SYDE 675 - Pattern Recognition - Winter 2024

Logistics

Lectures (Tentative)

SYDE 675

Grading

Assignments

Project

NOTE: You need to get at least 50% in the project to pass the course.

You need to conduct a research project, which could be an attempt to beat the state-of-the-art performance on an interesting dataset, an unexpected application of pattern recognition algorithms to a different field, a novel algorithm to address a need in pattern recognition, or theoretical analyses of the performance of pattern recognition or machine learning algorithm (new or old). You could choose your project into the following categories:

Your project should

There will be a project proposal due by March 1st (10% of the project grade). You are strongly suggested to remain in contact with the TA or instructor throughout the term to make sufficient progress on the project. A complete project report (and supporting materials, such as videos, supplementary files, code, etc.) is due by April 5th (11:59 PM). We expect the project report to be a maximum of 8 pages, excluding references. Use the NeurIPS or ICLR Latex template for your project report. In the final week of classes, we will have presentations for the project. Your presentations will contribute 10% towards your final project grade.

Your project report will be evaluated by its clarity, significance, rigor, presentation, and completeness.

Textbooks

There are no textbooks for the course. The following, however, are some excellent resources:

Resources

Policies

Academic Integrity: To maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Check the university website for more information.

Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.

Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offense, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offenses (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate Associate Dean. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline. For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.

Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70 (Student Petitions and Grievances) (other than a petition) or Policy 71 (Student Discipline) may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72 (Student Appeals).

Note for Students with Disabilities: The Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD), located in Needles Hall, Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the OPD at the beginning of each academic term.

Mental Health: If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support.

On-campus Resources

Off-campus Resources

Diversity: We intend that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course and that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class. We recognize the immense value of the diversity in identities, perspectives, and contributions that students bring, and the benefit it has on our educational environment. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let us know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups. In particular: