--- title: Eboard 41 Wrap Up number: 41 section: eboards held: 2018-05-09 link: true current: true --- CSC 151.01, Class 41: Wrap Up ============================== _Overview_ * Preliminaries * Notes and news * Upcoming work * Extra credit * Questions * Comments on the final * The subject matter(s) of the course * Final PSA * Final comments Preliminaries ------------- ### News / Etc. * Sit where you'd like * Today is my last day in CSC 151 this semester. (My son and the HS band are playing at the Iowa Bandmasters' Association meeting on Friday.) * You are still expected to show up for class on Friday. Our mentors *will* take attendance. * Friday: Fill out evaluation forms (required). Go over problems from the final (optional). * We have review sessions for the final on Wednesday of finals' week. Details forthcoming. * Some people received necessary extensions on the exam. Please do not discuss the exam with anyone until you get them back. * I do intend to get all grades to you by Tuesday of finals' week. * Thanks for the recommendations for next semester's students. They range from two words ("Start early") to extended paragraphs. * Reminder: Sunday is Mother's day. * Thank you S*y. ### Upcoming work * Cover sheets due NOW. * Epilogues due TONIGHT. * Final: Thursday or Friday afternoon of Finals Week (2pm-5pm) in this room. ### Extra credit (Academic/Artistic) * CSC 322 project presentations, Friday, 2-4 p.m. in 3821. * Quantifying the effects of skill-based immigration - a two-country approach. TODAY at 4:15 in JRC 209. * The Data Science Pipeline in Action: From Lung Cancer to Customer Churn. Friday at 4:15 in JRC 209. * Networks and Foreign Policy Analysis: Relations, position and structure within the Clinton State Department. Tuesday at 4:15 p.m. in JRC 226. ### Extra credit (Peer) ### Extra credit (Recurring peer) * Listen to KDIC Wednesdays at 6pm - Witty banter with other personalities and/or co-host. Also Indian, Arabic, and Farsi music. (Up to two units of extra credit.) * Listen to KDIC Thursday at 7pm - Classic Rock. (60's and 70's) * Peer editing with SS. Talk to SS about the details. Make your English Lit more literate. ### Extra credit (Misc) ### Other good things * Sing happy birthday in class on Friday. ### About quiz 13 * Problem 2 was confusing. I didn't take off if you got it wrong or left it blank. * People who did well on problem 2 got bonus points. _What are the parameters to the sorting routines?_ * It varies. We've seen multiple implementations. * Option 1: The list and a comparator. `(sort numbers <)` * Option 2: The list, a get-key operation, and a comparator `(sort students car string-ci>=?)` * For "sort in decreasing order", I wanted either * `(insertion-sort contacts car string-ci>=?)` * `(sort contacts (lambda (a b) (string-ci>=? (car a) (car b))))` * `(sort contacts (comparator string-ci>=? car))` * For sort by last name and first, I wanted either * `(insertion-sort contacts (lambda (contact) (string-append (car contact) " " (cadr contact))) string-ci<=?)` ### Questions Comments on the final --------------------- * Thursday at 2pm in this room. * Different format than most exams: Paper (not computer), 4 problems (not 6), ... * Kind of "extended quiz" * But you do get to bring notes. * We may include vectors, trees, analysis/efficiency, code reading, code writing, lists, sorting, etc. * We will not ask you to deal with files. * In the past, most students who took the final finished in 90 minutes or less. The subject matter(s) of the course ----------------------------------- ### Problem solving * Decompose a complex problem into smaller problems and combine the solutions back together. (To make a sandwich, we might think about "spread substance on bread" as a smaller problem.) * You can solve the same problem in multiple ways. * Don't accept your first solution as the only solution. * Reflect on whether you can solve the problem better. * We solve problems better when we can talk through the problems and solutions with a partner. * You don't solve every problem from scratch; there are patterns you develop and can apply to new problems. * Don't just jump in to your solution, plan ahead. Think about potential complexities or problems. * Work backwards from goal to solution. ### The Core of CS: Algorithms and data structures * We've learned about sorting. * Insertion sort. * Um sort. * Merge sort. * Quick sort. * Selection sort. * Parameters to sorting, like the weird comparators we use for the built in sort. * We cover about four more in 207. * We've learned above binary search trees. * We can (and should) generalize algorithms so that they work for a broader set of inputs. E.g., if you can sort a vector of integers, you should be able to sort a vector of any type of values. * Basic data structures: List, vectors, tables (lists of lists, vectors of vectors, etc.), trees, files (text and CSV) * Core parts of algorithms: naming, subroutines, conditionals, sequencing, input and output, basic operations, ### Functional programming _A different approach to thinking about programming and problem solving: centers around a mathematical approach to program design._ * "Functions are first-class values"; they can be parameters to other functions, they can be returned by other functions. * `(o f g)` - `o` takes two functions as input and returns a new function. * Many common higher-order functions: `map`, `reduce`, `filter`. * Side-effect-free programming. (Don't change variables, don't change the state of the system.) * Anonymous procedures, created with `lambda`. * E.g., `(map (lambda (x) (+ x (square x))) (iota 10))` * Other ways of building anonymous procedures with `section`. * Recursion * Direct * Helper * Tail * Over lists, vectors, files, trees ### Program and Software Design * Test! Helps us identify errors. Helps us think more broadly about input and output. * Program in pairs. It leads to more reliable code. (And usually ends up taking less time.) * Untangling complex code. (Both the "Whatzitdo's" and the complex code Sam sometimes inserts into readings. Also the code we wrote ourselves.) * Document! It helps you figure out what the code will do. Good preconditions and postconditions not only explain your code to a client, they also help you learn more about the problem. * We can write real programs. (Assignment seven.) * Keeping your code readable. * Recovering from errors/problems. ### Scheme * (you (need ((((lots)) of parentheses)))) * Evaluation strategy. * How do do all of the six (seven?) key parts of algorithms. * Between 50 and 100 different procedures (Sam thinks more.) * You've learned most of core Scheme. ### Data science * Most data are messy; you need ways to clean your data * Techniques for analyzing data. * We can apply CS to other, more important, fields * Manipulate complex data and present it * Numerically * Visually * Work with real-world data which leads to useful understanding. ### General thinking skills * Practice thinking on your feet. * Experience working with a wide variety of other people. * Step-by-step approaches (back to the decomposition from problem solving) * Ask for questions and ask for help. ### And beyond * Moral modeling: The value of family. * "There's more to life than CS (or any academic discipline)" * Clarified that CS is not the right thing for me. * Laugh. * Support those around you. * Be moderate. Final PSA of the semester ------------------------- * Don't let the stress of finals' week negatively affect you. * Get enough sleep. * If you decide to shut off your brain with substances, do so in moderation. * Don't let academic honesty become an issue; our decision-making becomes less good at this time of the semester. * Consent is essential. Final comments --------------