Enumerative Combinatorics

A senior seminar on formal techniques in enumeration—that is, the study of counting things. Topics include elementary counting techniques, including the principle of inclusion-exclusion, along with more sophisticated techniques, such as generating functions and Polya theory. This will be an active learning course; our text will consist of a sequence of problems to be solved, and we will spend a significant portion of class time working in small groups on those problems. Students will also give presentations to the class.