06 18187 Foundations of Computer Science

Manfred Kerber
10 credits in Semester 2

Locations

The lectures take place

The exercise classes (from week 2 onwards) take place

There is a homework clinic Mondays at 12:00 noon in Rm 222 (School of Computer Science)

Recommended Books

Detailed Syllabus and Relevant Links

Lecture notes - compiled by Martín Escardó with changes by Manfred Kerber - are available in PDF format here. A note on 2-3 trees can be found as 2-3.pdf

Errata are kept at here.

There are the two last passed exam papers available: 2008 and 2009.

Just as the first part of the module, this part contains a 20% continously assessed component. There are exercise classes every Thursday from week 2 onwards during the term from 2-3pm. Attendance is compulsory.

Students will have to do 20 pieces of assessed work (worth each 5% of the whole continuous assessment), 10 homeworks and 10 classworks. The homeworks have to be handed in immediately before the exercise class, the classworks at the end of it.

Currently planned is the following schedule (changes possible but not intended):

   Number         Homework handed out    handed in        Classwork handed out and in

     1                  15/1/10          21/1/10                  21/1/10
     2                  21/1/10          28/1/10                  28/1/10   
     3                  28/1/10           4/2/10                   4/2/10   
     4                   4/2/10          11/2/10                  11/2/10   
     5                  11/2/10          18/2/10                  18/2/10   
     6                  18/2/10          25/2/10                  25/2/10   
     7                  25/2/10           4/3/10                   4/3/10   
     8                   4/3/10          11/3/10                  11/3/10   
     9                  11/3/10          18/3/10                  18/3/10   
    10                  18/3/10          25/3/10                  25/3/10

Write your registration numbers CLEARLY on each sheet of your submission. No registration number or illegible registration number -- no points. Do not write your names on your submission. Submissions with names will be marked but not returned.

Marks can be found at http://www3.cs.bham.ac.uk/marks/. This page also contains first term marks, to find Homework 1 of the second term look for Homework 10, to find Homework 2 for Homework 11, that is, always plus 9, likewise for Classwork. The marked work will typically be given back during the lectures on Friday. Any work not collected will be put in the student study room.

You can find a Java implementation of Dijkstra's algorithm by Matt Smart here.

Some hints about learning

• Take notes, summarise or highlight the content of the lectures, of your reading.
• Revise lectures within 24 hours (in order to maximise the learning effect).
• Use a folder in which you keep all the material for this module like annotated handouts, worksheets, rough notes, returned exercise sheets. Bring this folder to the exercise classes.
• You are expected to spend 1/6 of your working time on this module, that is, at least 6 1/2 hours per week.
• Try to solve the exercises. They are much more important than rote learning since they show whether you understand the material.
• You are responsible for your learning. Act responsibly: Don't be lazy. Enjoy the module; it will be enjoyable only if you work hard.
• In general be active in learning.

Maintained by: Manfred Kerber, School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham
Last update: 7.12.2010.
The URL of this page is   http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~mmk/Teaching/Foundations/index.html.