CSC 233: Foundations of Computation, Spring 2012

Overview

Texts:

• Alfred V. Aho and Jeffrey D. Ullman, "Foundations of Computer Science," W. H. Freeman, 1992 (available on Moodle and from http://infolab.stanford.edu/~ullman/focs.html)
• Cay Horstmann, "Scala for the Impatient," Addison-Wesley, 2012 (introductory chapters available on Moodle and from http://typesafe.com/resources/scala-for-the-impatient)

Course Description:

(from the Catalog) This course explores the theoretical foundations of computation at various levels of abstraction. Specific topics include graph theory and related algorithms; functional programming with an emphasis on recursion and recurrences; the description of languages using formalisms such as regular expressions, finite state machines, and context free grammars; and digital logic and its application to sequential and combinational circuits.

Grading:

The grade for this course will be based on the following:

• 10%: Quizzes -- most classes will start with a short quiz, to encourage you to keep up with the reading; to avoid penalizing those who might miss a day or two, the bottom three quiz grades will be dropped
• 40%: Homework -- there will be some sort of assignment almost every day: readings, exercises, contributions to the course wiki; some problems will require programming, but not on the scale of a full programming project
• 30%: In-term exams -- Wednesday, February 29 and Wednesday, April 18; each will cover the preceding five weeks, and will be open-book/note
• 20%: Final exam -- Thursday, May 17, 8:30-11:30 am; this will be comprehensive

The grading scale used for this class will be the following: A (93-100), A- (90-92), B+ (87-89), B (83-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79), C (73-76), C- (70-72), D+ (67-69), D (63-66), D- (60-62), F (0-59). I reserve the right to alter this grading scale at any time. The last day to withdraw from class with a W is Friday, March 23rd.

Policy Statements:

• You are expected to attend all class sessions. However, I expect you to take your own education seriously, so I do not keep formal attendance records. If you miss a class, you are responsible for catching up with the material that was covered and any announcements that were made.
• There will be no makeup quizzes.
• Homework assignments are due by the start of class on the assigned date. Late submissions will be accepted until the next class time at a penalty of half the grade. Extensions will be considered only by prior arrangement.
• Cheating, plagiarism, submission of the work of others, etc., violates the DePauw policy on academic integrity and may result in penalties ranging from a lowered grade to course failure or expulsion. The policy and discussion of each student's obligations and rights are in the Student Handbook.
• With respect to this course, no collaboration is permitted on exams or quizzes. You may discuss homework problems with anyone you want (in fact, you are encouraged to do so), but you should not copy another student's work nor permit your work to be copied. The key idea is that you should understand all of the work you turn in, and you should be able to replicate it on your own. If you do not feel that you can replicate the work independently, then it is not fair (to yourself or to others) to submit it as your own work. If at any time you are uncertain what constitutes "appropriate" collaboration, it is your responsibility to clarify it with me.
• During class time, the computer at your seat should be used for note-taking, classroom interaction, and in-class exercises. You are not permitted to read e-mail, browse the web, play games, etc. while class is in session.
• Regrade requests will be entertained for up to one week after the assignment or exam is returned to the student. To request a regrade, please write out on a separate sheet of paper your request and attach it to the assignment or exam, and give it to me. A simple request for more points without a justification is not sufficient! Keep in mind that the entire assignment or exam may be regraded, so carefully consider your requests!
• Please feel free to offer me feedback (positive and negative) about my performance or anything else related to the class. This feedback will have no effect on your grade in the class.
• Reading assignments will be given in class. They will mostly consist of readings from the class textbook, but other handouts and papers may be assigned as well.
• All information about the class, whether given in this handout or in class, is subject to change.

DePauw University, Computer Science Department, Spring 2012
Maintained by Brian Howard (bhoward@depauw.edu). Last updated