CSCI 310 Advanced Algorithms (Fall 2025)

Contact Information

Announcements

  • 10/28: The quiz on Standard 15 will be online, running from 10/30 through 11/1 at 9 PM. I thought I had given Standard 15 last week. My apologies for the confusion!
  • 10/26:
    • Due to reliance on generative AI, a number of the quizzes will now be in-person.
    • These will be open-book, open-note, but individual efforts. Electronic devices will not be permitted for in-class quizzes.
    • These will be timed at 20 minutes.
    • Please note that Section 4.5 of the Syllabus permits me to make these changes.
    • Updates are below. I reserve the right to make changes and will notify you of such.
    • Here is the updated schedule through Thanksgiving for the quizzes.
      • Standard 15 will be given in-person on 10/30.
        •
      • Standard 17 will be given remotely. It opens on 10/30 and is due on 11/1 at 9 PM.
      • Standard 16 will be given in-person on 11/4.
      • Standard 18 will be given in-person on 11/6.
      • Standard 19 will be given remotely. It opens on 11/6 and is due on 11/8 at 9 PM.
      • Standard 20 will be given in-person on 11/11. I will make every effort to have this graded prior to RQ2.
      • Standard 22 will be given in-person on 11/18.
      • Standard 21 will be given in-person on 11/20. This is not a typo. Since Standard 21 is more challenging, I am giving you all more time to study.
      • Standard 24 will be given remotely. It opens on 11/20 and is due on 11/25 at 9 PM.
    • Updates to RQ2:
      • Standards 15-19 will be given remotely. These quizzes open on 11/13 and close on 11/15 at 9 PM.
      • Standards 13-14, 20-22, 24 will be in-person on 11/13.
      • The in-class portion is again open-book, open-note, but an individual effort. Electronic devices will not be permitted.
      • It might be advisable to write down the standards you need to take.
    • The Final Requizzing Period will be a mix of in-person and remote quizzes (the exact split TBD).
      • If you are in the 2:10 section, then the in-person period is Monday, Dec. 8 from 1-3 PM.
      • If you are in the 3:35 section, then the in-person period is Thursday, Dec. 4 from 3:30-5:30 PM.
      • The in-class portion is again open-book, open-note, but an individual effort. Electronic devices will not be permitted.
      • It might be advisable to write down the standards you need to take.
      • I am required to submit final grades to the university by Dec. 10 at noon.
  • 10/20: The retake token Google form is now open (see the link above, near the Regrade Request form).
    • The form will close on Tuesday November 25 at 9 PM, so that I can process everything in a timely manner and so that you all will have time to take your quizzes.
    • This is a firm deadline; there will be no extensions.
    • You will have your RQ2 grades reasonably before then.
    • You may only use retake tokens on the standards listed in the Google form.
    • If you submit corrections and reflections reasonably ahead of time, and they are not sufficient, I will let you know so that you have time to fix them and resubmit.
    • Note that if you submit near the deadline, you may not have time to iterate on your corrections and reflections. Please plan accordingly.
    • Please take your corrections and reflections seriously.
    • Please wait one week before emailing me to inquire about the status of your retake token request.
    • A retake token quiz will be open for one week, and not to exceed Dec. 3 at 9 PM. Note that this stretches into finals week.
    • The purpose of these quizzes is to provide an opportunity for you all to raise your grades, rather than to provide feedback. Grades may not be timely.
    • In particular, I do not promise that your retake token quizzes will be graded before the final requizzing period, though I will make every effort to do so.
    • Lastly, please make sure to read the Syllabus (Section 3.6) regarding the retake tokens.
    • If you have further questions, including how to prioritize your retake tokens, please do not hesitate to reach out.
  • 10/18: RQ1 is now graded.
    • Please check that all of the quizzes you took made it to Gradescope. Please use the Regrade Request Google Form to let me know if I missed one of your quizzes.
    • Progress Reports are now posted. Please use the Regrade Request Google Form to let me know if I have recorded any of your grades incorrectly.
