Prerequisites
The two midterm exams and the final exam will include questions similar to
those included on homework assignments or recitation problems and will draw on
material covered in lecture and/or in the reading. Collaboration on
examinations is expressly forbidden, and any suspected collaboration will be
reported to the Dean.
Overall grade = 30%(Homework) + 3%(Participation) + 3%(Quizzes) + 4%(Projects) + 2x18%(per midterm exam) + 24%(Final exam)
Course Logistics: Syllabus, Textbook, Tools
Textbook, other materials
CS 160 Staff and Office Hours
Expected Work: Participation, Quizzes, Homeworks, Project, Exams
Grading Policy and Clarifications
Tips on doing well
Important Tufts Policies and Resources
Have Questions?
Prerequisites
The prerequisites for this class are CS 15 and (CS/MATH 61 or MATH 65).
If you have not successfully completed both courses either at Tufts or elsewhere and if you are enrolled in CS 160, please contact the instructor for your section. We will be glad to help with references for you to study, but please understand that learning the pre-requisite topics is mainly your responsibility.
Course Logistics
Syllabus
Textbook
[CLRS] T. H. Cormen, C. L. Leiserson, R. L. Rivest, and C. Stein.
Introduction to Algorithms (3nd edition).
MIT Press, 2009.
Several students in the past have found the Skiena text particularly readable and have enjoyed his particular perspective, and yet each of these supplemental texts has had fans!
Course Tools
CS 160 Staff:
Lead Instructors:
Grad TAs:
Teaching Fellows:
Course Assistants:
Office Hours:
Expected Work
Participation: Classes, Recitations, Quizzes/Feedback Forms:
Homework:
Collaboration and Integrity on Homework Submissions
Although you may discuss these problems in the preliminary stages with others, submitted work should be done individually and written in your own words. If you have any discussions with others, whether students, friends, or CS 160 staff, relative to a homework problem or if you gain information from a written source other than your own notes from lecture or the textbook for the course, you must identify your collaborator(s)/source(s) in writing on your homework submission. Failure to cite your sources constitutes an academic integrity violation and will be reported to the Dean.
How to write proofs:
We prepared a short summary containing the key points on how to write proofs which is available on Piazza. In addition to our guide, there are various materials on the web to check out. We encourage you to look around for those resources whenever you have time in the beginning of the semester.
How to submit homework
Late homework policy:
Exams:
Exam dates and times are listed above, as well as on the schedule page. There are no make-up exams, so check the exam schedule before making travel arrangements.
Grading
Your final grade percentage will be the maximum of the following two formulas:
OR
Overall grade = 30%(Homework) + 3%(Participation) + 3%(Quizzes) + 4%(Project) + 18%(per stronger midterm exam) + 12%(weaker midterm exam) + 30%(Final exam)
Clarifications:
Regrade requests:
If you believe any of part of your work on Gradescope was graded incorrectly, and you still believe that 24 hours later, we encourage you to send a regrade request. Regrade requests should be concise, directed, and respectful. You should point out a specific aspect of the assignment that was graded incorrectly, and explain why in your own words. We also reserve the right to deduct points if we notice additional errors during the regrading. The person who regrades your submission will send you a response. If you have further concerns thereafter, you may contact one of the TFs or Graduate TAs at office hours or through a private Piazza post. Regrades must be submitted no earlier than 24 hours and no later than one week after the release of the grades, unless stated otherwise.
Regrade requests submitted without proper grounds (no grade adjustment/lacking proper explanation) will be penalized. We highly recommend you bring your graded solutions to office hours to review with a TA or professor before submitting to ensure that you are submitting a regrade request for a good reason. Any instance where a student has been advised by a member of our staff to submit a regrade request will not be penalized, regardless of whether any adjustments are made to the grade.
Tips on doing well in this course:
Tufts University Policies
Faculty, students, and staff are jointly responsible for the policies below. Please read carefully and do not hesitate to contact us if you have further questions.
Equal access
Tufts University values the diversity of our students, staff, and faculty; recognizing the important contribution each student makes to our unique community. Tufts is committed to providing equal access and support to all qualified students through the provision of reasonable accommodations so that each student may fully participate in the Tufts Experience.
If you have a disability that requires reasonable accommodations, please contact the Office of Accessibility Services at The StAAR Center.
(Note: Academic tutoring is also offered by the StAAR Center for those who need tutoring through
Tutor Finder)
Please be aware that accommodations cannot be enacted retroactively, making timeliness a critical aspect for their provision.
Academic Integrity
Have Questions?
This website is a great source of information for this class. Before inquiring, please check for the answer here (e.g., when is the exam, how do tokens work, etc).
If you still have questions, we can be reached as follows: