Notices

  • Final results available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Friday 20 December 2019, 09:15:49 PM.

    Hi all,

    Your final results for the course should now have been sent to you.

    Hopefully your results consisted of a mark >= 50 and a grade of PS, CR, DN or HD. If so, you have met all hurdles and other requirements and have passed COMP9020.

    If your results contain the grade FL, UF, or AF unfortunately you have not passed COMP9020 and are not being offered further assessment . A grade of UF indicates that you failed to meet the 40% barrier of the final examination.

    If your result contains the grade WD or WC this indicates your mark and grade is yet to be determined, most likely through a supplementary exam. You will be contacted shortly about this.

    Please contact me if you believe there have been any gross omissions or wish to discuss the COMP9020 assessment further. Arrangements can be made if you wish to inspect your marking, however note that it is faculty policy that, for example, falling 1 mark short of a HD/DN/CR/PS, is not sufficient reason to review a student's assessment. Unfortunately, with over 400 students there are going to be students that fall one mark short of the next grade.

    Paul

  • Final assessment marks available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Wednesday 18 December 2019, 10:49:31 AM.

    Hi all,

    All the assignments we have received have now been marked, and you should be able to see your marks either through give or via webCMS.

    Please contact me if you believe there has been any gross omissions and I will investigate the matter.

    Paul

  • Practice quizzes now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Saturday 30 November 2019, 02:30:03 PM.

    Hi all,

    Two practice quizzes covering the entirety of the course have now been made available.

    The solutions to Assignment 3 will be released as soon as I receive several outstanding assignments - delayed because of Special Consideration. I expect to receive them all by tonight.

    There was an online consultation last night, the recording for it should be available through the Collaborate link in Moodle.

    Best,

    Paul

  • Online consultation cancelled again (Wed)

    Posted by Paul Hunter Wednesday 27 November 2019, 04:17:53 PM.

    Apparently the power will not be restored to my place today, so the postponed consultation will have to be postponed further. It will now be on Friday at 9pm.

    Apologies again,

    Paul

  • Tonight's consultation cancelled

    Posted by Paul Hunter Tuesday 26 November 2019, 08:49:12 PM.

    I am currently sitting in the dark with limited internet because of the storm that swept through north Sydney earlier today. Tonight's online consultation will be postponed until tomorrow at 9pm.

    Sorry for the inconvenience,

    Paul

  • Final lecture poll

    Posted by Paul Hunter Sunday 24 November 2019, 09:23:55 AM.

    Hi all,

    I have put up a poll to gauge interest on what you would most like me to cover in the final lecture.

    For the final part of the lecture I will go through some practice questions on the most popular topics as chosen by you. So please vote to have your say in the final lecture (you can choose more than one option)

    Paul

  • Two polls

    Posted by Paul Hunter Monday 18 November 2019, 03:17:59 PM.

    Hi all,

    I have just posted two polls on WebCMS. One is a quick one in preparation for today's lecture (due before 5pm today), and the other is re-asking the pre-course poll so that I can see how people's opinions may have evolved over the course (no time limit).

    Please try and find a moment to at attempt the first one before I cover it in today's lecture.

    Paul

  • Quiz 16 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Sunday 17 November 2019, 06:00:05 PM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 16 is now available. Because of the delay in getting it out, it will be due at 4pm on Wednesday .

    This is the last assessed quiz, however I plan to put up at least one more quiz that covers the whole course (for practice), and possibly one quiz to cover the material that will be lectured tomorrow.

    Paul

  • Assignment 3 errata and missing lecture footage

    Posted by Paul Hunter Thursday 14 November 2019, 08:10:48 AM.

    Hi all,

    A couple of omissions & corrections:

    * Q2(a) on Assignment 3 should read:

    Give an argument to show that the Petersen graph does NOT contain a subdivision of K5.

    The assignment pdf will be updated shortly. As will the lecture slides.

    * Apparently I forgot to switch to the OHP when I was talking about Ramsey numbers. The content of that part of the lecture is not critical/assessable and most of what was written was conveyed verbally, so I won't put up my scribblings. I am happy to walk anyone through what was said - contact me if you are interested.

    Best,

    Paul

  • Quiz 15 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Tuesday 12 November 2019, 09:42:20 AM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 15 is now available. It is due at 4pm on Wednesday 13 November .

    Paul

  • Assignment 3 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Monday 11 November 2019, 06:25:25 AM.

    Hi all,

    Assignment 3 is now available. It is due at 23:59 on Sunday, 24 November.

