COMP 116 Intro to Scientific Programming Instructor Jason Carter Lectures Official Course Description Email carterjl cs unc edu Time Monday Wednesday Friday 8 00 am 8 50 am Note Bring your laptops to class every day You will use them for programming exercises An introduction to programming for computationally oriented scientists Fundamental programming skills using Python Problem analysis and algorithm design with examples drawn from simple numerical and discrete problems Overview This course is an introduction to programming and data science as a skill a discipline and a profession for students We ll dive into hands on programming from day one and progress to evaluating using and contributing to open source libraries and frameworks We ll focus equally on reading and writing code Students will leave the course with real skills an ability to learn new programming technologies and an understanding of how to incorporate open source code into their projects It will serve as an appropriate foundation for students seeking a career in programming and indispensable background for any information professional needing to evaluate communicate with or work with programmers or code Objectives At the end of this course students should Have an understanding of data science Have the skills required to solve problems by creating and modifying programs and systems using modern programming tools Have the knowledge of basic programming concepts their appropriate usage and how and where to learn more Have an attitude of confidence when reading writing or discussing computer code Prerequisites There are no prerequisite course requirements for the course However you will need to be skilled in the use of basic mathematics and algebra as well as email and web usage Textbook None Required Software We will be expecting you to use Pycharm Community Edition Integrated Development Environment IDE and Python 3 9 6 You can download and install Pycharm Community Edition IDE at no cost from http www jetbrains com pycharm download We will discuss how to use the Pycharm Community Edition IDE in class Hardware Students will need their own laptops Bring your laptops to class every day Computers conforming to CCI guidelines should do fine Contact me if you have any questions Attendance Attendance is mandatory for all weekly lectures and recitations If you have a scheduling conflict you should take this course another semester No attendance will be taken but the instructor will not repeat material covered in class Getting Help and Class Discussion We will be using Piazza for class discussion and getting help The system is highly catered to getting you help fast and efficiently from classmates and myself Rather than emailing questions to me I encourage you to post your questions on Piazza If you do not get a response within a day or two on Piazza please send mail to carterjl cs unc edu But try Piazza first Before posing a question please check if this question has been asked before This will reduce post clutter and reduce our burden Repeat questions will be ignored by the instructors Piazza allows anyone to respond So if you see a question that you think you can respond to please do so as that will reduce our burden and help you teach your fellow students This will be a form of class participation that will be noted when I allocate my fudge points If you have any problems or feedback for the developers email team piazza com Class page https piazza com unc fall2022 comp116001 We assume that you have a UNC electronic mail account and are familiar with using email and the World Wide Web Email will be used extensively in this course We will use to communicate to the class essential information concerning programming assignments You will use it to ask questions and give feedback on the assignments and course You should check your email at least five times per week Every time you sit down at a computer to work on a COMP 116 assignment you should first check your email there may be important information about the current assignment The web page for this course will contain copies of many of the handouts programming assignments information on the reading assignments etc We will be using Sakai alongside the course webpage to post PowerPoint lecture slides and other information Grading Assignments Midterm Final Examination The above percentages add up to 100 but I reserve the right to apply a 10 fudge factor to give consideration to things such as good class participation stellar programs extra credit answers to exam questions that go far beyond what is expected and bona fide extenuating circumstances There will be several programming assignments ranging in duration from 1 3 weeks The number of points per assignment will generally increase during the course of the semester reflecting the increased length and complexity of the assignments Several of the assignments will build on previous ones Each assignment will be due on a specific date late assignments will not be accepted 60 25 15 Grading will be done automatically using Gradescope To join Gradescope follow the instructions in the screenshot below The course code for this course is E7JJYY The criteria for the grading of the programming assignments are Correctness Programs will be expected to be 100 correct Programs must be readable by humans as well as machines This requires that they be based on clear thought and be well presented Note that the UNC CS grading policy is based on the University Grading Policy UNC CS uses the following graduate and undergraduate grading scales Graduate Undergraduate Clear excellence Entirely satisfactory Low Passing Failed A H P L Entirely satisfactory Low Passing A B B B C C C Failed D D F F Making up Homework and Examinations Serious illness a death in the family and activities such as intramural meets and student exchange programs can justify waiving or relaxing the usual rules for class work and examinations But the problems of student including the consequences of procrastination and commitments to other courses cannot In circumstances that merit special treatment documentation is usually available to the student and I feel most comfortable when a request for special consideration is accompanied by appropriate written material supporting the request In cases where events that will interfere with life course work are foreseen a student should discuss the matter with me well before the work is due Incompletes Incompletes will be given only