This website will be the main source of information about the course. However, we will also use the following web pages:
The following sections contain additional materials that may be helpful during the course.
Concise notes on important topics covered during the course:
Longer discussions with helpful information on course topics:
Students can receive full credit by submitting homework solutions that are:
It is perfectly fine to submit handwritten solutions to homework problems, provided that they are legible (because we cannot give points to solutions that we cannot read). If you have legible handwriting, then submitting handwritten solutions is likely the easiest option.
For students who wish to type their solutions, the traditional option is to use LaTeX, a software program that takes input as a text file, written in its own language, and outputs a formatted document. It is like a Java compiler except that it outputs a PDF rather than a program.
To this day, most academic papers are written using LaTeX. However, students should be warned that LaTeX has a substantial learning curve since you must learn a new language for writing the input. Furthermore, students should be warned that LaTeX is not easy to use. In the past, some students have spent several hours trying to make their solution look the way they want, which is neither necessary nor advisable.
As an intermediate option, students can try Parchmynt, a program that lets you type a document in the same manner as Word or Google Docs but with embedded rectangles that use LaTeX syntax for individual formulas and tables. This option will still require you to learn LaTeX's syntax for describing math but not for writing an entire document. (LaTeX math syntax is valuable to learn on its own as it can be used outside of the LaTeX software. In particular, it can be used on our Ed message board!)
Parchmynt is an online tool, written by UW grads and (currently) available only to UW students. To learn how to use it, you can read the documentation or watch this video, where one of the authors explains how to use the software. (There is another video here that is an introduction to LaTeX.)
Note that Parchmynt is still beta software, so it is expected that there will be bugs. However, the authors appear to be fairly responsive to requests for support and quick in issuing bug fixes.
LaTeX is the standard, academic tool for typesetting mathematical materials. While it takes some time to learn, for those headed to grad school, it may pay for itself in the long run.
The TAs have prepared this LaTeX template, which might be a helpful starting poing for typesetting your homework if you wish to do so with LaTeX.
A former CSE 311 instructor, Adam Blank, has provided these documents, which may also be useful:
Note that LaTeX does not need to be installed on a local computer. You can use it in a web browser at the Overleaf website.
Note that LaTeX is not the best tool for every job. In particular, for drawing circuits, finite state machines, and other diagrams, it is often preferable to draw them by hand, take a picture, and include it in the LaTeX document using the \includegraphics{FILE_NAME} command.