Advanced Computational Math

Course Information

Class Sessions

Tuesdays 9:35–11:00apm and Thursdays 9:30–10:50am in Holland 111

Contact the Professor

If you have any question or concern about the course, email Prof. Wright at wright5@stolaf.edu or visit office hours (see above). If the hours above don’t work for you, just send Prof. Wright an email to arrange a meeting at another time!

Course Objectives

This is an advanced course about computation and its role in mathematical discovery and problem-solving. Goals for the semester include the following:

1. Examine how computation and proof relate to each other as ways of knowing mathematics.
2. Explore how computation is used in combinatorial optimization, graph theory, and other areas of mathematics.
3. Implement randomized algorithms to solve complex problems.
4. Understand computational complexity and how problems can be classified according to the complexity of their solutions.
5. Communicate mathematical ideas clearly and precisely.

Grading

This course will use a system called specifications grading to evaluate your work. Rather than awarding points or partial credit, work is evaluated on whether it meets a clear list of specifications. Recognizing that these specifications set a high bar, an opportunity for feedback and revision is provided for the projects in this course. Furthermore, requirements for earning each particular letter grade are designed to be easy to understand and track throughout the semester.

Deliverables

This course will require four types of deliverables.

• Practice problems: These are small assignments designed to make sure you are keeping up with class sessions and textbook reading. These will be graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory scale.
• Individual Projects: The main component of this course will be three two computational projects that will build on computational work done in class. For each project, you will turn in a notebook (e.g., Mathematica or Python) containing your computation and explanations. Projects will be graded on the EMRN scale. After the professor provides feedback on each project, you will have one opportunity to revise the project. Due dates for projects and revisions will be announced in class and on this web site.
• In the Wild: These assignments will involve reading research papers in your area of interest, connecting them to course content, and presenting your exploration in a shared document.
• Final Project: The final project will be a more in-depth study of a topic or problem in computational mathematics. Each project will result in a project notebook and a brief presentation, to be delivered during the final exam period. The professor will provide feedback leading up to the final presentation session. Final projects will be graded on the EMRN scale.

EMRN Grading Scale

Projects and "in the wild" assignments will be graded on the EMRN grading scale (adapted from here). Using this scale, work is evaluated as Excellent, Meets Expectations, Revision Needed, and Not assessable, as follows:

• Excellent: The work exceeds the expectations of the assignment. Communication is clear and complete. Mastery of the concepts is evident. There are no nontrivial errors. This work could be used as a classroom example.
• Meets Expectations: Understanding of the concepts is evident through correct work and clear, audience appropriate explanations. Some revision or expansion is needed, but no significant gaps or errors are present. No additional instruction on the concepts is needed.
• Revision Needed: Partial understading of the concepts is evident, but there are significant gaps that remain. Needs further work, more review, and/or improved explanations.
• Not assessable: Not enough information is present in the work to determine whether there is understanding of the concepts. The work is fragmentary or contains significant omissions. Or, there are too many issues to justify correcting each one.

Letter Grades

The letter grade you earn at the end of the semester will be determined by the criteria in the following table. To earn a particular letter grade, you must meet the requirements for that letter grade in all of the deliverable categories. This grading system is designed to align with the grading benchmarks in the St. Olaf Catalog.

Course Grade	Practice Problems	Individual Projects	In the Wild	Final Project
A	90% satisfactory	2 E	1 E, 1 M	E
B	75% satisfactory	1 E, 1 M	2 M	M
C	50% satisfactory	2 M	1 M	M
D	25% satisfactory	1 M, 1 R	1 M	R

"Plus" grades will be awarded for completing the requirements of a certain letter grade, as well as one of the requirements for the next higher letter grade. For example, satisfying the requirements for a B in three deliverable categories, along with the requirement for an A in the fourth deliverable category, will result in a B+.

"Minus" grades will be awarded for completing all but one requirement for a particular letter grade, with the missing requirement completed as required for the next lower letter grade. For example, satisfying three of the four deliverable requirements at the A level, with the fourth requirement satisfied at the B level, will result in an A-.

