Grading

The breakdown of grades is as follows:

• 10% Homeworks
• 25% Midterm 1
• 25% Midterm 2
• 40% Final

Homework Details

There will be about 9 homeworks, roughly one per week. Each homework is given a grade of 100% if something is turned in by the deadline and 0% otherwise, irrespective of the content of the homework. Thus, using AI has no effect on the homework grades. We will still provide feedback on your homework as if it were an exam.

Homeworks require mental effort. It is hard to make yourself do it when there are other demands on your time. But for most people it is much easier to get to work if they are not alone doing it. For that reason, we ask that (unless you absolutely are allergic to the idea) you do the homeworks in pairs after shopping period. You can and are encouraged to discuss with anyone in the class about the homework, but writeups should be done independently by each pair.

Each homework after shopping period will be done by two students working together and the pair will turn in a single homework bearing both of their names. Homework 1 and Homework 2 will be done individually.

Homeworks must be typeset in LaTeX and submitted on Gradescope by 10:00pm (Eastern Time) on the due date.

Exam Details

The two midterms and the final are in class, closed book. However, to alleviate the stress of not having access to course material, each student is allowed a 1-page handwritten summary of material of their choice. Preparing that page is also a chance for each student to review the course content and select what seems most important.

The problems on the midterms and final will be mostly taken from the homework problems, but at least 1 in each midterm/final will be more challenging.

Each of the homeworks will have a challenging bonus problems for students to try, but these bonus problems are guaranteed not to show up on the midterms and final.

Interactions

My preferred mode of interaction is in person. I will hold office hours and wish for each of you to come and introduce yourself to me at one of my office hours between the beginning of the semester and the first midterm. The HTA (Manas) and UTA (Sunny) will be holding office hours every week. Ed Discussion is also available to ask about the course content or homeworks. If you have any issues or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me or to the TAs.

AI Policy

This is a no AI course.

If you wish to use AI outside class for help with the content of the lectures or out of curiosity, to explore related questions, or for any other reason, you are welcome to use it if it helps you. For example, you can use AI as a tool to re-explain content from lectures. You are not allowed to use AI for the homeworks (or the midterms, or the final exam). Please refer to the syllabus for a further explanation.

Expected Time Commitment

Each week, in addition to 2 hours 40 minutes in class (for a total of 24 lectures), students will spend on average as much time on reading the material. Students can expect to spend 8 hours on each of the 9 homework assignments. Each of the two midterms will last 1 hour and 20 minutes, and the final will last 2.5 hours. Preparation for each exam should take 10 hours. This translates to a minimum of 180 hours of work throughout the semester, in line with Brown University policy for 1-credit courses.

Accommodations

Brown University is committed to full inclusion of all students. Please inform me early in the semester if you may require accommodations or modification of any of course procedures. You may speak with me after class, during office hours, or by appointment. If you need accommodations around online learning or in classroom accommodations, please be sure to reach out to Student Accessibility Services (SAS) for their assistance (sas@brown.edu, 401-863-9588). If you encounter any digital materials in this course that are inaccessible, complete the Digital Accessibility Concern Reporting Form. For any accessibility or accommodation concerns, please contact the ADA/504 Coordinator at ada_504@brown.edu. Undergraduates in need of short-term academic advice or support can contact an academic dean in the College by emailing college@brown.edu. Graduate students may contact one of the deans in the Graduate School by emailing graduate_school@brown.edu.

Diversity and Inclusion

The course intends to provide a welcoming environment for all students. We especially welcome diverse ideas and perspectives during class discussions.

All members of the CS community, including faculty and staff, are expected to treat one another professionally. Toward this goal, TAs have undergone training in diversity and inclusion. However, despite our best efforts, we may accidentally slip up, so please feel free to speak to any member of the course staff with any concerns you have during the semester, and do not hesitate to contact Claire directly. We will take your concerns very seriously.

Incompletes

In extraordinary situations, students may request to receive an incomplete grade. Such cases must be accompanied by a Dean’s note and will be assessed case by case.

Student Well-Being

Being a student can be very stressful. If you feel you are under too much pressure or there are psychological issues that are keeping you from performing well at Brown, we encourage you to contact Brown’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). They provide confidential counseling. You may also find these resources from Brown Health and Wellness (and links therein) useful.