    Paul

  • Quiz 14 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Sunday 10 November 2019, 02:17:59 PM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 14 is now available. It is due by 4pm on Monday November 11.

    Paul

  • Quiz 13 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Tuesday 05 November 2019, 12:51:23 PM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 13, covering Monday's lecture, is now available. Because of the overlap with Quiz 12 there will be a 24 hour extension, so Quiz 13 is due at 4pm on Thursday November 7 .

    Paul

  • Quiz 12 now available (extended deadline)

    Posted by Paul Hunter Sunday 03 November 2019, 10:13:10 PM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 12 is now available. Because it is out so late it will be due by Wednesday, Nov 6 at 4pm .

    Quiz 13 will still be released between the lectures, but will also have an extended due date to compensate for the overlap.

    Apologies for the inconvenience,

    Paul

  • Consultation recording

    Posted by Paul Hunter Wednesday 30 October 2019, 12:31:44 PM, last modified Wednesday 30 October 2019, 03:47:23 PM.

    Hi all,

    Last night's consultation was reasonably successful (at least according to the students I polled at the end). In future sessions I'll make them a bit shorter and set up a pre-consultation survey for the questions so I don't repeat myself too much. On-the-fly questions will always be welcome. I'll probably stick with Tuesdays from 9-10pm unless there are any objections. Having a consultation between the weekly lectures gives me a chance to bring up any critical issues on Wednesday.

    Finding the recording is a bit of a nuisance however, so here is how you can find it:

    1. Log into the COMP9020 Collaborate course room. Either through Moodle or with the following (guest) link: https://au.bbcollab.com/guest/ada373a18fc54e69b0c4...
    2. From the hamburger menu (≡) in the top left select "Recordings"
    3. You should see the session from last night - click on it and select "Watch now"
    4. During the session I was verbally answering questions from the chat - so it is almost essential that you view the chat. You do this by opening the "Chat panel" by clicking the chevron (<<) in the bottom right of the playback page.

    If you cannot access the recording (and you want to) please let me know.

    I'd also really like to hear from anyone that did not think the session was successful (for whatever reason - e.g. audio issues/internet issues) - so I can make sure I address those issues in the future.

    Best,

    Paul


    Edit: Direct link for the recording:

    https://au-lti.bbcollab.com/recording/9d754f3c4d93...


  • Additional online consultation

    Posted by Paul Hunter Tuesday 29 October 2019, 07:58:02 PM.

    Hi all,

    A reminder about this consultation which will be starting shortly. You can access the collaborate page through Moodle, or directly (as a guest) through this link: https://au.bbcollab.com/guest/45f572cd57b24d098047...

    Paul

  • Quiz 11 is now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Tuesday 29 October 2019, 12:04:09 PM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 11 is now available. It is due at 4pm on Wednesday October 30 .

    Paul

  • Additional online consultation

    Posted by Paul Hunter Sunday 27 October 2019, 11:41:04 AM.

    Hi all,

    In response to some of the feedback from the mid-term surveys, and to help out those of you that cannot make the usual consultation time, I plan to set up an additional consultation session - online, group-based and in the evening.

    Currently the plan is to set something up for Tuesday, October 29 from 8pm - 10pm . While the session will be open to any & all questions, I anticipate (based on previous years) the focus at this stage will be on assignment questions.

    I have posted an online poll to gauge interest - please fill out the poll if this is something that interests you (whether or not you can make the stated time).

    I am currently exploring chat options, but I'm open to suggestions.


    At the moment, this is experimental - if it is successful it may become regular for the remainder of term.

    Best,

    Paul


  • Quiz 10 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Sunday 27 October 2019, 11:26:01 AM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 10 is now available, it is due by 4pm on Monday 28 October .

    Paul

  • Quiz 9 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Tuesday 22 October 2019, 12:50:00 PM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 9 is now available, and due at 4pm on Wednesday 22nd October .

    Please note that there are only 4 questions, and Q4 is worth 2 points.

    Paul

  • Assignment 2 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Sunday 20 October 2019, 11:49:40 PM.

    Hi all,

    The second assignment is now available. It is due on Sunday, November 3 at 23:59 .

    Paul

  • Quiz 8 is now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Sunday 20 October 2019, 01:15:16 AM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 8 is now available. It is due by 4pm on Monday 21 October.

    Best,

    Paul

  • Week 5 Challenge question now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Friday 18 October 2019, 10:16:48 AM.

    Hi all,

    The challenge question for Week 5 is now available - as with the first challenge question, you can submit your attempt using give and get immediate feedback. Please don't post solutions in the comments/forums.

