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== '''Welcome to the 2015 Edition of 6.034'''==
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== '''Welcome to the 2017 Edition of 6.034'''==
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<big>
 
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<!-->
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===Suggestions for subjects to take in the coming spring semester, 2018===
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===We are pleased to note ...===
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...that Bloomberg has listed 6.034 as among [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-11/five-of-the-best-computer-science-classes-in-the-country "Five of the Best Computer Science Classes in the U.S."]
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<table cellpadding=5 border=1><tr><td>
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<-->
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Bob Berwick </td><td>6.863J </td><td>Introduction to Natural Language Processing
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</td></tr></table>
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===Road map:===
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Two of our 2017 right-now speakers in Brain and Cognitive Science are offering subjects
 +
of interest in this spring semester:
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To see how 6.034 outcomes relate to the outcomes of other subjects in the Course 6 curriculum, see the graphical display in the [http://6004.mit.edu/gmap/public.html?focus=6.034 6.034 Curricular Goals Map]
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<table cellpadding=5 border=1><tr><td>
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Nancy Kanwisher </td><td>9.11 </td><td>The Human Brain</td></tr><tr><td>
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Pawan Sinha </td><td>9.60 </td><td>Machine motivated human vision 
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</td></tr></table>
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Professor Kanwisher has suggested that many of you also would like 9.35:
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<table cellpadding=5 border=1><tr><td>
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Josh McDermott </td><td>9.35 </td><td>Perceptual Systems
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</td></tr></table>
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See the [http://catalog.mit.edu/subjects/9/ catelog descriptions] for more information
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on 9.11, 9.35, and 9.60.  Note that the prerequisites for these subjects are like stop
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signs in Massachusetts: merely suggestions.  We have it on good authority that the
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official prerequisites for at least 9.11 and 9.35 have been relaxed, making Course VI
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majors welcome.
 +
 
 +
Other great subjects offered by right-now speakers are as follows:
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<table cellpadding=5 border=1><tr><td>
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Ed Boyden </td><td>20.309 </td><td>Biological Instrumentation and Measurement    </td></tr><tr><td>
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Nick Montfort </td><td>CMS.846 </td><td>The world made digital</td></tr><tr><td>
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        </td><td>CMS.844 </td><td>Exploratory programming for the arts and humanities </td></tr><tr></table>
 +
 
 +
And from a right-now speaker in a previous year:
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<table cellpadding=5 border=1><tr><td>
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Randall Davis </td><td>6.835</td><td>Intelligent Multimodal Interaction</td></tr><tr></table>
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And finally, a new subject of note, likely already full:
 +
 
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<table cellpadding=5 border=1><tr><td>
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Hal Abelson with Natalie Lao</td><td>6.S198 </td><td>[https://www.eecs.mit.edu/academics-admissions/academic-information/subject-updates-spring-2018/6s198 Deep learning practicum]
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</td></tr></table>
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 +
 
 +
Alas, two other right-now speakers, Professors Patricia Maes and Gerald Sussman, will be on sabbatical.
===Logistical stuff:===
===Logistical stuff:===
* [[Frequently Asked Questions | Frequently asked questions]]
* [[Frequently Asked Questions | Frequently asked questions]]
* [[Grading and collaboration policy]]
* [[Grading and collaboration policy]]
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* [[Staff | Staff email addresses]]
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* [[Staff | Staff names and email addresses]]
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* [[Recitations | Recitation assignments]]
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* [[Recitations | Recitations]]
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<!--todo: self-service recitation changing page-->
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* [[Office Hours | Office Hours]]
* [[Office Hours | Office Hours]]
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* [[6.S077_with_Professor_Berwick | 6.S077 with Bob Berwick]]
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* [[6.S966:_A_Graduate_Section_for_6.034 | 6.S966 with Gerald Sussman]]
 +
* [[Reference material and playlist | What material will be on the quiz?]]
* [[Reference material and playlist | What material will be on the quiz?]]
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* [http://goo.gl/forms/5Q6X53fNrE Suggestion Box] <!--jmn's 2015 edition-->
 
