Mathematics 203 (Introduction to computer science) - Fall 1983
General information


	The subject matter of Mathematics 203 includes the Pascal
programming language and introductory material in theoretical
computer science.  The rationale for this combination is that
Pascal is, by design, an ideal illustration of many of the basic
concepts of computer science, and that the abstract structure of
many kinds of problems in theoretical computer science is more
clearly reflected in Pascal programs than in programs written in
other languages.  Among the topics to be covered are machine 
organization, data representation, data structures, recursion, 
and programming aids (debuggers, profiling programs, etc.)

	The instructor for this section of the course is John
Stone.  My office is in Darby Gymnasium, on the second floor,
about halfway down the hall (the rooms are unnumbered).  My
telephone number is 236-2591.  I am on campus almost all the time
between 8 a.m. and noon and between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.; guaranteed
office hours are as follows: 

	     Mondays, 11 a.m. to noon
	     Wednesdays, 1:15 to 2:30 p.m.
	     Thursdays, 3 to 4 p.m.

	The textbook for the course is OH! PASCAL! by Doug Cooper 
and Michael Clancy (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1982).

	The course work consists of two examinations, a mid-term 
and a final, about nine short programming assignments, and a 
large programming project.

	Each programming assignment will have a deadline; I 
expect most students to meet the deadlines without difficulty.  I 
shall, however, accept late submissions until I begin returning 
corrected papers to other students.  My policy is to judge late 
papers more strictly than ones that come in on time, on the 
theory that the extra time should be put to good use.  (For those 
of you who want to know the exact arithmetic details, the formula 
I use is l = g - d(m - g), where l is the grade assigned to a 
late paper, g is the grade it would have received if it had been 
submitted on time, d is the difference in days between the 
deadline and the actual run time of the program submitted, and m 
is the maximum grade for the assignment.)

	You will be choosing your own programming projects.  I 
shall prepare a list of project proposals, and you can either 
select something from the list or come up with a suggestion of 
your own.  I am assuming that everyone would prefer to have an 
individual project; any of you who want to work on a team project
should see me early in the semester, so that we can come up with 
a project proposal of suitable difficulty.

	There are three requirements for passing the course: (1) 
You must have a passing grade on the short programming 
assignments and the mid-term, taken collectively; (2) you must 
have a passing grade on the final examination; and (3) you must 
complete the programming project.  A complete programming project 
is defined as a program that is syntactically correct, is
intelligible to the knowledgeable Pascal programmer (me), and 
handles at least one set of test data correctly.

	Except in the case of an approved team programming
project, it is unethical to submit a program that is not entirely
your own work.  To borrow other people's code without
acknowledgement would be improper in any case; in this class,
since the point of the exercises is to get you to learn the
material for yourself, it is improper to take answers or partial
answers from others even if their contributions are explicitly
acknowledged.  Any indications of collaboration or plagiarism
will be submitted to the Committee on Academic Standing.