Course Policies

The official syllabus can be found here. What follows is a summary and some elaboration.

Grading

The course grade will be apportioned as follows:
Homework 40%
Midterm 1 15%
Midterm 2 15%
Final exam 30%

Homework

  • All homeworks are due at the beginning of class.
  • You should do each problem on a separate page, with your name at the top of each page.
  • You are encouraged to work in groups of 2 or 3. If you do work in a group, please write the names of your group members on the top of the first page of your homework.
  • On all assignments each person should hand-in their own writeup. That is, collaboration should be limited to talking about the problems, so that your writeup is written entirely by you and not copied from your partner. In addition, list all members of your group.
  • We will not accept late submission. If you have special circumstances then you must make prior arrangement with the TA or instructor.
  • We strongly prefer that you type up your solutions (preferably using LaTeX). You may neatly hand-write your solutions, but if we have trouble reading them you will be required to type up future solutions.

Policies

Lateness and Absence

Make-ups for the two midterms and the final must be arranged at least one week in advance, barring extreme situations. Make sure to document any health problems you might have.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to adhere to the Department of Computer Science Academic Integrity Code. In particular, copying from the Internet or from each other is considered cheating.

Necessary Mathematical Background

The mathematical content necessary for this course can mostly be found in the CLRS appendices and Chapter 3. More important than specific mathematical knowledge, though, is mathematical maturity. You should know what a rigorous mathematical proof is and how to write one, including common techniques such as induction. If you are unsure as to whether or not your background is adequate, speak to the instructor as soon as possible.
Finally, feel free to contact the instructor to clarify these policies.