<!--
<!--
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* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGU5NkkzdGdsLWpITnZxQlJ6UHdDUUE6MQ Suggestion Box] (old)
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* [http://goo.gl/forms/5Q6X53fNrE Suggestion Box]
-->
-->
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* [[Calendar]]
* [[Calendar]]
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* [[Reference material and playlist]]
* [[Reference material and playlist]]
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* [[Labs]] (also known as "problem sets")
* [[Labs]] (also known as "problem sets")
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* [http://piazza.com/mit/fall2017/6034 Piazza]
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* [http://piazza.com/mit/fall2015/6034 Piazza]
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* '''NEW:''' [http://web.mit.edu/6.034/www/sigmoid/ Grade Calculator]
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* [[Demonstrations]]
* [[Demonstrations]]
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* [http://web.mit.edu/dxh/www/ Dylan's AI Demonstrations]
* [http://web.mit.edu/dxh/www/ Dylan's AI Demonstrations]
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<!-- * [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxymR0ZPfMmV-vGtvhvTeWHIcnh-bTjDI Jessica's 2016 Recitation Videos] -->
* [http://courses.csail.mit.edu/6.034f/Examinations/ Quiz archive]
* [http://courses.csail.mit.edu/6.034f/Examinations/ Quiz archive]
 +
Note that the current staff mailing list is '''6.034-2017-staff@'''.
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Note that the current TA mailing list is 6.034-2015-support at mit.edu.
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== News ==
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<!-- BEGIN OLD REFERENCE MATERIAL
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===December 2017===
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* [http://web.mit.edu/dxh/www/sigmoid/ Dylan's Grade Calculator]
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==== Friday, December 15: End-of-semester review sessions ====
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* [http://logical.ai/6.034/ Quiz archive]
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On Saturday (December 16) and Sunday (December 17), we will be having end-of-semester review sessions covering all 6.034 core topics. More details can be found [[Office_Hours|on the office hours page]].
 +
==== Sunday, December 10: Quiz 4 thresholds====
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===2014 Surveys:===
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We'll be returning Quiz 4 during recitations this week. Beginning Wednesday, you may pick up your quiz from Professor Winston's office ([http://web.mit.edu/6.034/www/32-251.jpg 32-251]) when he is in, or contact your TA to arrange a pick-up. The Quiz 4 thresholds are:  
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* [http://courses.csail.mit.edu/6.034f/2014polls/Workload.pdf End of term workload survey] 
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{| cellpadding=2 border=1 cellspacing=2
 +
|-
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| ||Thorough understanding (5) ||Acceptable understanding (4)|| Some understanding (3) / Needs work
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|-
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 1: Bayes (50) || ≥ 44 || ≥ 39 || ≥ 33
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|-
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 2: Boosting (50) || ≥ 46 || ≥ 41 || ≥ 35
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|-
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| style="text-align:left;" | '''Total''' || '''≥ 90''' || '''≥ 80''' || '''≥ 68'''
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|}
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* [http://courses.csail.mit.edu/6.034f/2014polls/FrancisChen.pdf Francis Chen's confidence survey, Executive Summary] 
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==== Friday, December 1: Quiz 4 Locations ====
 +
Quiz 4 will take place on Wednesday, December 6. Locations will be the same as for Quiz 2. That is,
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* Family name A-M in Walker, 3rd floor
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* Family name N-Z in 10-250
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The core topics are Bayesian inference and boosting (Adaboost). The spiritual/right now topics are listed as "4srn" on the [[Reference_material_and_playlist|Reference material page]].
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* [[TA Notes | Notes]] on most of the primary topics
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===November 2017===
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* [[Recitation Handouts]]
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* [[Objectives and desired outcomes | Statement of objectives and desired outcomes]]
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([[Index]])
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==== Monday, November 20: 6.034 2017 T-shirts announced ====
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Note that the TA address is: 6.034-2013-staff@mit.edu
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By popular request, you can now order a limited-edition 6.034 2017 T-shirt, featuring our class motto as coined by Dr. Vikash Mansinghka, former 6.034 student and Head TA.
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This address, used a year ago, is now a black hole: fa13-6.034-staff@mit.edu
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This year's T-shirt will be available in sapphire blue, available at cost in both crew-neck ($8) and v-neck ($9). If you would like to buy one, [https://www.customink.com/g/fhs0-00b8-7wfk please order here] by '''Tuesday morning, November 28'''.
-
-->
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==== Sunday, November 12: Quiz 3 thresholds====
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<!--===Recitation assignment:===
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We hope you've had a pleasant long weekend!  
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Ignore the registrar's assignment.  Fill in this
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We'll be returning Quiz 3 during recitations tomorrow and Tuesday. Beginning Wednesday, you may pick up your quiz from Professor Winston's office ([http://web.mit.edu/6.034/www/32-251.jpg 32-251]) when he is in, or contact your TA to arrange a pick-up. The Quiz 3 thresholds are:  
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[[media:signup.pdf | form]]
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-
and put it in the plastic bin outside Professor Winston's office, 32-251.
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-
-->
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== News ==
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-
<!--
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=== 3 December 2015 ===
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-
 
