Comp 200 General Information Page

COMP 200

Elements of Computer Science

Fall 2004

General Information about Comp 200

Course Title: Elements of Computer Science

Time and Place: MWF 10:00-10:50AM, 1046 Duncan Hall

Professor: Keith D. Cooper, keith@rice.edu

Office: 3131 Duncan Hall

Office Hours: MW 11:00AM-12:00PM or by appointment

Textbook: Algorithmics: The Spirit of Computing, 3rd edition, David Harel and Yishai Feldman Addison-Wesley, ISBN 0-21-11784-0.

Goal: Comp 200 introduces the central ideas of Computer Science, including algorithms, complexity, programming, and the basic organization of modern computers.

Evaluation: Coursework will be weighted as follows:
(These weights are yet to be determined)
- Homework 30%
- Final Project 25%
- Tests 45%
These weightings are subject to a minimal performance in each area.

Class Account:
The Owlnet system will be used for dispersing information. The class home page is at http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~comp200, and the class newsgroup rice.owlnews.comp200 will be used for answering common questions, any homework clarifications, and so on. You are expected to check it every few days.

Homework, Projects, and Tests:
Students may work in pairs on homework assignments. This means that students may turn in only one solution with two names, provided that both students FULLY understand all parts of the solution. Students may NOT split up problems sets where each does a subset of the problems, i.e. "I'll do the odd numbers and you do the evens," is not acceptable.
Although homework problems are not pledged, per se, the submitted solution must be the work of the students whose names appear on the paper and not copied from other students' assignments or other sources. There are times when template code may be copied directly from the course website or notes taken in class. This is certainly acceptable. If you are ever unsure of what is allowed, please ask the instructor.
COMP 200 includes a written final project that involves choosing a subject, researching it, writing a project report, and making an oral presentation during class. (The final week of classes will be devoted to project presentations.) We may allow students to work in pairs on the final project.
The final project is subject to the honor code insofar as students should produce their own work and not directly copy written material or programs from the required and recommended texts or other sources.
Students will take three take-home tests during the semester. Two will occur during the semester; the third will occur during the final exam period. All tests will be pledged, take-home tests.
Accommodations:
Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to speak with me during the first two weeks of class. All discussions will remain confidential.
Students with disabilities should also contact Disabled Student Services in the Ley Student Center. Any student with a disability requiring accommodations in this course is encouraged to contact me after class or during office hours.

Maintained by the professor; see contact information on the course homepage