For example, suppose you complete 85% of the practice problems satisfactorily, earn three Meets Expectations and one Revision Needed scores on the individual projects, earn two Meets Expectations scores on In the Wild assignments, and earn a score of Excellent on the final project. This would satisfy the B criteria for practice problems, "in the wild" submissions, and the final project, but only the C criteria for projects. Your final grade in this case would be B-.

Prof. Wright reserves the right to adjust the letter grade requirements according to circumstances throughout the semester. (For example, if a project is cut due to schedule changes.) Any such changes will not increase the requirements for a particular grade.

Tokens

In recognition that sometimes we all need an extension or a second chance, this course will use a token system. Each student will start the course with 3 tokens, which may be spent as follows.

• Spend 1 token to turn in any deliverable up to three days late.
• Spend 1 token to turn in a project that you didn't turn in previously (until the last day of class).
• Spend 1 token for a second revision on any project, due one week after the first revision was graded.
• Spend 1 token to resubmit a set of practice problems (from one day of class), due one week after the problems were initially graded.

Tokens will be tracked using a text entry in the Moodle gradebook. There will be opportunities to earn extra tokens by attending MSCS colloquia or research seminars, and submitting a brief reflection.

Strategies for Success

• Attend class faithfully and participate in class activities.
• Work with other students. Mathematics is a collaborative activity! You will find that you will both learn from and teach your classmates.
• Keep up with the assignments and projects. Start early—don’t wait until the last minute to get started!
• Don’t give up when your code doesn’t work. Writing good code often requires many revisions. Understand that mistakes are opportunities for learning.
• Ask questions! Experiment!
• When you encounter trouble, seek help!

Getting Help

Prof. Wright is your primary resource for help in this course and is happy to talk with you. When you need help, or if you have any concerns about the course, please email Prof. Wright or visit his office hours.

Your classmates are a valuable resource. The professor encourages you to course topics and homework problems with your classmates, as long as you turn in your own work. Mathematics is a collaborative activity!

Furthermore, the Academic Success Center offers tutoring, academic coaching, and other services—talk with Prof. Wright or email the Academic Success Center for more information. If you have any concern at all related to this course, please email Prof. Wright.

Academic Integrity

Claiming someone else’s work as your own will earn you a failing grade on the work in question. Don’t do it. The work that you hand in must be your own, even if it has resulted from discussion with others. If you quote or paraphrase someone else's work, you must give proper credit. For more information, see the Academic Integrity section of The Book.

In some situations it may be acceptable to use or adapt code written by others; doing so requires a citation stating where you obtained the code. If you are unsure whether it is acceptable to use pre-existing code for a particular assignment, please talk with the professor.

Inclusivity and Access

Prof. Wright is committed facilitating a safe, caring, and inclusive learning community, respecting those of differing backgrounds and beliefs. As part of St. Olaf College, we aim to be respectful to everyone in this class, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. All students are capable of success in mathematics, and Prof. Wright aims to create an environment in which all can succeed. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to talk with Prof. Wright.

If you have any concerns about access to course materials, or if English is not your first language and this causes you concern, please talk with Prof. Wright.

Health and Accommodations

Prof. Wright is committed to supporting all students. He recognizes that emotional, physical, or psychological experiences, both in and out of the classroom, have the potential to distract students from learning. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the professor—he is available to listen and to discuss what resources may be available to you.

If you are feeling sick, please do not come to class—instead, email the professor. Face masks to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases are welcome in class. Please respect individuals who may choose to wear face masks. If the COVID-19 situation changes during the semester, we will adjust course policies as necessary, following the St. Olaf infectious disease guidelines. If you have any questions or concerns about community health with regard to this class, don’t hesitate to talk with Prof. Wright.

If you have an accommodation letter from the Disability and Access (DAC) office, please meet with the professor early in the course to discuss, plan, and implement your accommodations in the course. Otherwise, if you have or think you have a disability please contact the Disability and Access office.