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Quiz 4 will be returned in the final recitations, next Monday and Tuesday. After Tuesday, you may pick up your quiz from Professor Winston's office ([http://aurellem.org/6.868/32-251.jpg 32-251]) when he is in, or contact your TA to arrange a pick-up. Thresholds are:  
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{| cellpadding=2 border=1 cellspacing=2
{| cellpadding=2 border=1 cellspacing=2
|-
|-
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| ||Thorough understanding (5) ||Acceptable understanding (4)|| Some understanding (3) / needs work
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| ||Thorough understanding (5) ||Acceptable understanding (4)|| Some understanding (3) / Needs work
|-  
|-  
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 1: Adaboost || ≥ 44 || ≥ 39 || ≥ 33
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 1: SVMs (50) || ≥ 45 || ≥ 39 || ≥ 33
|-
|-
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 2: Bayes Nets || ≥ 44 || ≥ 37 || ≥ 30
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 2: Neural Networks (50) || ≥ 45 || ≥ 40 || ≥ 33
|-
|-
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| style="text-align:left;" |Total || ≥ 88 || ≥ 76 || ≥ 63
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| style="text-align:left;" | '''Total''' || '''90''' || '''79''' || '''66'''
|}
|}
 +
==== Tuesday, November 7: Quiz 3 Locations ====
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{| cellpadding=2 border=1 cellspacing=2
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Quiz 3, covering neural networks and support vector machines, will be held during class time on November 8. You will be in the same location as you were for Quiz 1: in other words,
-
|-
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* Family name A-M will be in 10-250
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| ||Thorough understanding (5) ||Acceptable understanding (4)|| Some understanding (3) / needs work
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* Family name N-Z will be in Walker, 3rd floor
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|-
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| style="text-align:left;" |Spiritual and right-now || ≥ 5 || ≥ 4 || ≥ 3
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-
|}
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-
-->
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=== 1 December 2015 ===
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-
 
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Quiz 4 is tomorrow during class time (10 AM). Locations are the same as for Quiz 2:
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* Family name A-L: 10-250
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* Family name M-Z: Walker, 3rd floor
+
-
=== 18 November 2015 ===
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===October 2017===
-
Quiz 3 will be returned in recitations next Monday and Tuesday. After Tuesday, you may pick up your quiz from Professor Winston's office ([http://aurellem.org/6.868/32-251.jpg 32-251]) when he is in, or contact your TA to arrange a pick-up. Thresholds are:  
+
==== Monday, October 23: Quiz 2 thresholds====
 +
We will be returning Quiz 2 during recitations on Monday and Tuesday. Beginning Wednesday, you may pick up your quiz from Professor Winston's office ([http://web.mit.edu/6.034/www/32-251.jpg 32-251]) when he is in, or contact your TA to arrange a pick-up. Thresholds are:  
{| cellpadding=2 border=1 cellspacing=2
{| cellpadding=2 border=1 cellspacing=2
|-
|-
-
| ||Thorough understanding (5) ||Acceptable understanding (4)|| Some understanding (3) / needs work
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| ||Thorough understanding (5) ||Acceptable understanding (4)|| Some understanding (3) / Needs work
|-  
|-  
-
| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 1: Neural Nets || ≥ 44 || ≥ 39 || ≥ 32
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 1: ID Trees (30) || ≥ 27 || ≥ 24 || ≥ 19
|-
|-
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 2: Support Vector Machines || ≥ 45 || ≥ 41 || ≥ 34
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 2: k-Nearest Neighbors (30) || ≥ 26 || ≥ 22 || ≥ 16
|-
|-
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| style="text-align:left;" |Total || ≥ 89 || ≥ 80 || ≥ 66
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 3: Constraint Propagation (40) || ≥ 33 || ≥ 26 || ≥ 20
-
|}
+
-
 
