Welcome CS 173!
Join Piazza and PrairieLearn (links in navigation bar above) if you haven't yet.
FAQ
If you are thinking of contacting the course staff, first read this FAQ. For many common issues like absences, we have a procedure such as filling out a google form, and in those cases we do not want an email. If you finish the FAQ and still think an email is needed, then please email both instructors (Ben Cosman - bcosman; Payam Delgosha - delgosha), and include the text "This was not covered in the FAQ." as your first sentence (otherwise we'll assume you didn't read this and just send you a link to this page).
Please look through the links above to get familiar with the syllabus and the tools that we'll be using. This page provides a quick summary to deal with immediate issues. See also information about registration and prerequisites, the honors add-on, and special situations.
Schedule
The normal weekly schedule is as follows:
- Tuesdays: Tutorial (group problem solving). Come to class prepared by doing readings and videos in advance.
- Thursdays: We will not normally be using the scheduled Thursday lecture time.
- Saturdays: Homework due.
- Saturday-Monday every other week: examlet in the CBTF (starts 1/28 - no examlet during week 1)
Week 1 and the week after Spring Break have unusual schedules - see calendar.
Homeworks and Tutorials
Study problems and the problems for the tutorials can be found on the Tutorials page.
You are expected to come to the tutorial class each week and make a good-faith attempt to work on the problems in your group.
Each Saturday evening, there will be two pieces of homework due on PrairieLearn.
- an autograded assignment
- a typed out solution to one study problem
There are two exceptions to this weekly Saturday evening deadline: 1/23 and 3/27, see the calendar above.
Textbook
The official course text is Building Blocks for Theoretical Computer Science (Version 1.3b).
Office hours
See calendar. (More office hours will be added throughout each week shortly.) Go to whichever office hours fit your schedule - you are not restricted to hours staffed by the TAs/CAs in your section. Be aware that office hours may change, so re-check this page for current hours and watch piazza for last-minute announcements (e.g. someone is sick).