We received 39 contest entries this quarter and were impressed by the creativity and probability know-how the entries showed!

Winner: Sauren Khosla, Recidivism Risk: Algorithmic Prediction and Racial Bias

Runner Up: Riley Noland, Everyday I'm Shuffling: A Probabilistic Analysis of Card Shuffling

Update 3/2/2020: We have created a Pset 6 Python Guide in case you are having trouble running the starter code in a terminal. We have also updated the starter code. See the pset 6 webpage linked below for more information.

The final problem set is now available. You will implement two machine learning algorithms, Naive Bayes and Logistic Regression. You will then use these algorithms to make predictions on heart tomography, Netflix movies and ancestry.

The CLT says that if $Y$ is the sum of $n$ iid random variables (which all have expectation $\mu$ and variance $\sigma^2$) then:

The proof is beyond the scope of the class. A friendly CS109 student from a few quarters ago (Sophia Furfine) made a video of the proof in case you are curious!

We're interested to know what you think of CS109 so far. We invite you to fill out an anonymous feedback form here: https://forms.gle/6JC6a4oyrH5hEGTy7. We'll keep the form open through Wednesday night, February 12.

Problem Set #4 has been released! It has you predict users based on biometric keystrokes. The pset clearly delineates the questions that you should do before the midterm.

Problem Set #3 has been released! It uses real probability density functions from the IPCC Climate Change report, and has you analyze a bloom filter (a probabilistic datastructure).

Problem Set #2 has been released! Here is a Latex template for pset 2.

Update (1/12/20): Session slides and last quarter's recording and slides are now up!

For those of you interested in learning/reviewing Python 3, Julie will be giving a Python tutorial on Friday, January 10, 3:30-4:20pm in 420-041. We will try our best to record this session. We recommend looking at the Colab notebook beforehand. If you need help getting set up, this Piazza post should be a good starting point.

Update (1/13/20): Section assignments have been released. If you did not receive an email, please contact the staff mailing list. For any other section scheduling questions, please fill out the Late & Swap form ASAP. Section starts this week.

Please sign up for section by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/bZ5RhC2gq5g7NLYo9.

Once a week you are going to meet in a small group section. We are going to find the best weekly time for everyone. Section signups will close on Saturday, January 11 at 11:59pm. Preferences are not first come first serve. For more information, visit the Section Attendance page.

Problem Set #1 has been released! It is due next Friday, January 17 at 1:00pm. Submission will be via Gradescope with entry code MV66N5. Office hours will start tomorrow (Thursday), and the office hours calendar will have times and locations.

We have synced the class roster with Gradescope, so your Stanford email is likely to be registered already. If not, you can join the class by going to https://gradescope.com/ and clicking the button in the top right marked "Sign Up." Select "Student," then enter the entry code, your full name, email address, and 8-digit student id.

You are encouraged to write up your problem sets using LaTeX. Templates for each Problem Set are located on their respective webpage. See this intro to LaTeX, and the LaTeX code used to generate it. Though you may install LaTeX, it is often much easier to use an online LaTeX editor. A great option is: overleaf.com.

Welcome to CS109! We are looking forward to a fun quarter. Class starts Monday, January 6, at 1:30pm in 420-040.

We put together some handouts to help you understand where we are going to go in CS109 and how we plan to get there.

The Administrivia handout has details on course logistics. Read this to get a sense for what CS109 is going to entail.

The Course Schedule page shows you the topics that we are going to cover in CS109 and the corresponding readings. We will also post materials from lecture on the schedule page.

The Staff / Office Hours page has contact information for TAs and the office hour calendar. Office hours will start Thursday, January 9.

Once the quarter starts, you will need to sign up for a weekly 50-minute discussion section. Details on how to sign up for section will be provided during the first week of class.