+
-
 
+
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{| cellpadding=2 border=1 cellspacing=2
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|-
|-
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| ||Thorough understanding (5) ||Acceptable understanding (4)|| Some understanding (3) / needs work
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| style="text-align:left;" | '''Total''' || '''86''' || '''72''' || '''55'''
-
|-
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| style="text-align:left;" |Spiritual and right-now || ≥ 5 || ≥ 4 || ≥ 3
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|}
|}
-
=== 17 November 2015 ===
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====Saturday, October 14: Quiz 2 Locations====
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Quiz 3 is tomorrow during class time (10 AM). Locations are the same as for Quiz 1:
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Quiz 2 (covering constraint propagation, k-nearest neighbors, and identification trees) will be held on October 18 at 10am. If you were in Walker for quiz 1, you will be in 10-250 for quiz 2, and vice versa. Hence,
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* Family name A-L: Walker, 3rd floor
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* Family name A-M will be in '''Walker, 3rd floor'''
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* Family name M-Z: 10-250
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* Family name N-Z will be in '''10-250'''
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=== 23 October 2015 ===
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==== Sunday, October 1: Quiz 1 thresholds====
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Quiz 1 will be returned in recitations on Monday and Tuesday. Beginning Wednesday, you may pick up your quiz from Professor Winston's office ([http://web.mit.edu/6.034/www/32-251.jpg 32-251]) when he is in, or contact your TA to arrange a pick-up. Thresholds are:  
-
Quiz 2 will be returned in recitations next Monday and Tuesday. After Tuesday, you may pick up your quiz from [http://aurellem.org/6.868/32-251.jpg Prof. Winston's office] when he is in, or contact your TA to arrange a pick-up. Thresholds are:  
+
{| cellpadding=2 border=1 cellspacing=2
{| cellpadding=2 border=1 cellspacing=2
|-
|-
-
| ||Thorough understanding (5) ||Acceptable understanding (4)|| Some understanding (3) / needs work
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| ||Thorough understanding (5) ||Acceptable understanding (4)|| Some understanding (3) / Needs work
|-  
|-  
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 1: Constraint Satisfaction Problems || ≥ 44 || ≥ 40 || ≥ 35
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 1: Search (35) || ≥ 32 || ≥ 27 || ≥ 22
 +
|-
 +
| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 2: Rules (35) || ≥ 31 || ≥ 27 || ≥ 21
|-
|-
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 2: ID Trees & k-Nearest Neighbors || ≥ 45 || ≥ 40 || ≥ 35
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 3: Games (30) || ≥ 28 || ≥ 24 || ≥ 20
|-
|-
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| style="text-align:left;" |Total || ≥ 89 || ≥ 80 || ≥ 70
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| style="text-align:left;" | '''Total''' || '''91''' || '''78''' || '''63'''
|}
|}
 +
===September 2017===
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{| cellpadding=2 border=1 cellspacing=2
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====Saturday, September 23: Quiz 1 Locations====
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|-
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| ||Thorough understanding (5) ||Acceptable understanding (4)|| Some understanding (3) / needs work
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-
|-
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| style="text-align:left;" |Spiritual and right-now || ≥ 5 || ≥ 4 || ≥ 3
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|}
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=== 20 October 2015 ===
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Quiz 1 (covering rule-based systems, search, and games) will be held on Wednesday, September 27 at 10am. Half of you will take the quiz in 10-250, and half in 10-250, enabling less crowded conditions. Locations:
 +
* Family name A-M: 10-250
 +
* Family name N-Z: Walker, 3rd floor
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Quiz 2 is tomorrow during class time (10 AM).  If you were in Walker for the first quiz, you will be in 10-250, and vice versa.  Thus, locations are:
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====Sunday, September 10: Recitations are now assigned====
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* Family name A-L: 10-250
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* Family name M-Z: Walker, 3rd floor
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=== 30 September 2015 ===
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Recitations have been assigned! To view or change your recitation, please visit the [https://ai6034.mit.edu:444/recitation/ 6.034 Recitation Self-Service page]. Recitations begin on Monday 9/11 (tomorrow) and Tuesday 9/12. We'll see you there!
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Quiz 1 will be returned in recitations next Monday and Tuesday.  After Tuesday, you may pick up your quiz from [http://aurellem.org/6.868/32-251.jpg Prof. Winston's office] when he is in. Thresholds are:
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====Wednesday, September 6: Recitation Sign-Up====
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{| cellpadding=2 border=1 cellspacing=2
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Recitations will start next Monday 9/11 and Tuesday 9/12. Please fill out the [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVVrHiB9gj2EATvaYFx4HBH0X6gTRjoO1wn3uditphv8tdBQ/viewform recitation request form] by 5pm today to indicate your recitation preferences. Recitation assignments will be sent out by Sunday afternoon.
-
|-
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| ||Thorough understanding (5) ||Acceptable understanding (4)|| Some understanding (3) / needs work
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-
|-
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 1: Rule-Based Systems || ≥ 35 || ≥ 31 || ≥ 26
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-
|-
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 2: Search || ≥ 26 || ≥ 22 || ≥ 18
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-
|-
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| style="text-align:left;" | Problem 3: Games || ≥ 27 || ≥ 23 || ≥ 20
