Introduction to Programming and Computer Science
(Fall 2025)

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Week 1
Wed, 3 Sep: Lecture 1
Course admin, Python objects, Variables
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 2.1, 2.2, 2.4
Fri, 5 Sep: Recitation
Filesystems, Terminals, Python environment
code
Notes:
Mon, 1 Sep: Labor Day holiday
Wed, 3 Sep: First day of class
Thu, 4 Sep: First day of office hours
Week 2
Mon, 8 Sep: Lecture 2
Branching, Looping, Generate-and-test
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1
Pset 1 released after class
Wed, 10 Sep: Lecture 3
Functions, Scope
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 4.1–4.3
Fri, 12 Sep: Recitation
Reorganize programs, Efficiency
code
Week 3
Mon, 15 Sep: Lecture 4
Lists, Reading data, Linear regression
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 7.3, 13.1, 20.1
Wed, 17 Sep: Lecture 5
Debugging skills
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 8.2, 9.3
Pset 2 released after class
Pset 1 due at 10 PM
Thu, 18 Sep:
Pset 1 checkoffs start
Notes:
Tue, 16 Sep: Last day to switch to 6.100A
Fri, 19 Sep: Student holiday – no recitation
Fri, 19 Sep: Office hours canceled
Week 4
Mon, 22 Sep: Lecture 6
Mutation, Aliasing
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 5.3
Wed, 24 Sep: Lecture 7
Dictionaries, Tuples
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 5.1, 5.6, 5.7
Pset 1 checkoff due at 9 PM
Fri, 26 Sep: Recitation
Mutable arguments
code
Week 5
Mon, 29 Sep: Lecture 8
Graphs, Depth-first search
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 14.2
Pset 2 due at 10 PM
Tue, 30 Sep:
Pset 2 checkoffs start
Wed, 1 Oct: Lecture 9
Shortest paths, Breadth-first search
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 14.2
Fri, 3 Oct: Recitation
DFS/BFS, Midterm review
code
Notes:
Fri, 3 Oct: Add Date
Week 6
Mon, 6 Oct: MIDTERM 1
Covers Lectures 1–9
Tue, 7 Oct:
Pset 2 checkoff due at 9 PM
Wed, 8 Oct: Lecture 11
Weighted graphs, Dijkstra's algorithm
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: None
Pset 3 released after class
Fri, 10 Oct: Recitation
Queue-based search
code
Week 7
Wed, 15 Oct: Lecture 12
Stochastic programs, Monte Carlo sampling
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 17.1, 17.2, 18.1, 18.4, 18.5
Fri, 17 Oct: Recitation
TBD
code
Pset 3 due at 10 PM
Notes:
Mon, 13 Oct: Indigenous Peoples' Day holiday
Week 8
Mon, 20 Oct: Lecture 13
Distributions, Random walks
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 17.4, 16.1, 16.2
Pset 4 released after class
Pset 3 checkoffs start
Wed, 22 Oct: Lecture 14
Classes, Attributes, Methods
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 10.1
Fri, 24 Oct: Recitation
TBD
code
Pset 3 checkoff due at 5 PM
Week 9
Mon, 27 Oct: Lecture 15
Inheritance, Attribute lookup
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 10.2
Wed, 29 Oct: Lecture 16
Extending random walks, Ideal gas law simulation
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 16.3, 16.4
Pset 5 released after class
Pset 4 due at 10 PM
Thu, 30 Oct:
Pset 4 checkoffs start
Fri, 31 Oct: Recitation
TBD
code
Week 10
Mon, 3 Nov: Lecture 17
Implementing graphs with classes, Exceptions
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 9.1, 9.2
Wed, 5 Nov: Lecture 18
More graph-based problems
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: None
Pset 4 checkoff due at 9 PM
Fri, 7 Nov: Recitation
TBD
code
Pset 5 due at 10 PM
Week 11
Wed, 12 Nov: MIDTERM 2
Covers Lectures 1–18
Thu, 13 Nov:
Pset 5 checkoffs start
Notes:
Mon, 10 Nov: Student holiday – no lecture
Tue, 11 Nov: Veterans Day holiday
Fri, 14 Nov: Recitation canceled
Week 12
Mon, 17 Nov: Lecture 20
Optimization problems, Knapsack
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 14.1
Pset 6 released after class
Wed, 19 Nov: Lecture 21
Dynamic programming
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 15.1–15.3
Pset 5 checkoff due at 9 PM
Fri, 21 Nov: Recitation
TBD
code
Notes:
Wed, 19 Nov: Drop Date
Week 13
Mon, 24 Nov: Lecture 22
Curve-fitting, Train-validate-test
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 20.1, 20.2
Pset 7 released after class
Notes:
Wed, 26 Nov: Lecture canceled
Wed, 26 Nov: Office hours canceled
Thu, 27 Nov: Thanksgiving holiday
Fri, 28 Nov: Institute holiday – no recitation
Week 14
Mon, 1 Dec: Lecture 23
Sampling, Standard error, Confidence intervals
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 19.1–19.3
Pset 6 due at 10 PM
Tue, 2 Dec:
Pset 6 checkoffs start
Wed, 3 Dec: Lecture 24
Statistical significance, Hypothesis testing
slides, code, finger exercise
Readings: 21.1–21.6
Fri, 5 Dec: Recitation
TBD
code
Pset 7 due at 10 PM
Pset 6 checkoff due at 5 PM
Notes:
Fri, 5 Dec: All finger exercises due by 11:59 PM
Week 15
Mon, 8 Dec: Lecture 25
Computer architecture
slides, code, no finger exercise
Readings: None
Wed, 10 Dec: Lecture 26
Wrap-up, Review session
slides, code, no finger exercise
Readings: None
Notes:
Wed, 10 Dec: Last day of class