Summer schedule is now available! Enroll today to secure your spot!

Need Help?

Need help finding the right class? Have a question about how classes work?

Click here to Ask AoPS!

Intermediate Counting & Probability

Topics in discrete mathematics, including clever one-to-one correspondences, principle of inclusion-exclusion, generating functions, distributions, the pigeonhole principle, induction, constructive counting and expectation, combinatorics, systems with states, recursion, conditional probability, and introductory graph theory.

18 weeks

Diagnostics

ARE YOU READY? DO YOU NEED THIS?

Documents

SYLLABUS
18 weeks ARE YOU READY? DO YOU NEED THIS? SYLLABUS  

Schedule

Tuesday
Nov 7 - Mar 26
7:30 - 9:00
PM ET
Nov 7 - Mar 26
7:30 - 9:00 PM Eastern
6:30 - 8:00 PM Central
5:30 - 7:00 PM Mountain
4:30 - 6:00 PM Pacific
Click here to see more time zones
$560 (~$32/week)
$616 w/books
$560 (~$32/week)
With Books $616
CLOSED
Sunday
Feb 25 - Jun 30
7:30 - 9:00
PM ET
Feb 25 - Jun 30
7:30 - 9:00 PM Eastern
6:30 - 8:00 PM Central
5:30 - 7:00 PM Mountain
4:30 - 6:00 PM Pacific
Click here to see more time zones
$560 (~$32/week)
$616 w/books
$560 (~$32/week)
With Books $616
CLOSED
Wednesday
Mar 20 - Jul 17
7:30 - 9:00
PM ET
Mar 20 - Jul 17
7:30 - 9:00 PM Eastern
6:30 - 8:00 PM Central
5:30 - 7:00 PM Mountain
4:30 - 6:00 PM Pacific
Click here to see more time zones
$560 (~$32/week)
$616 w/books
$560 (~$32/week)
With Books $616
ENROLL
Monday
May 13 - Sep 23
7:30 - 9:00
PM ET
May 13 - Sep 23
7:30 - 9:00 PM Eastern
6:30 - 8:00 PM Central
5:30 - 7:00 PM Mountain
4:30 - 6:00 PM Pacific
Click here to see more time zones
$560 (~$32/week)
$616 w/books
$560 (~$32/week)
With Books $616
ENROLL
Sunday
Jun 30 - Nov 3
7:30 - 9:00
PM ET
Jun 30 - Nov 3
7:30 - 9:00 PM Eastern
6:30 - 8:00 PM Central
5:30 - 7:00 PM Mountain
4:30 - 6:00 PM Pacific
Click here to see more time zones
$560 (~$32/week)
$616 w/books
$560 (~$32/week)
With Books $616
ENROLL

AoPS Holidays

There are no classes May 25 ‐ 27, July 4, August 30 ‐ September 2, and November 25 ‐ December 1.

Who Should Take?

Students should have a complete mastery of basic counting as described in the diagnostic test above before taking this course. Students should also have a solid algebra background through our Intermediate Algebra class (or a typical honors Algebra 2 class and some Precalculus). Students who have completed the Art of Problem Solving Intermediate Algebra and Introduction to Counting & Probability classes should feel comfortable taking this class. (However, students are not required to take these classes before taking Intermediate Counting & Probability - use the diagnostic test above to determine if this class is right for you.)

Lessons

Lesson 1 Review of Counting and Probability Basics
Lesson 2 Principle of Inclusion & Exclusion
Lesson 3 Advanced Inclusion & Exclusion
Lesson 4 Constructive Counting
Lesson 5 One-to-one Correspondences
Lesson 6 One-to-one Correspondences Continued and Pigeonhole
Lesson 7 Constructive Expectation
Lesson 8 Distributions
Lesson 9 Mathematical Induction and Fibonacci Numbers
Lesson 10 Recursion and Catalan Numbers
Lesson 11 Conditional Probability
Lesson 12 Combinatorial Identities
Lesson 13 Events with States
Lesson 14 Generating Functions, Week 1
Lesson 15 Generating Functions, Week 2
Lesson 16 Graph Theory, Week 1
Lesson 17 Graph Theory, Week 2
Lesson 18 Bonus Topics and Challenging Problems

Required Textbook

Intermediate Counting & Probability
By David Patrick
An intermediate textbook in counting and probability for students in grades 9-12, containing topics such as inclusion-exclusion, recursion, conditional probability, generating functions, graph theory, and more.
Related course: Intermediate Counting and Probability

Great course. As a senior in high school I decided to take this course as I had never been exposed to math that required problem solving in my education, let alone discrete math. With this class I went from almost no discrete math knowledge (and commensurately poor problem solving skills) to a place where I will be taking the 400-level combinatorics sequence at my University in a few months and have had concurrent improvement in my problem solving ability.