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-
|-
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| style="text-align:left;" |Total || ≥ 88 || ≥ 76 || ≥ 64
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-
|}
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-
=== 29 September 2015 ===
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If you are not yet registered for the class, please fill out the recitation request form anyway, and register for 6.034 as soon as possible.
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Quiz 1 is tomorrow during class time (10 AM).  Half of you will take the quiz in Walker, half in 10-250, enabling less crowded conditions.  Locations:
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===Summer 2017===
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* Family name A-L: Walker, 3rd floor
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* Family name M-Z: 10-250
+
-
=== 24 September 2015 ===
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====Special 2017 opportunity for extra units====
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Final has been scheduled for Wednesday, 16 December, 9am-12pm, Johnson.
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The 2017 edition of 6.034 will offer an optional 3-unit add-on set of lectures given by Professor Robert C. Berwick. This addition will supplement the main lectures and recitations because it will focus on the science side of 6.034, addressing long-standing scientific questions and biological intelligence, rather than existing tools for building applications. Evolution and  human language will be emphasized.
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=== 23 September 2015 ===
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To avoid conflicts with other classes, Professor Berwick will offer the once-a-week extra session twice:
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Good news! If you have been unable to submit labs through Windows, we have found a solution.  The source of the problem is Python versions 2.6.5 through 2.7.3. The recommended solution is to install a version of Python >= 2.7.4 or <= 2.6.4; we recommend the latest stable release, Python 2.7.10.
+
3-4 on Wednesdays 36-153
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=== 19 September 2015 ===
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2-3 on Fridays. 36-155
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The online tester for Lab 2 is now live!  If you have already downloaded the files for Lab 2, you will need to add a patch to lab2.py.  Simply copy all the lines from [http://web.mit.edu/6.034/www/labs/lab2/patch.txt patch.txt] and paste them at the bottom of your lab2.py file.  (If you have not yet downloaded Lab 2, the files in lab2.zip and online are already up-to-date as of 4pm today, so no need to patch.)
+
You can attend either of the two sessions.
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Second, we are trying to understand our tester's incompatibility with certain combinations of Windows and Python versions. If you have successfully or unsuccessfully submitted a lab on Windows, you can help us by telling us your Windows and Python versions using [http://goo.gl/forms/33pHVWlwIM this form], or by e-mail to jmn@.
+
If you are interested, sign up for 6.S077 in addition to 6.034.
-
=== 16 September 2015 ===
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====Special 2017 opportunity for graduate credit====
-
If you wish to try out the Genesis story understanding system, you can [http://groups.csail.mit.edu/genesis/ load it] using Java's Webstart feature.
+
The 2017 edition of 6.034 will offer an optional, experimental, graduate-credit version, for graduate students only, by Professor Gerald J. Sussman. Students involved will do all 6.034 classes, homework, and quizzes plus an extra class with Professor Sussman and extra work. [[Media:6.S966-prospectus.pdf| You can read the prospectus here.]]
-
=== 13 September 2015 ===
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The class, 6.S966, will meet on Fridays, 11am-12noon, in 34-303.
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We have finished assigning recitation sections based on your preferences and have sent welcome e-mails to each section. If you have not received an e-mail, or if you would like to view/switch your recitation at any time, you can visit http://ai6034.mit.edu/recitation (certificates required).
+
If you are interested, register for 6.S966. '''When registering, you must explicitly register for 12 units'''; the registration software will try to default to 1 unit.
-
You are welcome to attend multiple recitations if you like; in any case, we'll use your official recitation to return quizzes to you.
+
==== 6.034 Lab 0 Released ====
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===June 2015===
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Many students interested in taking 6.034 for credit wonder if their Python skills are adequate for the 6.034 laboratory assignments, especially those who have not taken 6.0001 or equivalent. The answer is to be found in Lab 0, which in past years we have released at the beginning of the semester.
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<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=10">
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You can look over Lab 0 now, before the semester begins, so that you can determine if you should review Python for a day or two before the semester beginsYou can find Lab 0 [[Lab 0 | here]].  
-
<tr><td>
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-
In the fall semester of 2015, 6.034 will meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 to 11.   
+
-
Most, but not all of Professor Winston's lectures will be on Monday and Wednesday. 
+
-
On many, but not all Fridays, you will learn about what is happening in the field right now from someone who is doing work right now in an area related to the Monday and Wednesday lectures.
+
-
Examinations will cover material from the traditional lectures as well as the right-now lectures. It will be extremely difficult to field questions on the right-now material if you do not attend the right-now lectures because the material is not yet in textbooks or, in many cases, published papers.
+
If you have any questions, email the 6.034 staff at 6.034-2017-staff@.  
-
Recitations (previously known as "tutorials") will meet weekly on Monday and Tuesday.  On the first day of class, you will fill out a form that will enable us to assign you to a recitation.
+
====About 6.034, Fall 2017 Edition====
 +
 
