UnitLevel 1Undergraduate

MAT1830 Discrete mathematics for computer science

Faculty of Information Technology

MAT1830 Discrete mathematics for computer science is a level 1, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Information Technology, offered in 2021 in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton and Malaysia. It has no prerequisites and unlocks 5 units, leading on to 26 units in all. Students rate it 3.0 out of 5 from 1 review and call it moderate.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2021
Semester 1, Semester 2
Clayton, Malaysia
Assessment
Exam 60%
and 1 other task
Workload
144 hours
per semester

This is the 2021 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.

Reviews

Rated 3.0 out of 5 from 1 review
3.01 review
  1. 5 stars: 0
  2. 4 stars: 0
  3. 3 stars: 1
  4. 2 stars: 0
  5. 1 star: 0
Teaching
3.0out of 5 from 1 review
Content
3.0out of 5 from 1 review
Assessment
4.0out of 5 from 1 review
Usefulness
4.0out of 5 from 1 review
Difficulty
Moderate
Workload
Light

What students say

  • JSOctober 2026 · Took it in 2024
    3 out of 5: Okay

    Fine as a maths unit. Logic, proofs and graph theory are useful for later algorithms units. Lectures move fast and the notes are dense, so I mostly learned from the practice classes. Assessment is fair if you do the weekly problem sets.

    • Teaching3out of 5
    • Content3out of 5
    • Assessment4out of 5
    • Usefulness4out of 5
    • DifficultyModerate
    • WorkloadLight

Requisites

Enrolment rules

Prerequisite: VCE Specialist Mathematics or Mathematical Methods units 3 and 4 with a raw study score of at least 25 or Further maths with a raw study score of at least 35.

Prohibition: MAT1077, MTH1112

Overview

This unit introduces fundamental discrete mathematics topics including combinatorics, sets, relations and functions; methods of logic and proof, especially proof by induction; probability theory, Bayes' theorem; recursion; recurrence relations; trees and other graphs. It establishes the mathematical basis required for studies in Computer Science and Software Engineering.

Offerings in 2021

Teaching periodCampusMode
First semesterClaytonOn campus
First semesterMalaysiaOn campus
Second semesterMalaysiaOn campus
October 12 week teaching periodClaytonOn campus
October intake teaching period, Malaysia campusMalaysiaOn campus

Assessment

  • Continuous assessmentOtherThreshold hurdle
    40%
  • Examination (3 hours and 10 minutes)ExamThreshold hurdle
    60%

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    Identify basic methods of proof, particularly induction, and apply them to solve problems in mathematics and computer science;

  2. 2

    Manipulate sets, relations, functions and their associated concepts, and apply these to solve problems in mathematics and computer science;

  3. 3

    Use and analyse simple first and second order recurrence relations;

  4. 4

    Use trees and graphs to solve problems in computer science;

  5. 5

    Apply counting principles in combinatorics;

  6. 6

    Describe the principles of elementary probability theory, evaluate conditional probabilities and use Bayes' Theorem.

Workload and teaching

  • Lectures36 hours
  • Applied sessions18 hours
  • Teaching approachActive learning

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled online and face to face learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated reading and preparation for scheduled activities. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning and online engagement.

Learning resources

Required resources

Course notes booklet (available as a pdf from the course Moodle page and in hardcopy from the Clayton campus bookshop).

Recommended resources

The following textbooks are available at the library and may prove useful if you want additional resources beyond the course notes. It is not recommended that you buy them unless you find that you need your own copy.

"Discrete Mathematics" (7th Ed) by Richard Johnsonbaugh. ISBN: 0131354302.

"Discrete Mathematics for Computing" (3rd Ed) by Peter Grossman. ISBN: 9780230216112

Technology resources

Students should regularly check the course Moodle page for announcements.

Students may bring whatever resources they wish to classes.

Where it fits

MAT1830 is part of 10 areas of study in the 2021 handbook.

Contacts

Chief Examiners
Professor Ian Wanless
Unit Coordinators
Mr Tham WengKee

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for MAT1830?

MAT1830 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.

What can I take after MAT1830?

MAT1830 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 5 units, including FIT5138, MTH2051, MTH2121, MTH3051 and MTH3121. Those lead on to 26 units in all.

When is MAT1830 offered?

In 2021, MAT1830 runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton and Malaysia.

Is MAT1830 hard?

Students who took it rate it moderate to do well in and light on workload (1 rating). The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester.

Does MAT1830 have an exam?

Yes. The exam is worth 60% of the final mark, alongside 1 other task.

Which majors and minors include MAT1830?

MAT1830 is part of Applied mathematics, Computational science, Mathematics, Pure mathematics and Software engineering.

What do students think of MAT1830?

It is rated 3.0 out of 5 from 1 review. Read the reviews above or add your own.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
1
Study level
Undergraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Information Technology
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 1
Study abroad
Available