Prerequisites
Overall grade = 25%(Homework) + 5%(Participation) + 2x20%(per midterm exam) + 30%(Final exam)
Course Logistics: Syllabus, Textbook, Tools
Textbook, other materials
Instructional Team 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 your instructor. We will be glad to help with references for you to study, but please understand that learning the prerequisite topics is mainly your responsibility.
This class also assumes familiarity with a few math topics such as logarithms, manipulation of summation notation, and summation of various geometric series. Be prepared to brush up on such topics as needed.
Course Logistics
Syllabus
Textbook
[CLRS] T. H. Cormen, C. L. Leiserson, R. L. Rivest, and C. Stein.
Introduction to Algorithms (4th edition).
MIT Press, 2022.
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
Instructional Team:
Lead Instructor:
Grad TAs:
Teaching Fellows:
CAs:
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, TAs or faculty, relative to a homework problem or if you gain information from a written source (e.g., website) 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 may be reported to the Dean.
How to write proofs:
On Piazza there is a short summary containing the key points on how to write proofs. 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:
four (4) now six (6) now eight (8) "tokens" to be used at your discretion. Each token accounts for a 24-hour automatic extension on the homework.
Exams:
Grading
Your final grade percentage will be the maximum of the following two formulas:
OR
Overall grade = 25%(Homework) + 5%(Participation) + 2x15%(per midterm exam) + 40%(Final exam)
Clarifications:
Regrade requests:
If you believe any part of your work on Gradescope was graded incorrectly, we want you to let us know via a regrade request on Gradescope. 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 within one week of release of the grades, unless stated otherwise.
Tips on getting the most out of 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
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: