Syllabus

Mathematica - CS 165 - Spring 2005

Class Meetings: R 3:00-4:25, FN 4.

Textbook: Required: An introduction to programming with Mathematica, By Gaylord, Kamin, and Wellin. This book is out of print, so our bookstore doesn't carry it; but it can be purchased on the web. 

Homework: HW will be assigned in every class meeting, due the next class meeting. I will not collect HW; instead, we will work together on the HW problems in class. But because we may not have time to cover every problem in class, you are strongly encouraged to work with your classmates or get help from me on problems you can't do.

Midterms: There will be three in-class exams, during the weeks of Feb 7, Mar 7, and Apr 11 (subject to change with advance notice). 

Final : The final exam will be on Tuesday May 3, 8:30-11:30 AM. Please make sure you do not have any time conflicts with this date and time (or any early travel plans), as I do not give early or late finals!

Make-ups: No make-up exams will be given. If you miss a midterm with a valid excuse (e.g., a medical reason), and provide documentation for it, that midterm will simply not count for you—instead, your other midterms and the final exam will count proportionally more. This policy does not apply to the final exam.

Extra Credit Problems: On each exam there may be one or more challenging problems designated as extra credit problems. They do not carry any points; but, in borderline cases, they may help you earn a higher grade.

Grading: Your grade for the semester will be computed according to this table:

Midterms 1, 2, 3 15%, 20%, 25% Final 40%

Attendance: You are responsible for everything that goes on in every class meeting, such as announcements, handouts, taught topics that are not in the class notes, etc.  This means even if you miss a class for a valid reason, it is your responsibility to contact me and find out what you missed.

E-mail: When necessary, I will make announcements via the class mailing list, instead of in the classroom. You are expected to check your email at least once a day. I encourage you to use our class email list comp165-L@oxy.edu to contact others in class regarding homework questions or any class related issues.

Academic Honesty: I feel strongly about protecting honest and hard-working students against unfair and dishonest actions sometimes committed by a few. I don't give warnings; I refer all suspicious cases to the Judicial Examiner without hesitation.

Students with learning disability: Please see me and the CAE to arrange for any special needs.