Introduction to Programming and Computer Science
(Fall 2026)

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Login to view: Class Structure

  • Read and work through exercises before class, noted in Calendar below
  • Class is active learning, dive deeper into concepts

Office Hours
in 38-370

Start Sept 14
Mon-Wed: 5-9pm
AI Tutor for independent learning

This Week's Pset

Problem Set 1
Due: Sep 18 at 09:00PM

Recitations

Fridays in 6-120:
10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
9/7-----
9/8-----PS 0 out
9/9: Lecture 1 zip
Topics: Intro, Objects, Variables, Branching
Readings: 2.1-2.4

IN-CLASS work-----Lec1 FingerEx. outPS 1 out
9/10-----
9/11
Recitation 1String operations and methods, f-strings, VS code shortcuts, Python repl
-----PS 0 due at 9PM(No checkoff for PS 0)
9/14: Lecture 2Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Looping, Enumeration, Functions
Readings: 2.5-2.7, 3.1, 5.2, 4.1.1

IN-CLASS work-----Lec2 FingerEx. outLec1 FingerEx. due
9/15-----
9/16: Lecture 3Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Lists, Mutation, Function scope
Readings: 5.3, 4.1-4.3

IN-CLASS work-----Lec3 FingerEx. outLec2 FingerEx. due
9/17
- Microquiz 0 -(testing microquiz mechanics, not for points, take it on your own between 4:30pm and 9:30pm)
-----
9/18
Recitation 2Reorganize programs, environment diagrams, efficiency
-----PS 1 due at 9PM
9/21: Lecture 4Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Simulation, Stochastic programs
Readings: 18, 17.1

IN-CLASS work
- Microquiz 1 -(30 minutes in-class on your computer)
-----Lec4 FingerEx. outPS 2 outPS 1 Checkoffs startLec3 FingerEx. due
9/22-----
9/23: Lecture 5Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Random walks, Functions as arguments
Readings: 16, 4.4

IN-CLASS work-----Lec5 FingerEx. outPS 1 Checkoff due at 8PMLec4 FingerEx. due
9/24-----
9/25
Recitation 3Matplotlib, stochastic patterns
-----Last day to add class or move to 6.100A
9/28: Lecture 6Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Probability, Distributions, Variance, CLT
Readings: 17.2-17.4

IN-CLASS work
- Microquiz 2 -(30 minutes in-class on your computer)
-----Lec6 FingerEx. outLec5 FingerEx. due
9/29-----
9/30: Lecture 7Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Confidence, Statistical significance
Readings: 19, 21.1-21.4, 22

IN-CLASS work-----Lec7 FingerEx. outLec6 FingerEx. due
10/1-----
10/2
Recitation 4Discrete bisection search, Applying CLT to random walks
-----PS 2 due at 9PM
10/5: Lecture 8Do BEFORE Class
Topics: float precision, Bisection search, Continuous optimization, linear regression
Readings: 3.2-3.4

IN-CLASS work
- Microquiz 3 -(30 minutes in-class on your computer)
-----Lec8 FingerEx. outPS 3 outPS 2 Checkoffs startLec7 FingerEx. due
10/6-----
10/7: Lecture 9Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Curve-fitting, Validation
Readings: 20

IN-CLASS work-----Lec9 FingerEx. outPS 2 Checkoff due at 8PMLec8 FingerEx. due
10/8-----
10/9
Recitation 5Fitting non-polynomial data, Train-validate-test
-----
10/12: Holiday-----No Class or OH
10/13: Lecture 10Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Dictionaries, Tuples, Graphs
Readings:

IN-CLASS work-----Lec10 FingerEx. outLec9 FingerEx. due
10/14: Lecture 11Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Hashing, Sets, Breadth-first search,
Readings: 5.7, 5.1, 5.5, 14.2.1

IN-CLASS work-----Lec11 FingerEx. outLec10 FingerEx. due
10/15-----
10/16
Recitation 6Dictionary manipulation, BFS maze-solving
-----PS 3 due at 9PM
10/19: Lecture 12Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Shortest paths
Readings: 17.5, 5.6, 14.2