 +
In the fall semester of 2017, 6.034 will meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 to 11
 +
in 10-250.  Most, but not all of Professor Winston's lectures will be on Monday and
 +
Wednesday.  On many, but not all Fridays, you will learn about what is happening in the
 +
field right now from someone who is doing work right now in an area related to the
 +
Monday and Wednesday lectures.
 +
 
 +
Examinations will cover material from the traditional lectures as well as the right-now
 +
lectures.  It will be extremely difficult to field questions on the right-now material
 +
if you do not attend the right-now lectures because the material is not yet in textbooks
 +
or, in many cases, published papers.
 +
 
 +
Recitations (previously known as "tutorials") will meet weekly on Monday and Tuesday.  On
 +
the first day of class, you will fill out a form that will enable us to assign you to a
 +
recitation.
6.034 is no longer offered in the spring term.
6.034 is no longer offered in the spring term.
-
More details will emerge during the first lecture on Wednesday, 9 September 2014.
+
More details will emerge during the first lecture.
-
</td></tr></table>
+
 
 +
'''We are pleased to note''' that Bloomberg has listed 6.034 as among [http://www.csail.mit.edu/node/2500  "Five of the Best Computer Science Classes in the U.S."]
 +
What they meant to say is that 6.034 has had outstanding TAs.

Revision as of 18:30, 6 February 2018

Image:Evolve.jpg
Somewhere, something went wrong.

Contents

Welcome to the 2017 Edition of 6.034

Suggestions for subjects to take in the coming spring semester, 2018

Bob Berwick 6.863J Introduction to Natural Language Processing

Two of our 2017 right-now speakers in Brain and Cognitive Science are offering subjects of interest in this spring semester:

Nancy Kanwisher 9.11 The Human Brain
Pawan Sinha 9.60 Machine motivated human vision

Professor Kanwisher has suggested that many of you also would like 9.35:

Josh McDermott 9.35 Perceptual Systems

See the catelog descriptions for more information on 9.11, 9.35, and 9.60. Note that the prerequisites for these subjects are like stop signs in Massachusetts: merely suggestions. We have it on good authority that the official prerequisites for at least 9.11 and 9.35 have been relaxed, making Course VI majors welcome.

