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Syllabus

This is a research-oriented, advanced course. As such, it involves reading research papers, discussing them in class, and exploring new ideas. It is best suited for students who are comfortable with open-ended questions and happy to take the initiative in coming up with creative ideas and solutions.

Meetings K Hour: 2:30pm-3:50pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Room CIT-227
Notes Published after each class
Textbook None (we will read research papers)
Prerequisites CSCI 0300/1310 or 0330, and CSCI 1380 or instructor permission.
Instructor Malte Schwarzkopf (malte@cs.brown.edu)
Office Hours by appointment
Assignments Two hands-on assignments in the first half of the class, one to be completed as a written report and one with code to be handed in.
Final ProjectOne research project of your own design. We strongly encourage you to work in groups. The goal is to investigate an idea, implement to to see if it makes sense, and evaluate how well it works. You will submit a proposal, a write-up in the form of a research paper, submit your code, and present the project in class. Project ideas topics should fit with the class theme; some initial ideas are available.
Incompletes We expect everyone to complete the course on time. However, we certainly understand that there may be factors beyond your control, such as health problems and family crises, that prevent you from finishing the course on time. If you feel you cannot complete the course on time, please discuss with Malte Schwarzkopf the possibility of being given a grade of Incomplete for the course and setting a schedule for completing the course in the upcoming year.
Late Policy Assigments must be finished by the deadline on the schedule; exceptions will only be made for legitimate reasons and in exceptional circumstances. The full late policy is described in the course missive.
Grading Questions: 10%; Participation: 20%; Presentation: 20%; Assignments: 10%; Final Project: 40%.
In general, if it is clear that you put significant effort into class discussion, the paper presentations for which you were the lead, the assignments, and your project, you'll get an A.
Course Time Students will spend approximately 3 hours per week in class (40 hours total), and 2-3 hours preparing readings (27-40 hours total). Assignments and the final project will take on the order of 8-10 hours per week (112-140 hours total).