    • As usual, I reserve the right to update my records-- positively or negatively-- if I find later that I have recorded something incorrectly. So please do carefully check!
    • The First Quartile Cutoff is Proficiency on >= 10.25 standards at least once, and Full Credit on >= 8 standards. This is consistent with Fall 2023 and Fall 2024.
    • Historically, the First Quartile Cutoff is a good indication of whether you are on track to clear a C-. I would be concerned if your grades sat much below these cutoffs.
    • If you have concerns about your standing in the class (beyond correcting mistakes in my records), please do not hesitate to reach out.
    • The drop deadline is Friday, Oct. 24.
    • I am finishing up grading HW8, and will likely release those tomorrow.
    • I will begin getting the Retake Token system in-place. Once that is done, I will update you all.
  • 10/14: I have made some effort to schedule ahead. Here is the tentative game plan.
    • Class on 10/16 will be cancelled for RQ1.
    • Homework: I have optimized the deadlines for maximum flexibility, but be aware that the deadlines start to stack at the end of the semester. Do start early and plan accordingly.
      • HW9: is now open, and is due on 10/27 at 9 PM.
      • HW10: opens on 10/21, and is due on 11/3 at 9 PM.
      • HW11: This is Standard 23, the Dynamic Programming project.
        • The logistics are similar to Standard 4.
        • There will be two scheduled attempts.
        • Attempt 1 will open on 10/21 and is due on 11/25 at 9 PM.
        • Attempt 2 is due on 12/7 at 9 PM.
        • If you like your grade on Attempt 1, then you do not need to submit for Attempt 2.
        • If you do not like your grade on Attempt 1 or if you did not submit to Attempt 1, then you may submit to Attempt 2.
      • HW12: will likely open on 10/21. It is due on 11/10 at 9 PM.
    • Quizzes: I have made some effort to keep it to 3 quizzes per weekend.
      • Standards 12-14: Opens 10/23 and is due on 10/25 at 9 PM.
      • Standards 15-17: Opens 10/30 and is due on 11/1 at 9 PM.
      • Standards 18-20: Opens 11/6 and is due on 11/8 at 9 PM.
      • Standards 21-22, 24: Opens 11/20 and is due on 11/25 at 9 PM. This is to provide some flexibility to manage your work with other classes, leading up to Thanksgiving.
    • Requizzing Period 2 (RQ2):
      • This will open on 11/13 and will close on 11/15 at 4 PM.
      • Class will be cancelled on 11/13.
      • RQ2 will cover Standards 13-22 and 24.
      • This will be your third attempt at Standards 13-20, and your second attempt at Standards 21-22, 24.
      • Your third attempt at Standards 21-22, 24 will be the week following RQ2.
  • 10/12:
    • Progress reports are now posted. Please check your records against mine.
    • If something is incorrect, please submit to the Regrade Request Google Form and not email.
    • As usual, I reserve the right to update my records-- positively or negatively-- if I find that I have recorded something incorrectly.
    • For Standard 0 (Syllabus Quiz) and Standard 4, you need to demonstrate proficiency once to earn credit towards your final grade.
    • For the remaining standards on this progress report, you need to demonstrate proficiency twice to earn credit towards your final grade.
    • While all standards count equally, you all have likely now realized that they are not all of equal difficulty.
    • Standards 2-3, 5, 7-11 are amongst the easier standards in the class, marked accordingly with a (*) on the Syllabus.
    • Standards 1, 6, and 12 are more challenging standards.
    • As you prepare for Requizzing Period 1 (RQ1), I recommend being strategic-- prioritize the easier standards first.
    • Once you have credit for a standard towards your final grade, there is no need to attempt it again.
    • So for instance, if your progress report reads Standard 3: 2, then you have full credit on Standard 3 and do not need to attempt it on RQ1.
  • 10/10: HW7 grades are now posted. The cutoff for Proficiency on Standard 12 required (i) >= Progress on all problems, and (ii) >= Proficiency on at least three problems.