Other great subjects offered by right-now speakers are as follows:

Ed Boyden 20.309 Biological Instrumentation and Measurement
Nick Montfort CMS.846 The world made digital
CMS.844 Exploratory programming for the arts and humanities

And from a right-now speaker in a previous year:

Randall Davis 6.835Intelligent Multimodal Interaction

And finally, a new subject of note, likely already full:

Hal Abelson with Natalie Lao6.S198 Deep learning practicum


Alas, two other right-now speakers, Professors Patricia Maes and Gerald Sussman, will be on sabbatical.

Logistical stuff:

Reference stuff:

Note that the current staff mailing list is 6.034-2017-staff@.

News

December 2017

Friday, December 15: End-of-semester review sessions

On Saturday (December 16) and Sunday (December 17), we will be having end-of-semester review sessions covering all 6.034 core topics. More details can be found on the office hours page.

Sunday, December 10: Quiz 4 thresholds

We'll be returning Quiz 4 during recitations this week. Beginning Wednesday, you may pick up your quiz from Professor Winston's office (32-251) when he is in, or contact your TA to arrange a pick-up. The Quiz 4 thresholds are:

Thorough understanding (5) Acceptable understanding (4) Some understanding (3) / Needs work
Problem 1: Bayes (50) ≥ 44 ≥ 39 ≥ 33
Problem 2: Boosting (50) ≥ 46 ≥ 41 ≥ 35
Total ≥ 90 ≥ 80 ≥ 68

Friday, December 1: Quiz 4 Locations

Quiz 4 will take place on Wednesday, December 6. Locations will be the same as for Quiz 2. That is,

  • Family name A-M in Walker, 3rd floor
  • Family name N-Z in 10-250

The core topics are Bayesian inference and boosting (Adaboost). The spiritual/right now topics are listed as "4srn" on the Reference material page.

November 2017

Monday, November 20: 6.034 2017 T-shirts announced

By popular request, you can now order a limited-edition 6.034 2017 T-shirt, featuring our class motto as coined by Dr. Vikash Mansinghka, former 6.034 student and Head TA.

This year's T-shirt will be available in sapphire blue, available at cost in both crew-neck ($8) and v-neck ($9). If you would like to buy one, please order here by Tuesday morning, November 28.

Sunday, November 12: Quiz 3 thresholds

We hope you've had a pleasant long weekend!

We'll be returning Quiz 3 during recitations tomorrow and Tuesday. Beginning Wednesday, you may pick up your quiz from Professor Winston's office (32-251) when he is in, or contact your TA to arrange a pick-up. The Quiz 3 thresholds are:

Thorough understanding (5) Acceptable understanding (4) Some understanding (3) / Needs work
Problem 1: SVMs (50) ≥ 45 ≥ 39 ≥ 33
Problem 2: Neural Networks (50) ≥ 45 ≥ 40 ≥ 33
Total ≥ 90 ≥ 79 ≥ 66

Tuesday, November 7: Quiz 3 Locations

Quiz 3, covering neural networks and support vector machines, will be held during class time on November 8. You will be in the same location as you were for Quiz 1: in other words,

  • Family name A-M will be in 10-250
  • Family name N-Z will be in Walker, 3rd floor

October 2017

Monday, October 23: Quiz 2 thresholds

We will be returning Quiz 2 during recitations on Monday and Tuesday. Beginning Wednesday, you may pick up your quiz from Professor Winston's office (32-251) when he is in, or contact your TA to arrange a pick-up. Thresholds are:

Thorough understanding (5) Acceptable understanding (4) Some understanding (3) / Needs work
Problem 1: ID Trees (30) ≥ 27 ≥ 24 ≥ 19
Problem 2: k-Nearest Neighbors (30) ≥ 26 ≥ 22 ≥ 16
Problem 3: Constraint Propagation (40) ≥ 33 ≥ 26 ≥ 20
Total ≥ 86 ≥ 72 ≥ 55

Saturday, October 14: Quiz 2 Locations

Quiz 2 (covering constraint propagation, k-nearest neighbors, and identification trees) will be held on October 18 at 10am. If you were in Walker for quiz 1, you will be in 10-250 for quiz 2, and vice versa. Hence,

  • Family name A-M will be in Walker, 3rd floor
  • Family name N-Z will be in 10-250

