FAQ Page
- What can I do if I have a question that is not answered on this
page?
This semester we will be experimenting with Piazza for class discussion.
The system provides a nice environment for discussing class-related
questions and getting help efficiently from classmates, the teaching
assistants, and the instructor.
Rather than emailing questions to the
teaching staff, we encourage you to post your questions on Piazza. Here
is the signup link for Piazza:
http://www.piazza.com/umass/fall2011/cs683.
- Can I use an older edition of the textbook for the reading
assignments?
The second edition has significant overlap with the third edition, so it
is acceptable to use it. The schedule shows the assigned readings both
referring to the third edition (3e) and the second edition (2e).
- How do I access the Edlab account?
The EdLab page is: http://www-edlab.cs.umass.edu/.
You should each have an EdLab account. Most account names are the same
as the OIT usernames (not the CS department usernames). If you had an
account last semester, your password should be unchanged. If
this is a new EdLab account, your initial password is ELxxxaaa
- where xxx is the last 3 digits of the ID number, and aaa is the
first 3 characters/digits of the username.
The Linux EdLab machines are
called elnux1.cs.umass.edu, elnux2, elnux3, elnux4, elnux7 . The EdLab page highly recommends that for
any remote sessions, one of these machines is used. Please refer to
the EdLab page for more details. If you have problems accessing your
account or using EdLab, email CSCF or the TAs.
- How do I hand in the programming portion of the homework?
Programming portions should be submitted electronically only. Please
don't print out your code.
Upload the whole code and output through the
Edlab. The area for this course on the Edlab machines is located at
/courses/cs600/cs683. Each student has a
subdirectory, accessible only to that student and the course
administrators. In your directory, please create a subdirectory called hw_x, and use it to place code that you used for
Assignment x and the output. On linux, you can use scp to updload the files. For
instance, typing:
scp filename
elnux7.cs.umass.edu:/courses/cs600/cs683/username
will copy a file from your current directory to the Ed
Lab machines.
You can use WinSCP with Windows.
Note that you will be depositing the code to
/courses/cs600/cs683/username/hw_x directory, not your home
directory. Please follow the hw_x naming convention because the
contents of this directory will be collected automatically. When
working in pairs, only one person needs to upload the code. Make sure
that the name of your partner is on the write-up you turn
in.
- Can I use the AIMA code that came with the text?
This is permissible, but you must state clearly which parts of
the code were taken from the textbook. Please do not use any code from
other
sources without getting an explicit permission ahead of time, except
common data
structures and functions, such as heap, stack, quicksort, etc.
- Can I work with someone else on the assignments?
You can work in pairs on the programming
parts of homework assignment. Everyone needs to turn in a
complete separate writeup and indicate clearly the name of their
partner. The theoretical/written parts of homework assignments must
be done independently.
- Is it necessary to complete the optional parts of homework assignments?
Optional parts are exactly that -- TOTALLY OPTIONAL. You can get an
"A" in the class without doing any of the optional work. However,
optional work will be graded and recorded separately, and will count
as bonus points when the final letter grade is determined.
© 2011 Shlomo Zilberstein.