Computer Science 121: Fundamentals of Computing

A breadth-based approach to the fundamental concepts and techniques of computer science, balancing mathematical foundations, topics in computer science, and structured programming. The learning of mathematical concepts and techniques will be motivated and reinforced by direct application in the context of topics of computer science, as well as in the practice of structured programming in the lab. Strong emphasis will be placed on algorithmic problem solving.


Professor:

Bob Martin, Warner 501B, 443-5923

Email: rmartin@middlebury.edu

Office hours: MWF xx-xx, Tu x-x, and by appointment

Prerequisites:

None.

Class Meetings:

Section A: Lectures are MWF from 8:00 to 8:50. Lab is Tuesday from 8:00 to 9:15 .

Section B: Lectures are MWF from 9:05 to 9:55. Lab is Tuesday from 9:30 to 10:45 .

All Lectures and Labs will be held in the Ballou Computer Science Lab in Warner 507.


Texts:

The course texts are:


Grading:

There will be two one hour exams (each worth 100 points), a final exam (worth 200 points), an attendance grade (worth 100 points), and a lab/homework grade (worth 100 points). The attendance grade will consist of 50 points for attending each of the 10 labs and 50 points of unannounced quizzes. Your final exam is scheduled for Saturday, May 18th from 9 am to noon.


Late Homework Policy

Homework is considered late after it has gone to the grader. Homework will not be accepted beyond that time.

Honor Code

The work you submit in CX121 must be the result of your own individual effort. You may discuss how to solve homework problems with other students but when it comes to the actual writing of programs or problem sets, your work must be your own. You must write your own solutions without having someone telling you what to write or copying the work of someone else. In particular, you should never have a copy of someone elses work in your possession, either electronically or on paper. It is also your own responsibility to protect your work from unauthorized access by others. If you have any doubt as to how the honor code applies to a given situation, please ask.

Exams and quizzes, of course, must be entirely your own work.


Course Syllabus


Acknowledgements:

The Middlebury version of this course is based upon material developed by Kim Bruce, Andrea Danyluk, and Tom Murtagh for a similar course at Williams College. Their contributions are gratefully acknowledged.