CPS 1 (Ramm)
                      Spring Semester 1996
                       GENERAL INFORMATION
                Instructor:                    Teaching Assistant:
                  Dietolf Ramm                   Badri Ramaswami
    Office:       D310 LSRC                      D330 LSRC
    Phone:        660-6532                       660-6589
    Hours:        MWF 2:15                       TBA
                or by appointment.            or by appointment.
    E-mail:       ramm@cs.duke.edu               br@cs.duke.edu

Lectures:
  MWF 1:10-2:00, B101 LSRC
Labs:
  Section 1.  Mon 2:20, 130 North      Section 5.  Fri 2:20, 130 North
  Section 2.  Tue 2:15, 130 North      Section 6.  Mon 3:55, 130 North
  Section 3.  Wed 2:20, 130 North      Section 7.  Tue 3:50, 130 North
  Section 4.  Thu 2:15, 130 North      Section 8.  Wed 3:55, 130 North
Texts:
  o+ Great Ideas in Computer Science, Alan W.  Biermann,  The  MIT
  Press
  o+ Turbo Pascal Version 7.0, Borland International, Inc.
Diskettes:
  At least two High Density 3 1/2" diskettes.
Course Outline:
 A. Computer programming in the language Pascal
  Decision trees
  Text manipulation
  Numerical Computation
  Top down programming and subroutines
  Software engineering
 B. Understanding what a computer is and how it works
  Electric Circuits
  Transistors
  Very Large Scale Integration
  Machine architecture
  Language translation
 C. Understanding the limits of computer science and advanced to-
 pics (as time permits)
  Complexity theory
  Parallel computation
  Simulation
  Computability and non-computability
  Artificial Intelligence
  Virtual Environments for Computing
  Computer Communications




















Who Should Take This Course:
  This course is designed for students who have little or no  ex-
  perience in computer science and who want a general overview of
  the field.  Little or not mathematical background is  required.
  However, students should be prepared for a rigorous coverage of
  computing including extensive programming, detailed studies  of
  the  internals  of  the  computer, and various advanced topics.
  Students should be prepared to learn several mathematical nota-
  tions in the course and to use them extensively.
First Assignment:
  Lab sections begin on Monday, January  22  and  continue  after
  that  as  scheduled.  Bring at least two high density diskettes
  and your copy of the Turbo Pascal compiler.  Read Chapter 1 and
  Chapter  2 to page 46 in the book "Great Ideas in Computer Sci-
  ence" and be prepared for a quiz on this material in  the  lec-
  ture on Wednesday, January 17.
Grading:                                (approximate weight)
  Programs, problems                              20%
  Programming test (in the last lab meeting)      10%
  Quizzes (at the end of each Wednesday lecture)  25%
  "Midterm" Exam                                  20%
  Final exam                                      25%

Note: Grades received on tests and homework assignments are raw
  scores  only.   They may be ``curved'' up or down, as appropri-
  ate, to get a reasonable distribution of A's, B's,  C's,  etc.,
  in the course.
Grading policy:
  Lateness: Homework or programs not completed on time  will  re-
  ceive  80% of full credit if handed in within seven days of the
  due date.

  Re-submission: If a grading error has been noted,  then  return
  the homework with a written statement as to what the error was.
  The grader will then make an adjustment to  the  grade  if  ap-
  propriate.

  The two lowest quiz grades will be dropped.
Records:
  Keep copies of all homework assignments and tests  until  after
  the  end of the course.  Occasionally assignments are misplaced
  and errors are made in grading.  You will be expected  to  have
  copies of all of your work.
Cooperation:
  While constructive cooperation between  students  is  possible,
  even desirable, the assignments must be the work of the indivi-
  dual.  Quizzes and tests may have more than one version in  use
  at any given time.  If you accidentally see someone else's test
  and that person seems to have a different  answer  from  yours,
  don't  panic,  both  may be right.  UN-ethical behavior will be
  referred to the Judicial Board.

  It is your responsibility to not lend diskettes with your  pro-
  grams  to others.  Don't leave printouts of your programs lying
  around.