The dates will be determined at least several weeks in advance and posted on the course calendar.

Final Exam: The final exam is comprehensive. It is closed-book and closed-notes, and no computing technology of any type is allowed. It is scheduled for 8:00–10:50 a.m. on Tuesday May 7.

Grading:
The 10-point grading scale is used:
A: 90100
B: 8089
C: 7079
D: 6069
F: 059
Your final average will be computed as follows:
Test 1 25%
Test 2 25%
Homework 25%
Final Exam: 25%

Total: 100%
  Attendance: I do not take attendance. You are responsible for all material covered in class.

Make-up Work: If you miss a test for a documented illness or emergency, then I will consider scheduling a make-up for a later date, provided you notify me before the test.  If you miss the final exam for a legitimate reason (i.e. a documented illness or emergency) then I can give you a grade of Incomplete (I) for the course, and you will need to make up the missed exam by the date set by the University. I will drop a few low homework scores. If you miss a homework, then it counts as one of the dropped grades, up to the number of homework grades dropped.

Web Page:
Information about this course is posted on my web page (not on Blackboard). Go to www.people.vcu.edu/~rhammack/Math656. There you will find the syllabus, the course calendar and other materials. Solutions for all graded work will be posted after the due dates.

Email: Any email correspondence concerning this course should be through your official VCU email address. University policy prevents me from discussing many aspects of the course through other email addresses. I may send email messages either to the whole class or individuals in the class. It is your responsibility to check your VCU email regularly.

Cell Phones, Laptops and Tablets: Please do not use these in class. Keep them stowed away for the entire duration of every class.

Office: Please feel free to stop by my office whenever you have a question, or if you just want to chat. If my posted hours are inconvenient, I will be happy to schedule an appointment. Tell me if you are having trouble. Catching up can be very difficult once you get behind, so let me know as soon as you think there is a problem.

Last day to withdraw: Friday, March 20.

Read VCU's syllabus statements at
http://www.provost.vcu.edu/academic-affairs/operations/syllabus-statements/