Maths Resources

If you find yourself struggling with the mathematical component of this course, here are some steps to follow to get caught up:

1. Examine the content of the videos 10 through 25–with particular emphasis on the videos 17 through 22–of the YouTube video playlist Discrete Mathematics 1 by TheTrevTutor. These videos explain some of the required prior knowledge and are suitable for novices to mathematical logic. Depending on your prior knowledge, you might need to watch all these videos or only some of them in order to revise or learn the basics of propositional/statement and predicate/first-order logic. In particular, ensure that you understand and can independently apply in logical proofs: the logic laws, the conditionals and the rules of inference. You need to be able to independently solve all example exercises given in these videos.
2. Scan through Chapter 3 of the free online textbook Mathematics for Computer Science by E. Lehman, F.T. Leighton and A.R. Meyer. Depending on your level of knowledge (prior knowledge and knowledge from watching the videos mentioned above), you might need to read the whole Chapter 3 or only some of its sections to further strengthen your understanding of mathematical logic.
3. To check your level of understanding of propositional/statement and predicate/first-order logic, independently write answers to the following exercises from Chapter 3 of Mathematics for Computer Science:
   • Problem 3.8 (pages 74, 76), but additionally prove this claim using the logic laws (in 1.b use an argument by cases, in the new 1.c use the logic laws)
   • Problem 3.15 (page 80)
   • Problem 3.46 (pages 99-100)

If you have difficulties with some of these questions, ask for help.