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CO 330Combinatorial Enumeration

Units
0.50
Faculty
Mathematics
Subject
Combinatorics and Optimization

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 4 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

The algebra of formal power series. The combinatorics of the ordinary and exponential generating series. Lagrange's implicit function theorem, applications to the enumeration of permutations, functions, trees and graphs. Integer partitions, geometric methods, enumerating linear transformations. Introduction to the pattern algebra, applications to the enumeration of strings. Lattice paths, Wiener-Hopf factorization. Enumeration under symmetries.

Prerequisites

  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • MATH239 - Introduction to Combinatorics (0.50)
    • MATH249 - Introduction to Combinatorics (Advanced Level) (0.50)

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

Fall 2026 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 001595243 / 60MWF 09:30–10:20

Reviewed on UW Flow

79% liked it41% easy75% useful

From 24 ratings and 10 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • This course covered a really wide range of different topics. Some were really fun, others were meh. Take this course if you enjoyed the first half of MATH 239/249.

    Mar 2018 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Cool course about enumeration. if you like combinatorics or graphs, this course is for you. You can view Melczer's notes on https://enumeration.ca/

    Dec 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Very fulfilling course with moderate workload. The mindset of this course can get very mindblowing at some points, but it sometimes gets a bit boring since we just apply the same method to different combinatorial objects.

    Dec 2024 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Unlike others, I think this is actually useful because it gave me all the context needed to understand texts like Flajolet and Sedgewick's "Analytic Combinatorics" and their "Introduction to Analysis of Algorithms" and I think analyzing algorithms is useful.

    Nov 2024 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Hardest and possibly the most useless course of my life. But the content is extremely interesting and some of the proofs and theorems blew my mind. I'd recommend to anybody who enjoyed the first part of math 239, and doesn't mind tanking their CAV.

    Dec 2023 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

56 posts and comments in 51 threads mention CO 330, September 2011 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Fall 2024

Spring 2024

2A math courses selection how doable is five major courses? 10 points, 13 comments

“Honours Math, for 2A courses selection I'm choosing between the following two plans Plan A: Math 237 Stat 230 CO 250 CS246 + CLAS104 Plan B: Math 237 Stat 230 CO 250 CS246 + Math235 given that i'm …”

u/KLWG-: “I do CO330/431/456/450/442 and ECON102 in my 3B. I suggest to try how far you can go and drop some if you feel burned out.”

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Enumeration-like courses 4 points, 4 comments

u/True_Problem6230: “I enjoyed the binary string part of math 239 and i’m wondering what future course (CO or other kind of theory courses) go more in depth into that or explore topics like that? I checked out CO 330 but it didn’t seem to cover topics like that.”

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Winter 2024

Fall 2023

Emergent! Any CO / PMATH course this term without in-person quizzes?!! 1 point, 1 comment

“Guys I couldn't come to school until maybe midterm, forgot to renew my visa😭 but trying to take as much main course as I can. I am in CO & CM program, interested in joint PMATH. …”

u/theonlyavailablrname: “Neither of CO 330 + 367 have in person quizzes. Both have assignments and an in-class midterm. 367 won’t have comprehensive notes online, but 330 should be a bit better in that respect. That’s just how it seems from day 1 tho”

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Winter 2023

How hard does stat 333 get? 9 points, 5 comments

“I just wrote the first midterm for stat 333 and it was probably the hardest exam I’ve ever written. I know for a fact I failed it. How much harder does the course get from here? …”

u/youcanreachmenow: “Keep going. I did 334 (a mic of 333 and 335) and the final lelted my brain so much I probably got a 40 on the CO 330 exam the next day.”

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Fall 2022

What should I do to get approval of 7 courses? 2 points, 35 comments

“Hi everyone. I'm in the Faculty of Mathematics -- and I'm aiming to take 7 courses at some point (it's something like 6 math and 1 elective) from 3A onwards. …”

u/djao: “The actual answer is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/uwaterloo/comments/n62nf0/whataretherequirementstotake6or7courses/ Source: I am on the S&P committee. …”

u/Novel_Brain9700: “Can I ask how does this work? Does this mean taking CO 330 & CO 342 (Enumeration and Graph Theory) implies that you won't need MATH 249? (Suppose that one has taken 330 and 342 before 249 due to overriding)”

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Fall 2021

learning curve from math239 to co330 3 points, 1 comment

“What's the learning curve from the first half of math239 to co330 (Combinatorial Enumeration)? I very much enjoyed the first half of math239 (although did find it difficult), so I want to take co330 …”

u/ILoveDoubleDoubles: “… I’m in CO 330 right now and I’ll tell you some of my findings. I really enjoyed the first half of 239 too, which was why I decided to take 330 over 342 (after seeing my friends complain about 342 I feel like I made the right choice). …”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

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