RESOURCES
ScheduleTEACHING TEAM
cs109 @ cs.stanford.eduINSTRUCTOR
Lisa YanANNOUNCEMENTS
We received 11 contest entries this quarter and were impressed by the creativity and probability know-how the entries showed!
Winner: Derek Chong, Modernizing Community Moderation
Runner Up: Soraya Fereydooni, Extra Credit Project
Honorable Mention: Joshua Shongwe, Judicial Perspective on Systemic Privilege
Honorable Mention: Andrea Pasinetti, Using Data on Student-Teacher Ratios and School Capital Investments to Predict Educational Outcomes for Middle and High School Children in New York State
Please join the conversation on Ed to show support and solidarity to all members of our community.
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. |
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We have two extra topic slots before our Dead Day (no class on Wednesday, June 10). I want to give you the power to steer your own learning! Fill out the Extra Topic Survey to choose the extra topic you're most excited about hearing, or to suggest your own. This survey will close Tuesday, June 2nd.
To clear up any misconceptions about how to obtain a satisfactory grade in this course, we've computed preliminary final course grades (available here).
These grades were last pulled May 26th from Gradescope. At the bottom, we have marked whether you have demonstrated passing work on the three components of the course. If you have any remaining questions or cannot access your grade, please email the staff list.
Quiz #2 is released. Your personalized PDF is available here. If you have issues downloading your PDF, please email the staff mailing list (cs109 @ cs.stanford.edu) or post privately to Edstem so that we can email you your exam as soon as possible. The LaTeX template is available here.
This take-home, open-book, open-notes exam is to be completed individually, and is due on Thursday, 5/21 11:59pm Pacific time.
The quiz should correspond to about 2 hours of active work time (plus any typesetting). The Gradescope assignment submission portal will be up through the end of the 24-hour window, so please make sure your final submission is uploaded by then. Also please make sure to tag your PDF submission pages to each question answered.
If you have an emergency situation where you are unable to set aside a few hours to complete the exam in this timeslot, please email Lisa and Cooper at any time. We will try our best to accommodate you.
Good luck!
The penultimate problem set is now available! This problem set has only 8 questions (plus extra credit). |
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How are you doing so far? Please fill out an anonymous feedback form here: https://forms.gle/DnWbEd5G95Dm5muF9. We'll keep the form open through Friday night, May 15.
We have adjusted the grading rubric as follows (more info in Administrivia handout and EdStem Discussion). To get a satisfactory grade in this course, you must:
Quiz #2 for CS109 is coming up: It is Thursday, May 21st, 12:00am-11:59pm Pacific. It should correspond to about 2 hours of active work time. The quiz will cover material up to and including lecture 17, which includes up to part of Problem Set 5. PS5 will be released by tomorrow so that you have extra practice. Practice exams, section handouts, and psets are all great ways to study.
Review session: Tim, one of our outstanding TAs, will be hosting a review session on Saturday, May 16th, 12:00pm-2:00pm Pacific, accessible via this Zoom link. The session recording and materials will be posted on the quiz website afterwards.
If you have an emergency situation where you are unable to set aside a few hours to complete the exam in this timeslot, please email Lisa and Cooper at any time. We will try our best to accommodate you.
If you're looking for older concept checks to aid your studying, we've included links to PDFs of them down below in the schedule.
Errata (May 10): The starter code has been updated to fix an error with probSymptom(i, f, c)
. Please re-download the starter code if you have already started working on the coding question. Thanks!
Problem Set #4 has been released! It has you predict flu or cold based on binary symptoms and risk factors.
This quarter we are going to hold the sixth Stanford Probability for Computer Scientists Contest. The contest is completely optional and is intended to replace any passing work requirement in this course. See the contest handout for more details.
Optional proposal deadline: Saturday, May 23, 11:59pm Gradescope form
Final contest deadline:Monday, June 8 11:59pm
Quiz #1 is released and on the exam page. The take-home, open-book, open-notes exam is to be completed individually, and is due on Thursday, 4/30 11:59pm Pacific time.
The quiz should correspond to about 2 hours of active work time (plus any typesetting). The Gradescope assignment submission portal will be up through the end of the 24-hour window, so please make sure your final submission is uploaded by then. Also please make sure to tag your PDF submission pages to each question answered.
If you have an emergency situation where you are unable to set aside a few hours to complete the exam in this timeslot, please email Lisa and Cooper at any time. We will try our best to accommodate you.
