IMPORTANT INFORMATION

CPS 1 (Ramm, Spring Semester 1997)

General Information

Name: Office: Phone: Hours: E-mail:

Instructor Dietolf Ramm D310 LSRC 660-6532 MWF 3:25-... or by appointment. ramm@cs.duke.edu

Grad Teaching Assistant Stacey Luoma 06 North Bldg 660-4006 M 0:30-10:30, W 11:00-12:00 or by appointment. luoma@cs.duke.edu

Lectures

MWF 1:10-2:00, Love Auditorium (B101), LSRC

Labs

Section 1. Mon 2:20, 130 North Section 2. Tue 2:15, 130 North Section 3. Wed 2:20, 130 North Section 4. Thu 2:15, 130 North

Section 5. Fri 2:20, 130 North Section 6. Mon 3:55, 130 North Section 7. Tue 3:50, 130 North Section 8. Wed 3:55, 130 North

Lab Assistants (UTAs)

Text

Great Ideas in Computer Science, Alan W. Biermann, The MIT Press

Diskettes

A box of 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 topics (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 experience in computer science and who want a general overview of the field. Little or no 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 notations in the course and to use them extensively.

Making the Grade

• Grading

  component	approx. weight
  Programs, problems (labs)	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 appropriate, 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 can receive up to 80% of full credit if handed in within seven days of the due date.
  Re-submission: If a grading error has been found, then return the homework with a written statement as to what the error is. The grader will make an adjustment to the grade if there is an error.
  Quizzes: 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 desirable, the assignments must be the work of the individual. 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 programs to others. Don't leave printouts of your programs lying around.