CS/ECE 374 covers fundamental tools and techniques from theoretical computer science, including design and analysis of algorithms, formal languages and automata, computability, and complexity. Specific topics include regular and context-free languages, finite-state automata, recursive algorithms (including divide and conquer, backtracking, dynamic programming, and greedy algorithms), fundamental graph algorithms (including depth- and breadth-first search, topological sorting, minimum spanning trees, and shortest paths), undecidability, and NP-completeness. The course also has a strong focus on clear technical communication.
- Prerequisites
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We assume that students have mastered the material taught in CS 173 (discrete mathematics, especially induction) and CS 225 (basic algorithms and data structures). Note that “mastery” is not the same as “exposure” or even “a good grade”; hence, Homework Zero! If you got a C+ or worse in CS 173, we strongly recommend retaking 173 before taking 374.
- Requirements
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This course is required for all undergraduates majoring in Computer Science majors (in both Engineering and LAS) and Computer Engineering.
- Postrequisites
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CS/ECE 374 is a prerequisite for at least the following classes:
- Coursework
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Grades will be based on weekly written homeworks,
weekly quizzes, two midterms, and a final exam. See the grading policies for more details.
- Difficulty
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Many students consider 374 to be a challenging course in the
undergraduate CS/CE curriculum. On the other hand, we believe
(and employers and alumni seem to agree) that 374 is also a very useful course in the undergraduate CS/CE curriculum.
Class Resources
- Web site
- Almost everything—course policies, detailed schedule, lecture notes, lecture videos, homeworks, homework solutions, head-banging problems, etc.—can be found here. Hey, look! You found it!
- Lecture notes
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There is no required textbook. Lecture notes will be posted to the course web site as the semester progresses. You should
also look at a wide variety of additional resources (see the link at the bottom
of this page). Some older lecture notes and/or slides are already available:
- Videos
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All lectures will be recorded, and links to lecture videos will be added to the schedule web page as the semester progresses. However, we strongly encourage students to attend the lectures in person to get the most out of them. Videos from several past semesters are available:
- Moodle
- We will use Moodle for biweekly sanity-check quizzes, and possibly to report exam grades. If you are not already registered, you can add yourself with the access code TBA.
- Gradescope
- We will use Gradescope for homework submission and grading. Anyone can sign up for access to the site with their favorite alias and email address, using the self-enrollment code 96Z8Y8. We will separately ask you for your alias, so that we can map your homework grades to you.
- Piazza
- We will use Piazza for online discussions. Anyone can sign up for access to the CS/ECE 374 Piazza site with their favorite email address. We strongly encourage posting questions on any course-related topic to Piazza rather than emailing the course staff. You can even post your questions anonymously. (However, we can only give you extra credit for helpful posts if you post them using your real name.) Student discussions in Piazza is highly encouraged and helps better learning.
- Etc.
- You can find a long list of other useful resources on a separate page.