Sunday, October 1: Quiz 1 thresholds

Quiz 1 will be returned in recitations on Monday and Tuesday. Beginning Wednesday, you may pick up your quiz from Professor Winston's office (32-251) when he is in, or contact your TA to arrange a pick-up. Thresholds are:

Thorough understanding (5) Acceptable understanding (4) Some understanding (3) / Needs work
Problem 1: Search (35) ≥ 32 ≥ 27 ≥ 22
Problem 2: Rules (35) ≥ 31 ≥ 27 ≥ 21
Problem 3: Games (30) ≥ 28 ≥ 24 ≥ 20
Total ≥ 91 ≥ 78 ≥ 63

September 2017

Saturday, September 23: Quiz 1 Locations

Quiz 1 (covering rule-based systems, search, and games) will be held on Wednesday, September 27 at 10am. Half of you will take the quiz in 10-250, and half in 10-250, enabling less crowded conditions. Locations:

  • Family name A-M: 10-250
  • Family name N-Z: Walker, 3rd floor

Sunday, September 10: Recitations are now assigned

Recitations have been assigned! To view or change your recitation, please visit the 6.034 Recitation Self-Service page. Recitations begin on Monday 9/11 (tomorrow) and Tuesday 9/12. We'll see you there!

Wednesday, September 6: Recitation Sign-Up

Recitations will start next Monday 9/11 and Tuesday 9/12. Please fill out the recitation request form by 5pm today to indicate your recitation preferences. Recitation assignments will be sent out by Sunday afternoon.

If you are not yet registered for the class, please fill out the recitation request form anyway, and register for 6.034 as soon as possible.

Summer 2017

Special 2017 opportunity for extra units

The 2017 edition of 6.034 will offer an optional 3-unit add-on set of lectures given by Professor Robert C. Berwick. This addition will supplement the main lectures and recitations because it will focus on the science side of 6.034, addressing long-standing scientific questions and biological intelligence, rather than existing tools for building applications. Evolution and human language will be emphasized.

To avoid conflicts with other classes, Professor Berwick will offer the once-a-week extra session twice:

3-4 on Wednesdays 36-153

2-3 on Fridays. 36-155

You can attend either of the two sessions.

If you are interested, sign up for 6.S077 in addition to 6.034.

Special 2017 opportunity for graduate credit

The 2017 edition of 6.034 will offer an optional, experimental, graduate-credit version, for graduate students only, by Professor Gerald J. Sussman. Students involved will do all 6.034 classes, homework, and quizzes plus an extra class with Professor Sussman and extra work. You can read the prospectus here.

The class, 6.S966, will meet on Fridays, 11am-12noon, in 34-303.

If you are interested, register for 6.S966. When registering, you must explicitly register for 12 units; the registration software will try to default to 1 unit.

6.034 Lab 0 Released

Many students interested in taking 6.034 for credit wonder if their Python skills are adequate for the 6.034 laboratory assignments, especially those who have not taken 6.0001 or equivalent. The answer is to be found in Lab 0, which in past years we have released at the beginning of the semester.

You can look over Lab 0 now, before the semester begins, so that you can determine if you should review Python for a day or two before the semester begins. You can find Lab 0 here.

If you have any questions, email the 6.034 staff at 6.034-2017-staff@.

About 6.034, Fall 2017 Edition

In the fall semester of 2017, 6.034 will meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 to 11 in 10-250. Most, but not all of Professor Winston's lectures will be on Monday and Wednesday. On many, but not all Fridays, you will learn about what is happening in the field right now from someone who is doing work right now in an area related to the Monday and Wednesday lectures.

Examinations will cover material from the traditional lectures as well as the right-now lectures. It will be extremely difficult to field questions on the right-now material if you do not attend the right-now lectures because the material is not yet in textbooks or, in many cases, published papers.

Recitations (previously known as "tutorials") will meet weekly on Monday and Tuesday. On the first day of class, you will fill out a form that will enable us to assign you to a recitation.

6.034 is no longer offered in the spring term.

More details will emerge during the first lecture.

We are pleased to note that Bloomberg has listed 6.034 as among "Five of the Best Computer Science Classes in the U.S." What they meant to say is that 6.034 has had outstanding TAs.

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