- Time and Place:
- Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 12:00 - 1:40 in room 121 MCS aka MSB;
Lab TR, 2:00-4:00, room 139.
- Instructor:
- Michael Rothstein, 268 MSB, phone 330-672-9065.
Email addresses: either
mrothste@kent.edu or rothstei@cs.kent.edu (both addresses go to the same
place, so if you send a message to both places, I will simply get it twice).
- Web address:
- http://www.cs.kent.edu/~rothstei
- Office Hours:
- MTR 10:30 to 11:30.
Also, you can always send email with questions and/or to
set up an appointment. Usual turnaround will be a few
hours during the day. Email use is to be preferred over voicemail, which will
not be checked as often.
- Textbooks:
- Judith Gersting, G. Michael Schneider,
Invitation to Computer Science, C++ edition, 4th ed.,
Thomson/Course Technology, 2004, ISBN: 1-4188-3653-2 , and
Kenneth Lambert & Thomas Whaley,
Invitation to Computer Science Laboratory Manual,
Thomson/Course Technology, 2007, ISBN 1-4188-3754-7
- Computer Science Departmental Office:
- 241 MSB (after you exit the
elevator, turn right, walk to the corridor, turn right again, the CS office
entrance is at the end of the corridor.)
Phone 330-672-9980
- Course Goals:
- As indicated by the name, this course is an introduction to the discipline
of computer science or the study of algorithms. The goal of the course is
an awareness of the concept of algorithm and of its use in computer science.
- Course Description:
- This course explores topics of computer science within a framework of a
six-layer hierarchy of abstractions. The course begins by showing that
computer science is the study of algorithms, the central theme of the
textbook, and then addresses the next levels of the hierarchy: hardware,
virtual machine, software, and applications: some applications and ethics
will be covered if there is enough time. Each layer in the hierarchy builds
upon the ideas and concepts presented in the layer before it. In addition to
some motivational applications, such as Web page design and interactive
graphics, the course covers the fundamental issues of algorithms, hardware
design, computer organization, system software, and language models, with
theory of computation, and social and ethical issues of computing included
if time allows. Exposure to these complex core ideas introduces students to
the richness and beauty of the field and helps them appreciate the
principles behind its creation and implementation. While experiencing the
excitement of computer science, students receive a solid foundation in the
central concepts as well as in important uses of computing and information
technology. Note that the course involves some introductory programming in
C++.
- Material to be covered:
- CS 10051 is a broad introduction to computer science. Many important
concepts underlying computer science are covered. The course includes a
weekly 2 hour lab that provides experience with the concepts covered in the
lectures.
The material covered in CS 10051 is broken into 3 groups of approximately 2
1/2 weeks each:
- Weeks 1-3
- :Algorithm related concepts are covered including: the
definition of computer science, the nature of algorithms, the algorithmic
foundations of computer science, computing agent, the expression of
algorithms as pseudo-code, and variables. A number of algorithms are
examined including sequential search, find greatest, selection sort, and
binary search. The time efficiency and Big-O classification of algorithms
are discussed along with algorithms illustrating the concepts.
- weeks 3-5
- Computer hardware concepts are studied including: binary
numbers, Boolean logic, bits, bytes, gates, circuit construction, circuit
construction algorithm, circuits such as compare for equality and addition
circuits, the Von Neumann Architecture in detail, caching, the
construction of a CPU from basic circuits, machine language, assembly
language, the basic pseudo-code/programming language control structures in
assembly language, system software, and operating system concepts.
- weeks 6-8
- : A variety of higher-level concepts are looked at: computer
networks, the Internet, the world wide web, programming languages,
introduction to high-level language programming, the relationship between
programs, pseudo-code, and hardware, compilers and language translation,
software development, applications, simulation and modeling, electronic
commerce and information security, artificial intelligence, social issues
in computing, and making decisions about computers, information, and
society.
- Prerequisite:
- Prerequisites for this class are 2 years of high school algebra or the
equivalent in college credit (e.g. MATH 11011 (College Algebra), or MATH
12001 (Algebra and Trigonometry).
- Important note:
- Introduction to Computer Science, CS 10051, with a grade of C (2.0) or
better is a prerequisite for Computer Science I, CS 23021. Note that a grade
of C- (1.7) will not meet this requirement. See:
http://www.cs.kent.edu/programs/ugrad/planner.html
- Attendance policy
- Attendance is necessary and expected.