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). We're releasing this problem set early to give you more practice for the quiz. It is due post-quiz, Friday, May 8, 10:00AM Pacific Time.
Quiz #1 for CS109 is coming up: It is Thursday, April 30th, 12:00am-11:59pm Pacific. It should correspond to about 2 hours of active work time. The quiz will cover material up to and including lecture 9, which includes Problem Sets 1, 2, and part of Problem Set 3. PS3 has been released early so that you have extra practice.
The best way to study is to work through the practice exams and section handouts. This website also has quiz administration details.
Review session: Tim, one of our outstanding TAs, will be hosting a review session on Tuesday, April 28th, 12:00pm-2:00pm Pacific, accessible via this Zoom link. The session recording and materials will be posted on the quiz website afterwards.
Update (4/28): Review session recording is here, and review session whiteboards are here.
If you have an emergency situation where you are unable to set aside a few hours to complete the exam in this timeslot, please email Lisa and Cooper at any time. We will try our best to accommodate you.
Sandra, one of our outstanding TAs, will be hosting the second of three Python help sessions covering concepts, tips and tricks for Problem Sets 2 and 3. IT will be held this Friday, April 24 at 5:00pm - 6:00pm Pacific. You can join the session at this zoom link and we will post the recording afterwards. Here is a link to the Jupyter notebook in case you want to get started.
Update (4/26/20): The session slides and Zoom recording are now up on the Python page..
Congratulations on finishing PSet #1! Problem Set #2 has been released! This problem set is just 10 problems to adjust for your workload in this course. Here is a Latex template for pset 2.
Updated lecture Zoom link: To comply with University policy, we turned on a password link and updated all links to reflect the embedded, encrypted password. Sorry about any confusion this caused. If you log out of all Zoom/Stanford WebAuth then log back in, the link should work. The meeting passcode is now also available on the staff page. Also, today's last example on hash tables was quite challenging, so it has been re-recorded and uploaded onto Canvas.
Breakout rooms: We have gotten mixed responses about Breakout rooms. To make lecture as flexible as possible for all of you, we will continue to have breakout rooms, but I want to remind everyone that you can return to the main lecture at any time. We are not requiring any of you to participate in an environment that you feel uncomfortable with—that is not the spirit of this quarter, much less of CS109. Hope this will encourage your continued participation in live lecture.
Have a great day!
Want to meet with an experienced peer to discuss course concepts, think through a problem set, or prepare for an upcoming exam? CTL offers appointment tutoring for CS 109, in addition to tutoring for a number of other courses. For more information and to schedule an appointment, visit our tutoring appointments and drop-in schedule page. We also have a variety of remote learning resources and academic coaching available to assist with all of your learning needs!
The first of three Python help sessions will be held this Friday, April 10 at two different times to accomodate students: 12:30am - 1:30am and 1:30-2:30pm Pacific. These times are on the CS109 calendar and you can join the session at this zoom link.
Please make sure you have installed or attempted to install Python per this website guide to Python. During the session we will be covering Python language basics, important Python libraries, and get you set up to start Problem Set #1. There will be a Q&A and debugging setup session at the end. The meeting will also be recorded and posted on Canvas after the fact for those who cannot make it live. Looking forward to seeing you all there!
Update (4/10/20): The session slides and Zoom recording are now up on the Python page..
Update (4/14/20): 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 (sign in with Stanford email): https://forms.gle/DADWHJazqfptWgJm8.
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, April 11 at 11:59pm Pacific. Preferences are not first come first serve. For more information, visit the Section Attendance page.
If you are living in a different timezone, a CS109 student this quarter, Derek Chong, wrote a spreadsheet to convert the form's Pacific Time listings to your home timezone. Just enter your time zone in the highlighted cell and it'll do the rest. If someone is using it when you click in, you can make your own copy from the File menu. Thanks Derek!
Problem Set #1 has been released! It is due next Friday, April 17 at 10:00am Pacific. Submission will be via Gradescope with entry code M2YZ88. Office hours will start today, and the office hours calendar will have times and Zoom links.
You are encouraged to write up your problem sets using LaTeX. Templates for each Problem Set are located on their respective webpage. See this installation guide and intro to LaTeX. Though you may install LaTeX, it is often much easier to use an online LaTeX editor. A great option is: overleaf.com.
