Overview

• Preliminaries.
  • Admin.
  • Upcoming Work.
  • Extra Credit.
  • Questions.
• Lessons from day one.
• Common parts of an algorithm.
• Getting started with Linux.

Preliminaries

Admin

• One handout!
  • Lab manual for today.
  • Today is the last day that I distribute readings and labs in hardcopy. After today, I will assume that you can find them online.
• Office hours: MTWF 10-11, Tu 1-2. Sign up at http://rebelsky.youcanbook.me.
• Weekly review sessions:
  • Wednesday at 8pm in the CS Commons (Zachary)
  • Thursday at 10am in this room (Sam)
  • Thursday at 8pm in the CS Commons (Kumar)
• Mr. Stone will be distributing passwords for our machines some time during class today.
• Support resources for CS students
  • Class mentors
  • Evening tutors (Sunday-Thursday, 7-10 pm; Sunday 3-5 pm)
  • Individual tutors

Upcoming Work:

• Assignment 1 due TONIGHT at 10:30 p.m.
• Readings for class 3:
  • The DrRacket Program Development Environment
  • Beginning Scheme
  • How Scheme Evaluates Expressions (Take 1)

Extra Credit

Academic

• Scholars' Convocation, Thursday, 11 am, JRC 101: Surveillance Techniques of the Romanian Secret Police.

Peer

• Socrates Cafe [tbd]
• Pun Club, 4pm, Younker Lounge
• Track and Field at Cornell this Saturday.
• Swimming at Macalester this Saturday.

Future

• Track and Field Grinnell Invite February 6.
• Swimming February 6 vs. UN and IAState.

Questions

Can I ask someone about the index cards / flash cards at the back of the room?

Yes.

Will you be ordering more?

Yes.

Plan for the Day

• Administrivia [5 min]
• Small group: Making groups [5 min]
• Small group: What did you learn yesterday? [5 min]
  • Yes, we all got "be precise!" What else?
  • Introduce yourselves!
  • Five or so learning outcomes from yesterday.
• Large group: Share answers [5 min]
  • I will call on folks randomly
• Small group: What did you learn about algorithms? [5 min]
  • Think about what I might ask.
  • Come up with questions for me.
• Large group: Overview of algorithms [5 min]
• Lab [20 min]
  • Leave when you are done.

Lessons from day one

• Computer science is the study of algorithms and data structures
• A sequence of instructions to perform a certain task
• Watching an algorithm helps us avoid mistakes (or at least correct them)
• If we are not careful, an algorithm can run forever
  • Unscrew a lid on a pop-top jar
  • Place something open-side up when there is no open side
• When things go wrong, it's funny.
• Don't be too specific.

Come up with five more interesting lessons and be prepared to share with the class.

• Bad instructions are potentially dangerous. "Pick up the knife." "Remove the file."
• "Your CS prof is a jerk." (joyous, energetic, rebelsky, knowitall)
• Limiting options makes things easier to describe.
• Sequencing is important.
• Establish knowledge in advance. / Know the data you are working with.
• It's okay to say: "Hey, Rebelsky, ask someone else."
• If you give ambiguous instructions, they will likely be interpreted in the wrong way. (E.g., be clear which item you are referring to.)

Lab: Getting started with Linux