Syllabus for CS 4953 Special Studies in Computer Science:
Experimental Techniques for Computer Science Majors

Spring 2003

Instructor: Dr. Steven Robbins
Office: 3.02.01A SB
Phone: 458-5544
Address: srobbins@cs.utsa.edu
Course Homepage: /classes/cs4953s2003/index.html
Office Hours: TR 11 am - 12:15 pm and by appointment
Class Times: TTh 9:30 - 10:45 am (in room 3.02.24 HSS for exams, otherwise in room 3.01.02 SB)

Text: None: Notes will be made available.

Prerequisite: CS 3733, Operating Systems

Course Objectives:

  • To understand how to design and analyze experiments in computer science.
  • To learn some additional topics in CS, including threads and thread synchronization.

    Course Content:

  • We will study some topics in CS and use them as a basis for experimentation.
  • We will review aspects of probability, statistics, and queueing theory.
  • We will use simulators for some of our design and analysis.
  • We will write some programs to experiment with network communication.
  • We will read and analyze papers from the current computer science literature.

    This will be a project oriented course in which students will work independently.

    Grading:

  • 30% Two exams
  • 40% Assignments
  • 30% Final Project

    Notification of final grades:
    If you wish to receive your final grades by email, send me an email message within 48 hours of the last class meeting. The message should have the subject line
    CS 4953 Grade Request
    and the message should have a valid return address. After I have graded the final project and determined the letter grades for the course I will reply to your email message.

    Course Policy:
    Friday, March 14, is the last day to drop this course. No make-up exams will be given except for university sanctioned excused absences. If you must miss an exam (for a good reason), it is your responsibility to contact me before the exam. Leave a message at the above number or send me email.

    Unless otherwise stated, all assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. There will be a 10 percent penalty for assignments turned in after that time. Do not miss class to finish an assignment. Turn in what you have for partial credit. Assignments which are more than 12 hours late will not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made.

    You must keep copies of the source code for all assignments for this course at least until you receive the your final grade for the course. At any time during the semester you may be asked to demonstrate any of your programs.

    You are to do the assignments without collaboration. You can ask me questions about any aspect of an assignment. General discussion with others on the system or on an approach to a problem is constructive and is okay. However, since your grade is based on your assignments, they must be your own work. Students who hand in programs or written assignments which are identical or nearly identical are cheating. Students may not work on the programming assignments together. This type of scholastic dishonesty usually results in immediate failure in the course and can lead to additional disciplinary action.