Professor: Dr. Lillian N. Cassel
E-mail:
lillian.cassel@villanova.edu (Please put CSC 8000 in the
subject line to get my attention)
Office Hours:
Tuesday and Thursday 3 to 5 pm. Others by request.
When my door is open, you are welcome to come in.
Semester: Fall 2011
Course Description: (From the department web site) Programming in Java or another object-oriented language. Program design with an emphasis on the object paradigm. Classic algorithms and data structures. Significant programming assignments are required.
(For this instance) We will use "another object-oriented language." Specifically, this course will develop ability to write and debug programs using Python. We will focus on the object paradigm and will explore classic algorithms and data structures. Weekly programming assignments and a larger project will provide ample experience. The domain for many examples will be information extraction and analysis using substantial data sets that allow very real experience.
Textbook: Object-Oriented Programming in Python. Goldwasser and Letscher. Pearson/Prentice Hall Publisher. © 2008.
This text provides comprehensive coverage of fundamental computing topics related to algorithms and data structures, explored through the python programming language. It is used as an undergraduate introduction, but at a much slower pace than we will move through it. We assume some experience with programming, though not extensive experience or expertise. You should expect to move through this book quickly and to use most of it. The book includes a reference appendix for moving from Python to other important programming languages, including C++ and Java.
Secondary Textbook: Natural Language Processing with Python. Bird, Klein, Loper. O'Reilly Publisher. © 2009.
This book provides introductory level Python in the context of Natural Language Processing. It allows sophisticated text processing with very little overhead so we can see some real work getting done very quickly. The book is available online. (http://www.nltk.org/book)
Prepare incoming MS and MSE students to do the problem analysis and programming requirements of masters level courses in computer science and software engineering.
Introduction :
Every indication is that the best way to learn is to be actively involved in discovery, in creating your own knowledge. As a result, your active participation is a fundamental requirement of this course. You will write and run programs every week. You will discuss issues related to algorithms and data structures, sometimes in class, sometimes in online discussions.
Additional information :
Attendance: I assume that every student will attend every class unless I have heard previously that you have a reason for missing class. In all cases, you are responsible to discover what has been done in the class you miss. Just keeping up with class by hearing about happenings from other students is not sufficient, however. Your input into our discussions is important. Your absence not only hurts you; it deprives the rest of the class of the valuable contributions you would have made. A part of the grade is reserved for active participation in every class session.
Online component:
This class will include regular classroom sessions and also some online sessions. There will be some occasions when I participate in the class from a distance. For these classes, you will need access to a computer and internet connection sufficient to display live video. If you have this type of resource, you may attend the class from your chosen location. If you do not have access to these resources, they will be provided for you and you will be expected to attend at Villanova. In any case, your attendance and active participation will be required.
Writing:
The writing component to this class will be limited to documentation of your running programs. This is a serious expectation and will be considered as part of the course requirements. No papers or presentations are required for this course.
I like this quote, found on the department web page:
Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.
— Martin Fowler
We aspire to be good programmers.
A graduate student who does satisfactory work in
assignments receives a grade of B. Better work receives better
grades. An A grade requires exceptional work, not just
meeting requirements. A
grade of A is certainly achievable, but it is not automatic if
you just meet requirements.
Programming projects will be graded. In addition, there will be periodic quizzes. If this seems to go well, we will not have any long examinations. If it appears that we need the forced focus that exams provide, then we will have them.
There are advantages and disadvantages to the Blackboard course management system used at Villanova. I prefer that my materials be open and accessible, so I will use this public web site. We will use the Blackboard site from time to time to take advantage of tools that are there. Be sure to log in to the course site and become familiar with its use.
The following calendar will be developed as the class progresses. We begin with an approximate schedule of topics and readings for the class up until the Fall break week.
|
Week |
|
Subject |
Links_to Slides |
Notes/Assignments |
Activity |
|
1 |
8/24 |
Introduction to the course and its goals. Computing environment for course exercises. Basics of the object paradigm. Compilers and Interpreters. Levels of languages. The Python interpreter. "Hello World" The list class. |
Chapters 1 and 2 of text -- read by next
week. That
is a lot to read, but it gets through what we talk about
during classes 1 and 2. |
Be sure that the computer you will use for assignments has Python and the Natural Language Tool Kit installed and that you knonw how to use them. (Time during class for this) |
|
|
2 |
8/31 |
Strings and tuples, numeric types and
operations, modules, functions, expressions, booleans |
Exercise 2.37 due next week |
Quiz 1 - Lists |
|
|
3 |
9/7 |
Control structures: For, conditionals,
while, functions |
Project: Exercise 5.36 page 201 of the text |
Quiz 2 - Strings, tuples, numbers |
|
|
4 |
9/14 |
Starting Natural Language Processing |
Chapter 1 of the NLTK book
(Aux) |
Quiz 3 - Control structures |
|
|
5 |
9/21 |
Catching exceptions, Defining
Classes |
Text: 5.5. Text:
Chapter 6 |
Quiz 4 - Natural Language Processing |
|
|
6 |
9/28 |
Python for graphics -- Guest faculty: Dr.
Papalaskari |
Quiz 5 - Exceptions and Classes |
||
|
7 |
10/5 |
Text Corpora
|
Aux: Chapter 2 |
Quiz 6 - Graphics in Python |
|
|
8 |
10/12 |
Fall Break |
|
|
|
|
9 |
10/19 |
I/O and files -- Local files and
information from the Web.
|
Text Chapter 8 |
Quiz 7 - Corpora |
|
|
10 |
10/26 |
Inheritance and
the management of objects |
Inheritance-Objects |
Text Chapters 9 and 10 |
Quiz 8 -- files |
|
11 |
11/2 |
Raw Text, Regular Expressions |
Aux Chapter 3
|
Quiz 9 -- Objects and Inheritance |
|
|
12 |
11/9 |
Recursion, Dictionaries, Sets, Arrays |
Text Chapter 11, 12.1-12.5 Aux 4.7, 4.8 |
Quiz 10 -- Raw text, regular expressions |
|
|
13 |
11/16 |
Algorithms: word tagging and
categorizing |
Aux Chapter 5 |
Quiz 11 -- Algorithm Design and Recursion |
|
|
14 |
11/23 |
Thanksgiving Break -- no class |
|
|
|
|
15 |
11/30 |
Algorithms: Classifying Text |
Finish Word tagging and start Classifying text |
Aux Chapter 6 |
|
|
16 |
12/7 |
|
|
References (This list will be expanded as the class progresses)