What problems can computers even solve, really?

Grading

Grades will be tentatively weighted as follows:
40% homework assignments
5% classroom and lab participation, clicker quizzes
15% midterm exam 1
15% midterm exam 2
25% final exam

Most lab assignments will consist of in-class exercises and will not be graded. Expect roughly eleven homework assignments during the semester. (These will be weighted equally in contributing to the above 40%.) You'll be able to work with a partner on several but not all of them; each homework assignment will specify if working with a partner is allowed.

Homework Policy

Written homework will typically go out Monday afternoon and be due at 9AM the next Monday. We should have around 11 homework assignments. The initial couple of homeworks will be individual assignments; after the first few weeks, this might change. You must write your solutions in LaTeX and submit .tex and .pdf files using git. Resources for LaTex are here.

Extra Credit Policy. In many of the homework assignments, there will be one or two extra credit problems. These problems are completely optional -- do not feel obligated in any way to complete these problems. Extra credit will not be directly applied to your overall grade; at best, they will be used to make up some credit lost by not handing in assignments on time. Please contact me if you have questions about the extra credit policy.

Late Policy. Each student will be given 3 late days for the semester. This will encompass any reason---illness, interviews, paper deadlines, hackathons, etc. For partnered assignments, both students need to have late days to use them. If only one partner has late days remaining, you cannot use late days for the assignment. Once you use up your late days, further late assignments will not be accepted except in very unusual extreme circumstances. Even if you do not fully complete a lab assignment you should submit what you have to receive partial credit.

You do not need to notify my ahead of time to use late day(s). Instead, email me your completed solution (.tex and .pdf).

Absences and extensions. If you feel that you need an extension on an assignment or that you are unable to attend class for two or more meetings due to a medical condition (e.g., extended illness, concussion, hospitalization) or family emergency, you must provide your instructors with official documentation from the dean's office or student health center. Their documentation will help us to provide the appropriate accommodations.