  • 10/8:
    • Due to the King Tide and potential of flooding tomorrow, I will be cancelling class. Instead, there will be a recorded video lecture to watch. I will update you all when this video is online. Stay safe and dry.
    • Update: the video and handwritten notes are now online.
    • My office hours over Fall break will be Monday and Tuesday, 10-11 AM over Zoom.
  • 9/29: I am required to submit Midterm Grades to the university between 10/2-10/8. More information below:
    • There have been two attempts at Standards 1-3, 5-6, and one attempt at Standards 4, 7-9.
    • Standard 0 is the Syllabus Quiz.
    • I have based Midterm Grades on #Standards where you have demonstrated proficiency at least once.
    • Historically, the first quartile cutoff has been a good gauge of whether folks are on track for a C- or better.
    • We have:
      • First Quartile: 6.25 standards
      • Median: 7 standards
      • Average: 7.18 standards
      • Third Quartile: 8 standards
    • I will thus be issuing Midterm Grades as follows:
      • A: 9-10 standards
      • B: 7-8 standards
      • C: 6 standards
      • C-: 5 standards
      • D: 4 standards
      • F: 0-3 standards
    • I have posted Progress Reports to Gradescope. Please compare your records against mine.
    • If my records do not match yours, please submit to the Regrade Request Google form and not email.
    • I reserve the right to correct my records, positively or negatively, if I find I have made a mistake.
    • Your Midterm Grade has been posted to OAKS.
    • Requizzing Period 1 will be graded before the drop deadline of 10/24.
  • 9/27:
    • HW5 has been graded. The Proficiency cutoff for Standard 7 required (i) Progress or better on all problems, and (ii) Proficiency or better on at least two problems.
    • HW8 has been posted.
      • Recall that it is due on 10/15 at 9 PM.
      • For this assignment, extensions will be reserved for emergency situations only.
      • Please read Page 3 of the HW8 PDF file carefully. It will likely answer many of your questions (e.g., how to format your answers).
      • Recall that mathematical expressions and equations must be typed on HW.
      • On a quiz for Standard 13 or Standard 14, you will be given two functions and asked to compare them.
  • 9/23: Per the discussions in class today regarding HW8:
    • HW8 will be posted sometime after class on 9/25 (no later than the end of the day on 9/27-- I will email when it is open).
    • HW8 will be due on 10/15 at 9 PM.
    • I will be holding office hours over Fall break on 10/13 and 10/14 10-11 AM. There will not be office hours on 10/14 from 5:05-6 PM.
    • I will be available via email and to meet by appointment over Fall break.
    • This is a long HW. I expect that you all will plan accordingly.
    • As RQ1 opens on Thursday 10/16, extensions will be limited to emergency situations.
  • 9/19: HW4 grades have been posted.
    • The cutoff for Proficiency on Standard 5 required >= Progress on Problems 2-4, and >= Proficiency on at least two of Problems 2-4.
    • The cutoff for Proficiency for Standard 6 required:
      • >= Progress on Problems 5, 6(a), and 6(b).
      • Proficiency on both 5 and 6b, OR Outstanding on Problem 5 and Progress on Problem 6(b).
    • As a reminder, Standard 6 is one of the more challenging standards in the course. While all standards count equally, they are not all of the same difficulty. The more mechanical standards are marked with a (*) on the Syllabus (see Section 3.2).
  • 9/9: HW3 grades have been posted.
    • The cutoff for Proficiency on Standard 3 required scores of >= Proficiency on both Q2 and Q3.
    • You may submit Standard 4 by October 1 at 9 PM to OAKS, regardless of whether you attempted Standard 4 initially.
  • 9/3: HW2 grades have been posted. The cutoff for Proficiency on Standard 2 required:
    • Progress or better on all questions, and
    • Proficiency or better on at least 4 out of 5 questions (2a and 2b were treated as separate questions).
  • 8/30:
    • I will be out of town 9/12-9/19 for a conference.
      • Lectures and handwritten notes for 9/16 and 9/18 have been recorded and posted to OAKS.
      • Class and office hours will be cancelled during that time.
