CSC 100: The Beauty and Joy of Computing

Class and Lab Schedule

The following calendar shows topics covered, handouts given, and assignments that have been given and when they are due. Items with yellow background are tentative (either because the date is in the future or because I haven't gotten around to updating it). All items with a white background are final.

Week 1
Mon, August 20	Wed, August 22	Fri, August 24
Topics - Lecture 1: Introductions Class/syllabus review Advice for students Student background survey Handout: Syllabus	Topics - Guest Lecture: Computer Science at UNCG	Lab 1: Introduction to Scratch/BYOB Related handouts: UNCG-specific lab information

Week 2
Mon, August 27	Wed, August 29	Fri, August 31
Reading (read before class!): Decoding the Value of Computer Science Why Software is Eating The World Topics - Lecture 2: (part 1) What is Computer Science? Impact of CS on the world	Discussion: BtB Chapter 1 Reflection due Aug 28 @ 5:00 Topics - Lecture 2: (part 2) Finish lecture 2 topics	Lab 2: Interaction, variables, and sound

Week 3
Mon, September 3	Wed, September 5	Fri, September 7
No class - Labor Day!	Assigned: Assignment 1 (due Sept 14) Topics: Lab 2 review Lecture 3 - Abstraction	Lab 3: Abstraction with functions

Week 4
Mon, September 10	Wed, September 12	Fri, September 14
Topics - Lecture 4: Data Representation - numbers Number Bases Binary	Discussion: BtB Chapter 2 Reflection due Sept 11 @ 5:00 Note: This discussion took the full class period - other topics delayed until next Monday.	Due: Assignment 1 Lab 4: Starting a math tutor program

Week 5
Mon, September 17	Wed, September 19	Fri, September 21
Assigned: Assignment 2 Topics: More resources: Video walkthroughs Overview of Assignment 2 Lecture 4: (cont'd) Finish Binary Conversions Hexadecimal	Topic: In-class BYOB Practice Practice Problems Solutions	Lab 5: Using lists for data

Week 6
Mon, September 24	Wed, September 26	Fri, September 28
Topics: Demos of Student Work Lecture 5: Algorithms Basic Definitions Some Famous Algorithms Problems vs Algorithms Algorithm Trade-offs Modern Computer Speeds	Discussion: BtB Chapter 3 Reflection due Sept 25 @ 5:00 Topics: Lecture 5 wrap-up A Flood of Data... Lecture 6 - Algorithms, Part 2 What is "time" for algorithms?	Lab 6: Experimenting with algorithms

Week 7
Mon, October 1	Wed, October 3	Fri, October 5
Due: Assignment 2 Topics: Lecture 6 - Algorithms, Part 2 Basic steps and timing Constant time Loop patterns Linear time Quadratic time Predicting times	Topics: Solution to Lab 6 question Lecture 6 - Algorithms, Part 2 Logarithmic time Exponential time Comparing time complexities Lecture 7: Concurrency What is Concurrency? Traditional model Time-division multiplexing Multicore model Moore's Law and multicore Kinds of concurrency	Lab 7: Concurrency and parallelism

Week 8
Mon, October 8	Wed, October 10	Fri, October 12
Topics: Lecture 7: Concurrency Parallel algorithms/speedup Race conditions Deadlock Review for midterm	Midterm Exam!	Lab 8: Send in the clones

Week 9
Mon, October 15	Wed, October 17	Fri, October 19
No class - Fall Break!	Topics: Lecture 8: Reductions and Recursion Solving one problem with another Reduction examples Recursion w/examples	Lab 9: Self-similarity and recursion

Week 10
Mon, October 22	Wed, October 24	Fri, October 26
Lecture 9: Data Representation, part 2 File formats and rendering Text - ASCII Formatted Text - HTML Pictures - Grayscale Pictures - Color	Topics: Project Discussion	Lab 10: Putting it all together

Week 11
Mon, October 29	Wed, October 31	Fri, November 2
Lecture 9 - continued Human vision and color Sound - hearing and waveforms Video and frame types Data compression	Discussion: BtB Chapter 4 Reflection due Oct 30 @ 5:00	Lab/Project Time: Project proposal presentations

Week 12
Mon, November 5	Wed, November 7	Fri, November 9
Solution to Lab 9 extra credit Lecture 10 - Artificial Intelligence Basic Ideas/Areas The Turing Test Consequences Future of AI/Robotics	Discussion: BtB Chapter 5 Reflection due Nov 6 @ 5:00	Lab/Project Time: Project work time

Week 13
Mon, November 12	Wed, November 14	Fri, November 16
Lecture 11 - The Internet Physical connections: Ethernet Switches and MAC addresses IP addressing and hierarchy ARP and address conversion	Discussion: BtB Chapter 6 Reflection due Nov 13 @ 5:00 Lecture 11 - continued IP communication DNS for looking up names Routing between networks Higher-layer issues: TCP	Lab/Project Time: Project work time

Week 14
Mon, November 19	Wed, November 21	Fri, November 23
Student choice day: Copyright and DRM More on SOPA and PIPA P2P technologies: Napster, Gnutella, and Bittorrent DRM and Sony rootkit	No class - Thanksgiving!	No class - Thanksgiving!

Week 15
Mon, November 26	Wed, November 28	Fri, November 30
Limits and Future of Computing Traveling Salesman Problem NP-completeness Uncomputability Quantum computing DNA computing	Due: Assignment 3 Class Time (attendance optional): Team presentation prep	Lab/Project Time: Project presentations

Week 16
Mon, December 3
Topics: Project awards Class review Preparation for Final Exam

Final Exam: Wednesday, December 5, 12:00-3:00