There are two hard prerequisites (equivalent courses are also acceptable):
COMPSCI 201 Data Structures and Algorithms
COMPSCI 230 Discrete Math for Computer Science
This is a "proof-based" course. The students will be expected to demonstrate mathematical maturity commensurate with having taken the above courses and mastered their material. If you do not satisfy these prerequisites, please contact the instructors.
Details TBA (during first week) -- This is not considered final until this note is removed. Anything announced in the first lecture takes precedence over what is written here until that time.
There will be nine homework assignments, not including Homework 0, roughly one per week. Each assignment will count for ONE homework unit. Of the NINE units in total, the best SEVEN units will be considered for the final grade. Each homework unit will carry a weight of 8% of the final grade, for a total of 56%.
There will be TWO midterms and ONE final exam. The midterms will count for ONE exam unit EACH, and the final exam will count for TWO exam units. Of the FOUR units in total, the best THREE units will be considered for the final grade. Each exam unit will carry a weight of 11% of the final grade, for a total of 33%.
Participation in your recitation section every week will earn 1% of the final grade, up to a cumulative maximum of 9% over the course of the semester. The first recitation (Monday 1/10/22) will be a review for which attendance will not be taken. This means it will not count in the final grade. This leaves 12 other recitations. There are no excused absences for recitation; the three over the 9% cap are intended to cover all absences, excused and unexcused. See below for details regarding which section you should attend.
The remaining 2% of the course grade will be based on participation levels in surveys, etc. sent throughout the semester. For surveys that are anonymous, credit is based on overall participation; if we hit the desired participation level, everyone will get credit, and otherwise no one will.
The course will us relative grading and the final letter grades will depend on overall class performance. But, in choosing the final cutoffs, the following absolute course grade minimums will be ensured.
60% and higher: D- or higher
70% and higher: C- or higher
80% and higher: B- or higher
90% and higher: A- or higher
Review the detailed guidelines on collaboration. Any violation of these guidelines will be reported without exception to the relevant authorities. This has led to disciplinary action in the past, so better be safe than sorry.
We will use Gradescope for all homework submissions.
Homework solutions must be submitted by 11:59 pm Durham (Eastern) time on the due date.
You will get no credit if you submit your homework after the submission deadline. A submission will be considered late if the submission website (Gradescope) marks it as late. Submissions submitted between 12:00 am and 12:29 am to Gradescope will be penalized with a 10% deduction of the final grade. A submission received after 12:30 am will not be graded and awarded no credit. This means that it is in your best interest to submit sufficiently early so that there is no possibility of the Gradescope server receiving it after 11:59 pm.
In the event that you have technical difficulties submitting to Gradescope, you may send an email to the course staff with your submission file(s) attached. The lateness penalty described above applies regardless of which platform the homework is submitted to.
In exceptional circumstances, you can contact the instructor before the submission deadline to request an extension. You should send an email to Professor Ge if you are requesting an extension, with a clearly stated reason for your request. Requests for extension are at the discretion of the instructors and may be refused. This implies that last-minute requests for extension are at your own peril, since the original deadline will stand if the request is denied. Only the written consent of either of the instructors granting an extension will be considered valid. Nobody other than the instructors is authorized to grant an extension.
If you are using an official Duke form related to extensions, such as the Short-Term Incapacitation Notification Form, please send it directly to Kate (cco9).
For both types of extensions, once granted, you will get an extension on Gradescope that allows you to submit later. We will usually send a confirmation email when this is implemented, but not always and it may not be until after the deadline, so please check Gradescope for your extension before reaching out if you have not heard from us.
The homework solutions have to be typed. It is strongly encouraged that you prepare your homework submissions in LaTeX, but not required.
TBA.
Most of the time, you must attend the recitation section to which you are assigned. However, if you have one or two times during the semester when you have a conflict, you must inform both sets of TAs in advance and they will be able to transfer your attendance credit.