Evaluation is based on seven weekly assignments as well as a final project. The homeworks will be worth 70%, and the final project will be worth 30% of your final grade.
Homework: The way that the assignments are to be graded is different from previous iterations of this class. Homeworks will still be released every week, but you do not need to turn in any homework online. Instead, on Thursdays, at the beginning of class, you will have 25 minutes to handwrite (no notes, no laptops) the solution to one of the homework problems from the previous week, chosen at random. If you cannot make class on a Thursday or require additional accommodations, please let the instructors know in advance, and we will schedule an alternative writing session instead. Your lowest score will be dropped.
Final project: You can either do an implementation project, where you use techniques learned in this class in some real-world setting of your choice, or a theory project, where you will read and understand a research paper building off of the ideas presented in this class. If you choose do an implementation project, you will have to submit a single .zip file containing all of your code. You may pair up into teams of 2. You will be expected to submit a 5-10 page report, due on the last day of class, as well as give a 15 minute presentation to Jerry on the topic, to be scheduled sometime during the last week of class. Final project proposals will be due in the 6th week of class.
The formal requirements are CSE 311 and 312 (or equivalent background).
This should be considered an advanced undergraduate course. Students should be comfortable with data structures, probability theory, and linear algebra.
You do not need to submit any of the weekly homework. Instead, as described above, your homework score will be determined by an in-class homework writing session on Thursdays.
Submit your final project proposal, writeup, and any supplementary material to the class Canvas.
You are allowed to refer to your course notes, as well any books, lecture notes, papers, and additional resources that are directly linked from the course web page. Remember to cite the source appropriately and always write discussions and homework answers in your own words.
You may discuss assignments at a high level with other groups in the class, as well as with the course staff during office hours, or on Canvas.AI is welcomed in this course for collaboration in learning, problem-solving, and creating. You may use AI tools for any course work—including assignments, projects, quizzes, and exams—unless a specific activity states otherwise. Use AI actively and thoughtfully: its role is to help you explore, build, test, revise, and deepen your understanding. Read the full policy before using AI so you understand the privacy expectations and any activity-specific restrictions.
For this policy, "AI" refers to generative AI systems that can produce or modify text, code, images, audio, video, or other content — whether in a single response to a prompt or by operating autonomously across multiple steps (e.g., chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini; code assistants and agents such as GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and Claude Code; and AI-powered writing, translation, and image-generation tools). This includes AI features built into IDEs, operating systems, or browsers when they generate or substantially rewrite content, but excludes non-generative tools such as basic spell-check, grammar/syntax highlighting, and linters. A tool's ability to act autonomously (e.g., independently writing, running, and debugging code) does not exempt it from this definition.
This course treats AI as a full collaborator in the learning process: it can be used to ask questions, explore possibilities, build and debug software, and refine your work. AI can accelerate experimentation and make feedback more available, but you remain responsible for directing the collaboration, evaluating its output, and developing the understanding behind the work you submit.
Using AI in ways prohibited by this policy or by assignment-specific instructions will be considered academic misconduct and referred to CSSC. Students found responsible for violating this policy will, at minimum, receive no credit for the affected assignment. Stronger penalties, up to and including failing the course, may apply for repeated or egregious violations. In cases of group work, all students will be held equally responsible for violation unless there is clear evidence that a subset of team members were not involved or aware.
Students with accessibility needs or other extenuating circumstances should contact the instructor to discuss exceptions. Accommodations or exceptions require instructor approval before they are used.
The University takes academic integrity very seriously. Behaving with integrity is part of our responsibility to our shared learning community. If you’re uncertain about if something is academic misconduct, ask me. I am willing to discuss questions you might have.
Acts of academic misconduct may include but are not limited to:
Concerns about these or other behaviors prohibited by the Student Conduct Code will be referred for investigation and adjudication by (include information for specific campus office).
Students found to have engaged in academic misconduct may receive a zero on the assignment (or other possible outcome).
Your experience in this class is important to me. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please activate your accommodations via myDRS so we can discuss how they will be implemented in this course.
If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), contact DRS directly to set up an Access Plan. DRS facilitates the interactive process that establishes reasonable accommodations. Contact DRS at disability.uw.edu.
Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).
Call SafeCampus at 206-685-7233 anytime – no matter where you work or study – to anonymously discuss safety and well-being concerns for yourself or others. SafeCampus’s team of caring professionals will provide individualized support, while discussing short- and long-term solutions and connecting you with additional resources when requested.
The University of Washington prohibits sex discrimination and sex-based harassment and expects all UW community members to respect one another in our shared academic and work environments. Sex discrimination and sex-based harassment can include sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, unwanted sexual contact, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, and discrimination based on sex.
Students who believe they have experienced sex discrimination or sex-based harassment are encouraged to contact a Title IX case manager by making a Title IX report. The case manager can provide guidance on available support resources and resolution options.