UT Austin CS 311: Discrete Math for Computer Science
CS 311 is UT's discrete mathematics course for CS majors: logic, proof techniques, induction, sets, functions, combinatorics, and graph theory foundations. It builds the mathematical reasoning that the theory-side courses (algorithms, computability) stand on.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with The University of Texas at Austin. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
Proof-writing is a skill most students have never practiced, and the course grades the rigor of arguments, not just answers. Induction proofs in particular separate students who've practiced from students who've watched. The abstraction level is the real adjustment: there's no procedure to memorize, only reasoning to construct.
What you'll cover
- • Propositional and predicate logic
- • Proof techniques
- • Mathematical induction
- • Sets, functions, and relations
- • Combinatorics
- • Graph theory basics
The CS 311 study guide
How to study for UT Austin CS 311, step by step.
- 1
Write proofs every week from week one
CS 311 grades the rigor of arguments, and reading worked proofs without writing your own is the classic losing strategy. A few honest attempts weekly is the whole method.
- 2
Make induction structural
Base case, hypothesis, inductive step: explicit every time. After a couple dozen checked attempts the format becomes mechanical, which is exactly the goal.
- 3
Get every proof checked
Self-graded proofs hide their own gaps. Office hours, discussion sections, study partners: someone else's eyes on your rigor is non-negotiable.
- 4
Restate counting problems in your own words
Ordered versus unordered, repetition versus not: one misread word flips the answer. Slow down at the problem statement, not the arithmetic.
Today
Today's CS 311 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for CS 311. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is CS 311 hard at UT?
It's a different hard than programming courses: abstract, proof-based, and ungameable by memorization. Students who write proofs weekly and get them checked do well; reading worked proofs without writing your own is the classic losing strategy.
Why do CS majors need CS 311?
Discrete math is the foundation under algorithms and theory of computation; correctness arguments, complexity reasoning, and graph problems all draw on it. Weakness in 311 resurfaces in every theory course that follows.
How do I get better at proofs in CS 311?
Write them, many of them, with explicit structure, and have each checked, since self-graded proofs hide their own gaps. Induction especially becomes mechanical after a couple dozen honest attempts with feedback.
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