We've published Canvas videos for Lectures 1 and 2. The corresponding concept check is due (on-time) before class on Wednesday 4/8, 10:30am PT. You can submit infinitely many times. Here is a quick tutorial on how to navigate the course resources to prepare for lecture.
We've also 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 M2YZ88, your full name, email address, and 8-digit student id.
If you're having trouble accessing the Zoom link, make sure you are logged into your Stanford account on Zoom. Try opening the link in an incognito/private browser, or use the Zoom app and log in via SSO. Otherwise access Zoom via Canvas (check out the sidebar).
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. Also, read the FAQ page to understand what' different this quarter.
We will be using the Ed discussion forum this quarter. Post your follow-ups during lecture on the lecture threads, and discuss with your classmates. Here is a Quick Start Guide.
The Staff / Office Hours page has contact information for TAs and the office hour calendar. Office hours will start Wednesday, April 8.
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.
Thank you for everyone who filled out the optional course planning survey! You can still fill out the form (we are also still reading the jokes you contributed).
The exact details of this course will be available in an Administrivia document to be posted over the weekend, but for now we've written up answers to commonly asked questions regarding prerequisites/whether this course counts towards degree requirements/what fluency of Python/LaTeX is needed/whether lecture/section attendance is mandatory: FAQ link. Stay tuned for the first day of class for more detailsWelcome to CS109! We are looking forward to a fun quarter. Class starts Monday, April 6, at 10:30am PT Online. Online Zoom lectures will be recored and posted to Canvas if you cannot attend the live sessions. More details to be released soon!
Course planning survey: To help us help you in this exciting Spring 2020 online-only quarter, please fill out this survey form that asks for your timezone, your technological accessibility situation, and your course expectations. This form is completely optional and is intended to inform how we can better structure CS109 to meet your learning goals and accessibility needs this quarter.
Course schedule: 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.
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.
Week | Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
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1
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Apr 6 1: CountingRead: Ch 1.1-1.2 |
Apr 8 2: Permutations and Combinations
Read: Ch 1.3-1.6
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Apr 10 3: Axioms of Probability
Slides
(Blank)
(Annotated [Full])
Concept Check Lecture Notes Python for Probability Serendipity Demo Read: Ch 2.1-2.5, 2.7 |
2
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Apr 13 4: Conditional Probability and BayesRead: Ch 3.1-3.3 |
Apr 15 5: IndependenceRead: Ch 3.4-3.5 |
Apr 17 6: Random Variables and Expectation
Read: Ch 4.1-4.4
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3
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Apr 20 7: Variance, Bernoulli, BinomialRead: Ch 4.5-4.6 |
Apr 22 8: Poisson and MoreRead: Ch 4.7-4.10 |
Apr 24 9: Continuous Random VariablesRead: Ch 5.1-5.3, 5.5 |
4
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Apr 27 10: The Normal Distribution
Slides
(Blank)
(Annotated [Full])
Concept Check Lecture Notes Standard Normal Table Normal CDF Calculator
Read: Ch 5.4
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Apr 29 11: Joint Distributions
Read: Ch 6.1
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May 1 12: Independent Random VariablesRead: Ch 6.2-6.3 |
5
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May 4 13: Joint Random Variable StatisticsRead: Ch 6.4-6.5 |
May 6 14: Conditional ExpectationRead: Ch 7.1-7.2 |
May 8 15: General Inference
Read: Lecture Notes
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6
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May 11 16: Continuous Joint Distributions IRead: Ch 6.1 |
May 13 17: Continuous Joint Distributions IIRead: Ch 7.3-7.4 |
May 15 18: Central Limit TheoremRead: Ch 8.3 |
7
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May 18 19: Sampling/Bootstrapping
Read: Lecture Notes
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May 20 20: Parameters and MLE
Read: Lecture Notes
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May 22 21: BetaRead: Ch 5.6.1-5.6.4, 7.5-7.6 |
8
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May 25 Memorial DayNo Class |
May 27 22: Maximum A PosterioriRead: Lecture Notes |
May 29 23: Naive Bayes
Read: Lecture Notes
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9
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Jun 1 24: Gradient Ascent and Linear RegressionRead: Lecture Notes |
Jun 3 25: Logistic RegressionRead: Lecture Notes |
Jun 5 26: Utility of Money, Simulating Probabilities, and Jensen's Inequality
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10
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Jun 10 No lectureNo Class
Read: Everything :)
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Jun 12 End of quarterNo Class |