Grade
Your grade is composed of the following components:
| Percentage | Component |
|---|---|
| 50% | Class Assignments |
| 50% | A more ambitious final project |
Scale
Your grade components will be added up with the percentage weights indicated and result in a single number. This number will determine your letter grade, according to the following scale:
| Grade | Point range |
|---|---|
| A | [90, 100) |
| B | [80, 90) |
| C | [70, 80) |
| D | [50, 70) |
Homework
There will be weekly or biweekly longer-form homework sets over the course of the semester, as announced in class.
Grading
You get exactly one submission per homework set. In particular, this means that:
-
No regrading of work already graded. If, between the posted solution and your graded work, you still have questions, feel free to raise those on Piazza or during office hours.
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I do not accept partial submissions unless you have a very good reason. (e.g. I won't let you submit problem 1 and 2 before and 3, 4, 5 after the deadline.)
Late homework
Homework submitted after the deadline will count for half of its original worth. This offer is good for up to one week after the original deadline. After that, no late work will be accepted.
Solutions to the homework sets will be posted after the due date. If you are submitting homework for the half-credit due date, feel free to use the posted solutions in writing up your own solution. You may however not directly copy the sample solution. What you submit must still be written by you, not just copied.
Project
About one month into the semester (see the class calendar for the exact date), you will be asked to submit a proposal for a somewhat more ambitious final project.
The project should have both mathematical and computational aspects, and it should involve actually implementing the methods being described as well as numerical results obtained for them. You will be giving a roughly 20 minute presentation about your work towards the tail end of the class, and additionally you will be asked to submit a roughly 10 page written report on your project.
I very much welcome projects that are related to your own research.
Student responsibilities
Please read and understand the UIUC student code (link opens PDF).
In particular, make sure to read and understand Paragraph §1‑402. The rules there along with the rules in this tutorial form the foundation for making sure you and everyone else in the class receive a fair, transparent grade.
Note that the policies of the CS Department Honor Code also apply to this course.
Use of Generative AI
Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Gemini, can answer questions and generate text, images, and other media. The appropriate use of generative AI varies from course to course. In CS598APK, there are times when generative AI may be useful in the course. If you choose to use generative AI as permitted below, you must document and attribute all AI contributions to your coursework and take full responsibility for the contributions including the accuracy of the information and reliability of sources. When using generative AI, keep a journal documenting prompts, AI responses, and your usage. Your instructor may ask you to provide this documentation.
You may use generative AI in CS598APK for the following:
- Asking questions and getting clarification
- Ungraded in-class activities.
- General discussion and questions on course content not directly related to an assignment.
You MAY use generative AI in CS598APK WITH RESTRICTIONS for the following:
- Work on your project. If you choose to use AI for your project, you must document (i.e., include with your submission) every AI conversation that helped materially shape what you submit.
You MAY NOT use generative AI in CS598APK for the following:
- Any situation in which the output of the AI directly shapes what you submit for homework assignments.
In particular, this prohibition includes using AI to brainstorm, formulate arguments, or template ideas for assignments.
If you have a question about the use of Generative AI, please reach out to me. Failure to abide by these guidelines is a violation of academic integrity. We will investigate suspected uses of generative AI that do not follow these guidelines and apply sanctions as outlined in the University of Illinois Student Code.