Frequently Asked Questions

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Should I take the subject this semester?

The following are the major differences between the fall and spring versions:

  • Professor Patrick H. Winston is in charge in the fall. It is not know who will teach the subject in the spring.
  • The most conspicuous feature of the fall version is that it focuses toward the end of the semester on models of aspects of human intelligence.

See the Underground Guide for further guidance.

Should I buy a book?

No. All the reading material you need will be online at zero cost.

Am I expected to attend lectures, tutorials, the megarecitation, and the ordinary recitations?

Yes. We believe that the lectures, tutorials, and recitations are all an important part of the MIT experience, and we work hard to make them interesting and useful.


Element Purpose
Lectures: To introduce most of the material and provide the big picture. We often include questions on the quizzes and final that you can answer only by faithful lecture attendance.
Tutorials: To provide help with the homework and assess understanding.
Mega recitation: To demonstrate how to work problems of the kind that tend to show up on the quizzes.
Regular recitations To introduce some of the material, answer questions, provide additional

perspective, and be a venue small enough for discussion.

Do I need to know how to program in Scheme?

The subject is not centered on programming, but a substantial fraction of the homework requires an understanding of Scheme and working out some small Scheme programs. The quizzes and final do not include questions that require any knowledge of Scheme programming. Veterans of 6.001 should have no trouble with the programming involved; students skilled in some other programming language will have to spend a couple of weekends reading the Scheme book and should work out a catch-up plan with their tutor; students with no programming experience are advised not to take the subject.

What can I bring to the quizzes and the final

All quizzes and the final are open book, open notes, open problem sets and solutions, open everything, except for computers.

Can I collaborate with friends on the homework?

See grading policy.

What is the final grade distribution likely to be?

See grading policy.

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