en47/comp9 - exploring computer science - spring 2011

Time:	TR 12:00-1:15 PM (F+ block)
Location:	Halligan 111a (lecture) and 116 (lab)
Instructor:	Noah Daniels (ndanielscs.tufts.edu)
TAs:	Sarah Nolet (sarah.nolettufts.edu)
	Joel Greenberg (joel.greenbergtufts.edu)
To mail the course staff:	ta9cs.tufts.edu
Mailing list:	comp9cs.tufts.edu
Syllabus:	Syllabus as pdf
	Ruby core API documentation
	Ruby Standard Library API documentation
Office hours:	Noah: Monday & Wednesday, 4-5pm Halligan Extension Sarah: Monday & Wednesday, 12-1pm Halligan 116 or 118 Joel: Tuesday 1:30-3:30 & Thursday 1:30-2:30pm Halligan 116 or 118 Sarah & Joel, recitation: Friday, 12-1pm Halligan 116 or 118

Everyday life is becoming more and more dependent upon computers, which will create many opportunities and challenges for students during and after their college careers. This half-credit class offers you an opportunity to discover how computers work and how they can be used to solve general problems. You will be introduced to basic computer problem solving and programming techniques through lectures and labs using the Ruby programming language. You will also explore a range of topics in modern computer science research, such as computational biology, machine learning, graphics, and computational geometry. No prior computer experience is necessary, only a desire to learn. For students exploring their career options, this class is applicable not only to computer science, but to cognitive science, economics, medicine, finance, and a host of other professions that depend highly on computers.

The goals of this course are: to have students gain an appreciation of the areas that make up modern computer science; to understand that computers have limitations; to have a working command of the Ruby programming language such that they could approach a repetitive task programmatically rather than tediously; to develop problem-solving skills and computational thinking.

This course is cross-listed as EN47-CS2 and COMP9-01 in the Spring 2011 term.

Please see the bottom of this page for course policies.

announcements

schedule

denotes a meeting in the computer lab, Halligan 116. The lecture and lab schedule is subject to change. Please keep checking back during the semester.

	date	topics	readings	assignments
	20 Jan	Introduction			Assignment 0 out
	25 Jan	Variables, Types, and Programs	Ch. 2-4 (skim 1)
	27 Jan	Meeting Kate		Assignment 0 due	Lab 1 out
	1 Feb	A Method to the Madness	Ch. 5-6
	3 Feb	Blackjack!		Lab 1 due	Lab 2 out
	8 Feb	Containers: Arrays, Hashes, and Enumeration	Ch. 7-8, 12.3
	10 Feb	Blackjack, revisited		Lab 2 due	Lab 3 out
	15 Feb	Writing your own methods, and Functional Programming	Ch. 9
	17 Feb	Blackjack, revisited (with methods)
	22 Feb	Introduction to Machine Learning	Ch. 10; Harel, Ch. 1
	24 Feb	No class!
	1 Mar	Computational Biology	Pine, Ch. 11; Harel, Ch. 1
	3 Mar	Simian Similarity		Lab 4 out
	8 Mar	Classes and Objects	Pine, Ch. 12-13; Harel, Ch. 2
	10 Mar	Tamagotchi!	Harel, Ch. 3	Lab 4 due	Lab 5 out
	15 Mar	More OOP, Simulation, Computational Economics	Harel, Ch. 4
	17 Mar	The Game of Life (Agent Simulation)		Lab 5 due	Lab 6 out
	22 Mar	Spring Break - No class!
	24 Mar	Spring Break - No class!
	29 Mar	Final Project Introduction
	31 Mar	Project: Design		Lab 6 due	Design document out
	5 Apr	The Limits of Computers, and the Future of Computing: Biocomputing and Quantum Computing	Harel, Ch. 5
	7 Apr	Project: Algorithm design		Design document due
	12 Apr	Project: Coding, testing, & debugging
	14 Apr	Project: Coding, testing, & debugging
	19 Apr	Project: Coding, testing, & debugging
	21 Apr	Project: preparing for the presentation
	26 Apr	Project Presentations
	28 Apr	Project Presentations

course policies

textbooks

Unless otherwise noted, readings listed on the schedule are from: Chris Pine, Learn to Program, 2nd edition, The Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2009. This book is available through the Tufts bookstore, the publisher (as both a paper edition and an e-book), and online retailers. It can also be found through Getchabooks!.

As recommended reading, you may wish to get Computers Ltd.: what they really can't do', Oxford University Press, 2000. This book is available through the Tufts bookstore, the publisher (as both a paper edition and an e-book), and online retailers. It can also be found through Getchabooks!. This book is recommended, not required, though I will suggest reading from it through the course of the semester.

grading

Aproximately:

• 70% Assignments
• 20% Final project
• 10% Class participation

All lab assignments will be turned in electronically and are expected to be completed by their due dates. Late assignments will be penalized at 10% per day. Any assignment turned in more than one week after its due date will receive a zero grade. This course follows the Tufts policies on academic integrity.

accommodations

Tufts is committed to providing suport services and reasonable accommodations to all students with documented disabilities. To request an accommodation, you must register with the Disability Services Office at the beginning of the semester. To do so, call the Student Services Desk at (617) 627-2000 to arrange an apointment with Sandra Baer, Program Director of Disability Services.