This handout is also available in PDF.
Welcome to one of the Fall 2009 sessions of Grinnell College's CSC 151,
Functional Problem Solving, which is described relatively
briefly in the official blurb.
My own take on this course is that we'll be starting to develop your
knowledge of computer science and algorithmic problem solving.
We will be using Scheme as our development language, which gives us
the abililty to use functional approaches (as well as imperative and
object-oriented approaches). As in all Grinnell classes, we'll also be
working on general thinking and work skills.
Starting two years ago, we developed a new approach to CSC151. In both
sections of the course, we will be emphasizing media computation -
the application of algorithmic problem solving techniques to media.
We will particularly emphasize algorithms for creating and manipulating
images.
In an attempt to provide up-to-date information, and to spare a few
trees, I am making this as much of a paperless
course as I can.
Hence, materials will be in a course web. If you are puzzled by the
organization of the Course Web, you may want to read the basic instructions for using this
course web. If you find that you want paper copies of pages, please
read the notes on printing copies. If you find
that you are regularly printing pages, let me know and I can provide
them for you.
Warning! Experience shows that CSC151 exercises
different parts of your brain than other courses, even than math courses.
In general, such exercise is a good thing - one of the key points of a
liberal arts education is that it exercises different parts of your brain.
However, it may take a bit of time to get these new parts of your brain
into shape. Expect a few difficult times, but have confidence that you
can get through them and that you'll come out of the course with much
more knowledge.
Warning! Computers are sentient, stupid, and malicious.
When things go wrong, don't blame yourself. Ask me, a tutor, or the class
mentor for help.
Warning! We are using some cutting-edge software, which
means that things will occasionally crash for no good reason.
Meets: MTuWF 10:00-10:50 a.m., Science 3813
Instructor:
Samuel A. Rebelsky,
Science 3824. 269-4410 (office). 236-7445 (home).
Office hours: MTuWF 11-11:50.
I also tend to follow an open door policy: Feel
free to stop by when my door is open or to make an appointment for
another time.
Class Mentor: Russel Steinbach.
Office hours TBD.
Grading (subject to change):
- Class participation: 10%;
- Weekly homework: 20%;
- Lab writeups: 10%;
- Weekly quiz: 10%;
- Project: 10%;
- Exams: 30% (3 graded exams plus optional final);
- Best of (average quiz, project, average exam, final): 10%.
The final examination for this course is optional. It can be used
as a makeup for one examination. You may take the exam either at 9:00 a.m.
on Friday, December 18 or at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 16.
I will drop the grade on one quiz (the quiz with the lowest grade).
More information on grading can be found in the
grading policies page.
Labs:
Computer science 151 is taught in a collaborative workshop style.
Each day, you'll work on laboratory problems with other students in
the class. We may start each day with a short lecture/discussion and
end with a reflective discussion.
Extra Credit:
I will often offer 1/2 point of extra credit for attending a particular
talk (e.g., a computer science talk or College convocation) or for
supporting your classmates in their public endeavors (e.g., attending
a concert or a dance recital). Each category is capped at 1.5 points.
You will report on this extra credit at the end of the semester, using
a prepared checklist.
Tutoring:
The CS Lab makes tutors for 151 available at regularly scheduled times.
As soon as tutors have been scheduled, I'll let you know what those times
are (and post them on this page).
Good-Faith Grade Guarantee:
Because I realize that computer science does not click
will all
students, I reward effort as well as outcome. Hence, students who make a
good faith
effort in this class will pass the class, with at least
a C+. A good-faith effort includes missing no more than two classes,
turning in every homework assignment, and spending the requisite time
on each examination.
Class Software:
For this course, we will be using a locally-extended version of
The GIMP. Because we have extended
the GIMP locally, you cannot just use any version of the GIMP. We
provide instructions for remotely accessing the extended GIMP while on campus as well as Some versions which should run on newer versions of Macintosh OS X.
Printing Pages:
Most of these pages are designed for viewing onscreen. If you'd like
to print them, you may want to use PDF versions, which are designed
for paper. Many pages have links directly to the PDF version. If there
isn't such a link, simply replace the html at the end of
the URL with pdf.
If you do decide to print, you should also consider printing the document
double-sided and two-up (that is, two pages side-by-side on one physical
page) so as to conserve paper. When I distribute documents, I will do my
best to distribute them in this form.
Kelsey, Richard,
Clinger, William, and Rees, Jonathan, eds. (1998).
Revised5
Report on the Algorithmic Language Scheme. February 20, 1998.
The concise and complete definition of the last concise version of the
Scheme programming language. You won't need to understand all of it,
but you may find it helpful.
Dybvig, R. Kent. The Scheme Programming Language, Fourth Edition.
Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Available online at http://www.scheme.com/tspl4/. A
longer and more readable reference on the Scheme programming language.
Rebelsky, Samuel (2009).
The CS151.01 2009F Course Web. The hypertext that
you are currently reading. Many of these materials (particularly those
under Readings and Labs
are required. You should make it a point to load the page of the day
at the beginning of each class to check announcements and such.
Weinman, Jerod (2009).
The CSC151.02 2009F Course Web. The course web for the other section of this class.
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