IN-CLASS work
- Microquiz 4 -(30 minutes in-class on your computer)
-----Lec12 FingerEx. outPS 4 outPS 3 Checkoffs startLec11 FingerEx. due
10/20-----
10/21: Lecture 13Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Depth-first search, Recursion
Readings: 14.2, 6.1-6.2

IN-CLASS work-----Lec13 FingerEx. outPS 3 Checkoff due at 8PMLec12 FingerEx. due
10/22-----
10/23
Recitation 7Recursive patterns
-----
10/26: Lecture 14Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Dijkstra's algorithm, Other graph problems
Readings: 14.2.1

IN-CLASS work
- Microquiz 5 -(30 minutes in-class on your computer)
-----Lec14 FingerEx. outLec13 FingerEx. due
10/27-----
10/28: Lecture 15Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Review, Lambda, Comprehensions
Readings: 4.4, 5.3.2, 5.8

IN-CLASS work-----Lec15 FingerEx. outLec14 FingerEx. due
10/29-----
10/30
Recitation 8Dijkstra with non-positive weights, Iterative deepening
-----PS 4 due at 9PM
11/2: Lecture 16Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Combinatorial optimization, Decision trees
Readings: 6, 14.1

IN-CLASS work
- Microquiz 6 -(30 minutes in-class on your computer)
-----Lec16 FingerEx. outPS 4 Checkoffs startLec15 FingerEx. due
11/3-----
11/4: Lecture 17Do BEFORE Class
Topics:
Readings:

IN-CLASS work-----Lec17 FingerEx. outPS 5 outPS 4 Checkoff due at 8PMLec16 FingerEx. due
11/5-----
11/6
Recitation 9Generating subsets
-----
11/9: Lecture 18Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Knapsack, Dynamic programming
Readings: 14.1, 15

IN-CLASS work
- Microquiz 7 -(30 minutes in-class on your computer)
-----Lec18 FingerEx. outLec17 FingerEx. due
11/10-----
11/11: Holiday-----No Class or OH
11/12-----
11/13
Recitation 10Complementary knapsack
-----
11/16: Lecture 19Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Classes, Attributes, Methods
Readings: 10.1

IN-CLASS work-----Lec19 FingerEx. outPS 6 outPS 5 due at 9PMLec18 FingerEx. due
11/17-----PS 5 Checkoffs start
11/18: Lecture 20Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Exceptions, Assertions
Readings: 9

IN-CLASS work-----Lec20 FingerEx. outPS 5 Checkoff due at 8PMLec19 FingerEx. dueLast Day to Drop Class
11/19-----
11/20
Recitation 11Using exceptions within a class
-----
11/23: Lecture 21Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Inheritance
Readings: 10.2

IN-CLASS work-----Lec21 FingerEx. outPS 7 outLec20 FingerEx. due
11/24-----
11/25: Before Thanksgiving-----No Class or OH
11/26: Thanksgiving-----No Class or OH
11/27: Thanksgiving-----No Class or OH
11/30: Lecture 22Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Revisit simulation using classes, ideal gas law
Readings: none

IN-CLASS work-----PS 6 due at 9PMLec21 FingerEx. dueNo L22 Finger Ex.
12/1-----PS 6 Checkoffs start
12/2: Lecture 23Do BEFORE Class
Topics: Revisit graphs using classes, digraph and substitution rule, openstreetmap
Readings: none

IN-CLASS work
- Microquiz 8 -(30 minutes in-class on your computer)
-----PS 6 Checkoff due at 8PMNo L23 Finger Ex.
12/3-----
12/4-----PS 7 due at 9PM
12/7-----PS 7 Checkoffs start
12/8-----
12/9-----PS 7 Checkoff due at 8PM
12/10-----No OH Today and Beyond
12/11-----
12/14-----
12/15-----
12/16-----
12/17-----
12/18-----