MATH, PUZZLES AND COMPUTERS

MATH, PUZZLES AND COMPUTERS

TC 310 (43360) Modes of Reasoning

Spring 2007

Instructor: Fernando Rodriguez Villegas
Address: Department of Math, UT Austin, Austin, TX 78712
Phone: (512) 471-1137
Office: RLM 9.164
Fax: 512-471-9038
E-mail: villegas@math.utexas.edu


CLASS: TTh 11:00PM - 12:30PM RLM 5.112

OFFICE HOURS: T 10:00 - 11:00 (or by appointment)


COURSE DESCRIPTION: In this course we will discuss interesting mathematical puzzles and their underlying mathematics. We will also consider the use of the computer as a tool both to analyze complicated puzzles and to actually try them out.

Some of the topics and puzzles we will discuss are: Nim and related games; Blet (involving group theory); fiver (involving linear algebra over a field of two elements); chinese rings (involving the Gray code); topological puzzles; simulated annealing and other algorithms to model some of the puzzles, etc. There is no text assigned for the class; instead handout notes will be provided covering each topic. Class notes will be posted weekly.


FIRST DAY HANDOUT

First day handout

HOMEWORK

LECTURES

NOTES

LINKS


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