Created: Tue 08 Sep 2009
Last modified:
Instructor
Teaching Assistant
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Name: Vasilis Papavasileiou
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Office: 316 WVH
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Phone: 373-2703
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E-mail: vpap@ccs.neu.edu
Course
- Lecture: Mon/Wed 2:50 -- 4:30pm
- Room: 108 WVG
Prerequisites
- CS2510, Fundamentals of Computer Science 2
- CS2800, Logic and Computation
As important, perhaps, is the material from CS1800,
Discrete Structures,
which itself is a prerequisite for CS2800.
Text
Errata for this text are available on-line. If you are concerned that something
in the text might be a typo, please check the errata available here:
Errata for
Introduction to the Theory of Computation, Second
Edition, by Michael Sisper.
Homework
- There will be weekly written assignments, generally handed out on
Wednesdays and due the following Wednesday. Some of the exercises
will be routine, but others will be more challenging. I do not
expect you to solve all of the homework problems, but I hope that you
will benefit from working on the more difficult ones. A few hints
on the homework assignments:
- Start early: Difficult problems are not typically
solved in one sitting. Start early and let the ideas come to you
over the course of a few days.
- Be rigorous: CS3800 is a theory course, and as such,
a certain level of mathematical rigor will be expected in your
solutions.
- Be concise: Express your solutions at the proper
level of detail. Give enough details to clearly present your
solution, but not so many that the main ideas are obscured.
- Work with others: Some of the problems will be
difficult, and it will often be helpful to discuss them with others.
Feel free to form study groups. However, the idea is for everyone
to understand the problems and experience working through the
solutions, so you may not simply "give" a solution to another
classmate. In particular, each student must write up his or her
own homework solutions and must not read or copy the solutions
of others. If you work with others on a problem, you must note
with whom you discussed the problem at the beginning of your solution
write-up.
Homework Policy
- Homework is due at the beginning of class on the
announced due date. You will be granted one homework extension,
to be used at your discretion, no questions asked. After the
first late assignment, unexcused late assignments will be
penalized 20% per calendar day late. I normally will not
accept assignments after the date on which the following
assignment is due or after the solutions have been handed out,
whichever comes first. If you will have a valid reason for turning
in an assignment late, please see me in advance to obtain
full-credit.
Homework Grading
- We will employ a somewhat unusual grading scheme. Each homework
assignment will have n problems, and each problem will
be worth k points. You will be required to attempt any
m problems. (The parameters n, m and
k will vary from assignment to assignment.)
These m problems will be graded
in the usual manner: you will receive full or partial credit out
of k points. You may also choose to attempt the remaining
n-m problems. These problems will be graded as follows.
Say that you would have received a score of j points
if this problem had been graded normally. If j is less than
k/2, then you will receive zero out of zero points, as if
you had not attempted the problem. Otherwise, you will receive
2j out of 2j points. Note that attempting extra
problems can only help you. Your grade on an assignment
will be reported by two numbers: the points you obtain and the
points you effectively attempt. Your homework grade at the
end of the term will be calculated as the sum of the points you obtained
divided by the sum of the points you effectively attempted.
- The purpose of this policy is threefold:
- It is designed so as not to penalize you for skipping some
problems.
- It is designed to encourage you to attempt all of the problems.
- It is designed specifically to discourage you from writing up long
answers which you suspect are incorrect, in the hopes of picking up a
point or two.
- Note: Your free late assignment and any unexcused
late assignments will only be graded for regular problems. Excused
late assignments (e.g., due to illness) will be graded for
both regular and extra credit.
Exams
- There will be a midterm and a final exam. The midterm exam will be held
during a regularly scheduled class period, and the final exam will be held
during finals week.
Grading
- Homeworks: 50%
- Midterm: 25%
- Final: 25%
Academic Honesty
- All work submitted for credit must be your own.
- You may discuss the homework problems with your classmates,
the teaching assistant(s), and Professor Aslam. You must acknowledge
the people with whom you discussed your work, and you must write
up your own solutions. Any written sources used (apart from the text)
must also be acknowledged; however, you may not consult
any solutions from previous years' assignments whether they are
student or faculty generated.
- Please ask if you have any questions about academic honesty as it
applies to CS3800.
Switch to:
jaa@ccs.neu.edu