SIGCSE attendees interested in math thinking have routinely wished for a place where engaging math reasoning examples and assignments that help connect mathematics and software development can be shared and discussed. Providing such a forum is the purpose of this session. The exercises and assignments will help faculty find ways to incorporate mathematical reasoning in CS1, CS2, data structures and algorithms, discrete math, and software engineering courses.

• Using Gamification to Engage Students While Learning Mathematical Induction
  Tim Gegg-Harrison and Nicole Anderson
  Winona State University
  
  
• Analysis of Running Time and Assertions for Sorting in CS2
  Doug Hogan
  Computer Science and Engineering, Penn State
  
  
• Analysis of Recursive, List-Based Insertion Sort
  Steve Vegdahl
  University of Portland
  
  
• Simple Mathematical Simulations for Event Driven Programming
  Suranga Hettiarachchi
  Computer Science Department, Indiana University Southeast

• Algorithmically Adversarial Input Design
  Brian Dean and Chad Waters
  School of Computing, Clemson University
  [Slides]
  
  
• Computing x^p: Reasoning with a Loop Invariant Leads to Discovery of an Efficient Implementation
  Bruce W. Weide
  Computer Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University
  [Slides]
  
  
• Debugging an Operation: Using a Failed Proof of Correctness as a Guide
  Joseph E. Hollingsworth¹ and Joan Krone^{2
  1}Computer Science, Indiana University Southeast
  ²Mathematics and Computer Science, Denison University
  [Slides (PowerPoint)] [Slides (PDF)] [Example]
  
  
• Search Strategies: Hi-Lo Game
  Clif Kussmaul
  Computer Science, Muhlenberg College
  [Slides]

There is near universal agreement in the community that computing students should learn analytical reasoning principles and understand the connections between mathematics and software construction. In the process they realize the importance of the mathematics they learn for software development. Educators need compelling examples and assignments to make such connections, and often they are difficult to come up with, because the background of students at different institutions vary widely. This session aims to provide a forum at SIGCSE where educators can share joys of teaching mathematical reasoning principles throughout the computing curriculum.

The proposed special session will borrow much from the organization of the highly successful, annual "Nifty Assignments" session at SIGCSE. Unlike that session which focuses on programming assignments, the focus of the present session will be on exercises that are engaging essentially because of the mathematical reasoning involved. Also, unlike that session, this session will feature innovative classroom exercises and activities that help highlight the connections between mathematics and software development, not necessarily just major, take-home projects. Ideally, the exercises can be done within one or two class periods and will have corresponding reasoning projects that can be assigned offline to reinforce the concepts considered.

An ideal submission will be a page or less and will include the items listed below. However this is just a guideline. Please feel free to adapt the outline to your specific needs.

• Title and Authors
• Objectives
• Why Is It Engaging
• The Exercise
• Reasoning Topics Covered
• Audience
• Discussion (Difficulty, Strengths, Weaknesses, Dependencies, Variants)
• Links\Attachments

Submission Due Date:December 6, 2013
Notification Date:December 16, 2013
Submissions and Questions: Joe Hollingsworth (jholly@ius.edu) or Murali Sitaraman (msitara@clemson.edu)

• Introduction and motivation for the special session (~ 5 mins.)
  
• Presentation of 4-5 featured engaging exercises (~ 55 mins.)
  
• Discussion and plans for future sessions (~ 15 mins.)
  

• Joe Hollingsworth - Indiana University Southeast
  
• Murali Sitaraman - Clemson University
  

• ACM SIGCSE 2013 Special Session