      • Please do feel very welcome and encouraged to email me, as you normally would. I will do my best to respond in a timely manner. However, please plan for slower response times than usual.
    • Here are the upcoming HW deadlines:
      • HW4 will open on 9/2 at 5 PM. It will be due on 9/15 at 9 PM.
      • HW5 will open on 9/4 at 5 PM. It will be due on 9/23 at 9 PM. This is to ensure that you have an opportunity to meet with me during office hours before submitting the assignment.
      • HW6 will open on 9/15, and it will be due on 9/29 at 9 PM. This assignment is short. If you are spending much more than an hour on a single standard, then you should reach out for help.
      • HW7 will open on 9/23 at 5 PM. It will be due on 10/6 at 9 PM.
    • Here are the upcoming Quiz deadlines:
      • Quiz- Standard 2 will open on 9/11 and will close on 9/13 at 9 PM.
      • Quiz- Standard 3 will open on 9/18 and will close on 9/20 at 9 PM.
      • Quizzes- Standards 5, 6 will open on 9/25 and will close on 9/27 at 9 PM.
      • Quizzes- Standards 7-9 will open on 10/2 and will close on 10/4 at 9 PM.
      • Quizzes- Standards 10-11 will open on 10/9 and will close on 10/11 at 9 PM.
    • Here are details about Requizzing Period 1 (RQ1).
      • It will open on 10/16, and close on 10/18 at 4 PM.
      • It will consist of one quiz per standard, for Standards 1-3 and 5-12.
      • This will be your third scheduled attempt at Standards 1-3 and 5-11.
      • This will be your second scheduled attempt at Standard 12.
      • There will be a third scheduled attempt at Standard 12, date TBD.
      • If you have demonstrated proficiency twice on a standard already, then you do not need to attempt it on RQ1. There is no benefit to your grade in doing so.
      • I will post progress reports reasonably before RQ1, so that you can plan accordingly.
  • 8/27:
    • HW1 has been graded. Your Standard 1 Overall score on Gradescope is your grade on HW1. If you earned a Proficiency or Outstanding, then you have checked the box once towards Standard 1. The cutoff for Proficiency on Standard 1 Overall was >= (Progress, Proficiency, Proficiency) on (Q2, Q3, Q4) in that order.
    • Please note that the "points" on Gradescope are labels and carry no numeric value. The labels are Outstanding (4), Proficiency (3), Progress (2), Attempted (1), No Attempt (0). Gradescope does not let me use letters instead of numbers. So in particular, if your Standard 1 Overall score is a 3, that is full credit and not 75%.
  • 8/26:
    • HW3 is now posted. It is due on 9/8 at 9 PM.
    • For Standard 4, you will be able to (re)submit it at a later date (TBD) after I grade HW3.
    • You may submit at that later date, even if you do not attempt Standard 4 by 9/8 at 8 PM.
    • Recall that Standard 4 will only have two attempts (as outlined above, and on the Syllabus); hence, the revisions.
    • You will have three scheduled quizzing opportunities on Standard 3. Therefore, Standard 3 on HW3 is not eligible for revisions.
  • 8/20:
    • HW2 will become available on 8/21 at 5 PM. It is due on 9/1 at 9 PM.
    • Quiz- Standard 1 will become available on Thursday 9/4, and it will be due on Saturday 9/6 at 9 PM.
  • 8/7:
    • Website created.
    • The Syllabus Quiz and HW1 are both due on 8/26 at 9 PM.
    • The Syllabus Quiz will open immediately (as soon as OAKS becomes availaable), and HW1 will open on 8/26 at 5 PM (after the second section ends).
    • Please complete this optional Day One Survey.
    • Regarding LaTeX, I use MikTeX as my compiler on my local machine. Many folks are partial to Overleaf, which is a free online service. Because Overleaf is a third-party service, it may go out at inopportune times (such as during a quiz or requizzing period). For this reason, I am explicitly refraining from recommending Overleaf. You can use it at your own risk. There are many other LaTeX compilers-- you are welcome to use your favorite one.