It is up to the student to make up any missed material. If class is missed it
is best to get notes from a fellow student (who has taken good notes). This
will be the best record of what transpired during the class
meeting. Sometimes, in response to questions or as seems beneficial, further
explanation will spontaneously be created by the instructor and written on the
board. The instructor may retain no written record of this.
Read the text. Only general reading assignments will be given. The class will
mostly cover material in the same order as the text book, there may be
exceptions however. It is the student's responsibility to maintain an
awareness of the material in the text that is currently being covered. Ask the
instructor if you are unsure of the text material currently being covered.
The syllabus may be changed during the semester if necesary: changes will be
announced in class; they might also show up on the instructor's website.
Some good hints about studying computer science are available at the website:
http://www.educ.kent.edu/community/docwhiz/rdng.html
I recommend you read it
and follow its advice: notice what it says about exercises: DO them;
at least try; they illustrate a lot of the concepts from the class.
- Class disruptions
- Disruptions should be kept to a minimum; these include (in increasing order of
seriousness):
- Early departure (if announced and done discreetly: please sit near the
door so that as few people as possible notice.)
- Late arrival
- Use of electronic devices or other devices which may interfere with
your or other student's participation. Laptops are acceptable for taking
notes, however, please sit in the last row of the room so that your screen
does not distract/block other students.
- Conversation among students.
- Aiding and/or abetting these or any other student's disruptive behaviors.
Guidelines pertaining to class disruptions are outlined in the
University Rules and Regulations, available through:
http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap4/4-02-2.cfm
- Lab:
- This course has a mandatory lab associated with it.
Lab attendance is required.The lab has a different instructor and
details on how the lab is conducted will be given in the lab meetings. The
lab instructor gives the lab scores to the lecture instructor. You must pass
both the lab and the lecture part of the course to pass the course.
The lab grade is worth 30% of the total grade
- Grading:
- Your grade will depend on the quizzes, midterms and the final; no
homework will be collected: this does not mean there is no homework: as
mentioned before, ALL exercises should be attempted as homework; a sampling
will be given in the quizzes and the exams.
There will also be a grade participation grade, based on the number of relevant
questions asked: though I don't believe there are any dumb questions, questions
like ``What day is it?'' do not qualify; specially good questions or catching
my mistakes get extra points.
The weights are:
| Quizzes and Class Participation |
10% |
| Midterm 1 (June 26) |
15% |
| Midterm 2 (July 17) |
20% |
| Final (July 31) |
25% |
| Lab |
30% |
All quizzes and exams will be comprehensive. This includes the final.
- Test make-up policy:
- I will need signed
documentation to verify each individual absence in order to
provide make-ups; only university accepted reasons will be honored.
- Grading scale:
- I will assign number grades during the session
and only convert them to letter grades when I turn them in at the end
of the session. No decision can be made regarding a converion table
until the very last minute due to such imponderables as test difficulty, class
attendance and participation, etc. which will influence the grade. However,
I guarantee the following, worst case, table:
| 97-100 |
will convert into an A |
| 94-96 |
will convert into at least an A- |
| 91-93 |
will convert into at least a B+ |
| 88-90 |
will convert into at least a B |
| 85-87 |
will convert into at least a B- |
| 82-84 |
will convert into at least a C+ |
| 79-81 |
will convert into at least a C |
| 76-78 |
will convert into at least a C- |
| 73-75 |
will convert into at least a D+ |
| 66-72 |
will convert into at least a D |
- Special accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
- University
policy 3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be
provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course
content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please
contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements
for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first verify your
eligibility for these through Student Disability Services (contact
330-672-3391 or visit:
http://www.registrars.kent.edu/disability/default.htm
for more information on registration
procedures).
- On cheating, plagiarism and other unethical behavior
- You are encouraged to discuss class problems with other students
but required to work independently of anybody else
except the instructors and/or tutor, unless otherwise indicated.
Copying other people's work and plagiarizing work will not be tolerated and
will be dealt with according to University regulations,
as described in the Digest of Rules and Regulations, available through:
http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap3/3-01-8.cfm
In any case, the sanction
for any ethical violation or other such misconduct will consist
of getting a grade of F for the course. In addition, IN ALL CASES, the
Office of Student Conduct/Judicial Affairs
will be notified of the incident; if that office
receives enough notifications, the student may face harsher penalties,
including (but not limited to) probation, suspension or dismissal.