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Syllabus

Course Overview

CARS (Computer-Aided Reasoning for Software) covers the theory, implementation, and applications of automated reasoning for software. Topics include satisfiability (SAT) solving, satisfiability modulo theories (SMT), program verification, and practical solver-aided software engineering. You will build hands-on fluency with solver tools while developing the conceptual foundations to apply them effectively in industry.

Grading

Your grade is determined by points, not a curve. You can calculate your grade at any time and there is no competition between students. We are here to learn, not to outcompete our friends and colleagues.

Deliverable Count Points Each Total
Reading Reflections 4 50 200
Coding Assignments 4 150 600
Mini-Project Milestone 1 50 50
Mini-Project Final 1 150 150
Total 1000

The grading formula includes 75 grace points, which provide built-in room for learning. You do not need to be perfect on every assignment to earn a strong grade. Every 25 points corresponds to 0.1 on the GPA scale.

GPA = min(4.0, floor((points + 75) / 25) / 10). A student with 925 points earns a 4.0; every 25 points below that drops the GPA by 0.1.

Points%GPA
92592.5%4.0
90090.0%3.9
87587.5%3.8
85085.0%3.7
82582.5%3.6
80080.0%3.5
77577.5%3.4
75075.0%3.3
72572.5%3.2
70070.0%3.1
67567.5%3.0
65065.0%2.9
62562.5%2.8
60060.0%2.7
57557.5%2.6
55055.0%2.5

Deadlines

Assignments are due Friday at 5:00 PM. We do not begin grading until Monday morning, so if you need extra time you may submit as late as Monday at 8:00 AM with no penalty. After that, no credit is given for that assignment.

This grace window is per assignment. There is no quarter-wide late day budget. Each week in CARS is self-contained: Tuesday's lecture covers what you need, and Friday is the target. The Monday window is there for when a week does not go as planned, not as part of the plan.

We offer a weekend office hour session each week. Responses on the message board may be slower on weekends, so post questions early in the week when you can.

Collaboration and AI

Reading reflections and coding assignments are individual work. You may discuss problems at a high level with classmates, but the work you submit must be your own. Do not share solutions, code, or detailed derivations with other students.

The mini-project encourages partners but does not require them. You may work alone or in a pair.

You may use AI tools (Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) as part of your workflow. If you do, you must include a short attribution note in your submission listing which tools you used and how. This is not a punishment for using AI; it is part of keeping your learning process honest. Understanding means knowing why your solution is correct, not just producing a correct output.

Cite all reference materials beyond lecture slides and course readings, including books, papers, blog posts, and web resources.

Academic Integrity

Submitting work in this course means asserting it is your own. If you are unsure whether something crosses a line, ask us first.

If there is any chance you have violated this policy, clearly indicate in your submission what work was not entirely your own. If you do, the worst that will happen is you lose some points on that assignment. This is much better than the alternative.

Note that when one student copies the solution of another, both students have violated the policy. Keep your solutions private.

Please carefully review the WA State Law on Academic Misconduct and the UW Academic Misconduct Process, which provides the following policy:

Engineering is a profession demanding a high level of personal honesty, integrity and responsibility. Therefore, it is essential that engineering students, in fulfillment of their academic requirements and in preparation to enter the engineering profession, adhere to the College of Engineering Statement of Principles.

Any student in this course suspected of academic misconduct (e.g., cheating, plagiarism, or falsification) will be reported to the College of Engineering Dean's Office and the University's Office of Community Standards and Student Conduct to initiate the student conduct process. Any student found to have committed academic misconduct may receive a zero for their grade on the impacted academic work and academic consequences, with the possibility of expulsion.

Community

Everyone in this course deserves to feel welcome and respected. We are all here to learn, and that requires an environment where people can ask questions, make mistakes, and grow without fear.

Ground rules:

If you notice a violation and cannot or do not want to address it yourself, please contact the course staff. At staff discretion, violations may be escalated to CSE advising staff, which could lead to removal from the course. These rules are a rough sketch, not an exhaustive list. We want to be forgiving when it seems like a good-natured mistake, and firm when it is not.

Accommodations

If you have a disability and need academic accommodations, please contact Disability Resources for Students and provide your accommodation letter to the course staff as early as possible.

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience. The UW Religious Accommodations Policy covers this. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of the course.

Well-Being

Your well-being matters more than any assignment. If you are struggling, please reach out.