    I have updated the slides with fixed typos, and included the recap slides for weeks 2-4.

    The argument I gave for the quiz question at the start of last lecture wasn't correct (though the result was). Please see the thread here: https://webcms3.cse.unsw.edu.au/COMP9020/19T3/foru... for a more correct argument.

    Finally, here is a proof of the missing step in order to show that the Faster Euclidean algorithm runs in O(log N) time:

    Assume m>n; we want to show that (m%n) + n ≤ (m+n)/1.5

    Now m = (m div n)*n + (m%n), so

    (m+n)/((m%n)+n) = ((m div n)*n + (m%n) + n)/((m%n) + n) = 1 + (m div n)*n/((m%n) + n)

    Now (m%n)<n and as m>n, (m div n)≥1; so (m div n)*n / ((m%n) + n) ≥ n / 2n = 1/2

    Therefore (m+n)/((m%n)+n) ≥ 1+1/2 = 1.5 and the result follows.


    Paul

  • Quiz 7 is now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Tuesday 15 October 2019, 12:52:59 PM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 7 is now available. It is due on Wednesday, October 16 at 4pm .

    Best,

    Paul

  • Quiz 6 now available and updated slides

    Posted by Paul Hunter Sunday 13 October 2019, 02:03:53 AM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 6 is now available, it is due by Monday, October 14 at 4pm .

    A reminder that the first assignment is due on Sunday, October 13 at 23:59 .

    I have updated the slides from Lecture 3a, specifically slides 43-45 and 52-58. Note: the concept of a complete lattice will not be assessed in this course; but the concept of a lattice is assessible.

    Finally, the following video just appeared in my recommendations list: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rowWM-MijXU , and it is worth having a look at. I have only seen the first few minutes, but it is eerily similar to what I was saying last lecture... (I swear I hadn't seen it until just now).

    Best,

    Paul

  • Quiz 5 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Monday 07 October 2019, 10:43:23 AM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 5 is now available. It is due at 4pm on Wednesday, October 9.

    Paul

  • Quiz 4 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Tuesday 01 October 2019, 09:10:05 AM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 4 is now available. It is due by 4pm on Wednesday 2nd October .

    Best,

    Paul

  • Assignment 1 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Sunday 29 September 2019, 11:04:05 PM.

    Hi all,

    The first assignment is now available on the course website.

    It is due at 23:59:00 (AEDT) on Sunday 13 October .

    I will discuss some key points concerning the assignment at the start of tomorrow's lecture.

    Submission is through WebCMS or give. You may make multiple submissions - your last submission is the one that will be assessed. I recommend making a trial submission early on to familiarise yourself with the process and identify any issues that might arise.

    Regards,

    Paul

  • Quiz 3 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Saturday 28 September 2019, 10:52:37 PM.

    Hi all,

    Quiz 3 is now available, and is due by 4pm on Monday 30th .

    Regards,
    Paul

  • Quiz 2 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Tuesday 24 September 2019, 08:18:30 AM.

    Hi all,

    Apologies for the delay, Quiz 2 is now available. It is due by 4pm, Wednesday Sept 25 .

    You should now be able to see your marks for Quiz 1.

    Best,

    Paul

  • Quiz 1 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Saturday 21 September 2019, 10:48:53 AM.

    Hi all,

    The first quiz is now available. It consists of 5 short questions and needs to be completed by Monday 23 Sept, 4pm . Because no individual quiz is compulsory, there will be no extensions granted.

    You may only make a single submission.

    Regards,

    Paul

  • Challenge question 1 now available

    Posted by Paul Hunter Thursday 19 September 2019, 06:02:12 PM.

    Hi all,

    I have created the first challenge question and made it available on the course website. This particular question is interactive - you can submit your answer and get immediate feedback on your solution (other challenge questions may differ from this).

    • There is no penalty for not attempting the challenge questions - they are intended to let you explore aspects of the course beyond the material I will be covering.
    • The challenge will be available throughout the course (no due date) and you can have as many attempts as you like.
    • When you submit a file with your answer, you will receive feedback as part of the submission response. The line stating that your submission is ACCEPTED [if present] just confirms that you submitted a file named challenge1.txt . The "Check submission" and "Collect submission" are not relevant for the question.
    • While preparing this challenge I realised there was a slight error in the last slide of the lecture. Because the % operator gives a number between 0 and n-1 the terminating case should include when one of the inputs is 0 [not just when n=m]. I have updated the algorithm in the slides.

    Enjoy,

    Paul


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