About GEC1506, Spring 2019

The objective of this course is to assist students to understand the logic behind Informatics. The subject of Informatics is inspired from the observations on natural phenomena and the corresponding logical thinking. Through lectures and programming assignments in Python, students can obtain the ability of thinking logically and basic programming skills. The subjects in this course are divided into three themes:
  1. The scientific laws and rationality
  2. Brief history of Information Science
  3. Programming concepts

References

  1. James Gleick, The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood, Vintage, 2012
  2. 詹姆斯.葛雷易 (譯者: 賴盈滿), 資訊:一段歷史、一個理論、一股洪流, 衛城出版, 2012
  3. James Sethna, Statistical Mechanics: Entropy, Order Parameters, and Complexity, Oxford University Press (2006), PDF on-line available
  4. Wei Pan and Yi-Shin Chen, Network approach for decision making under risk—How do we choose among probabilistic options with the same expected value? https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0196060
  5. Martin Davis, Engines of Logic: Mathematicians and the Origin of the Computer, W. W. Norton & Company, 2001
  6. Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, Random House, 2017
  7. 比爾·布萊森, 萬物簡史, 天下文化
  8. https://docs.python.org/3/

Time in 2019

  • Tuesday 13:20-15:10

Location

  • Delta 108

People

Supporting this course

Instructors:

Yi-Shin Chen

Yi-Shin Chen

This is the first time she offers this course. Her current research interests are: social networks, data mining, emotion analysis, and web intelligence.

  • email: yishin@gmail.com
  • office: Delta 607
  • office hours: Mondays 9:00-10:00

Wei Pan

Wei Pan

He is a physicist that interests in several fields of natural sciences. This is also the first time he offers this course.

  • email: weipane@gmail.com
  • office: Delta 607
  • office hours: Tuesday 12:20-13:10

Teaching Assistants:

Eric Huang

Eric Huang
  • email: yenhao0218@gmail.com
  • office: Delta 701
  • office hours: By email appointment

Lisa Lan

Lisa Lan
  • email: penny16335@gmail.com
  • office: Delta 701
  • office hours: By email appointment

Lork Yee Yvonne

Yvonne
  • email: chowlorkyee.yvonne@gmail.com
  • office: Delta 701
  • office hours: By email appointment

Syllabus

Orientation

2019/2/19 for 2 hours

You will get familiar with the course, the instructor, your classmates, and the learning environment. The overview of the course will also be covered during the same session.

Activities

Scientific Laws

2019/2/26 for 2 hours

In this session, the concept and the discussion about scientific laws will be given. Important concepts including: Observation, Scientific Methods, and Paradoxes.

Activities

  • Reading: Reference 6, or 7

Related Videos

Python Introduction

2019/3/5 for 2 hours

In this session, the brief of Python instruction will be given. Students will have hands-on experience of Python Installation and hello-world waves.

Activities

  • Classes are given in Computer Rooms in EECS
  • Homework 1 is given
  • Reading: Reference 8

Related Videos

Causality and Fallacies

2019/3/12 for 2 hours

Causality and fallacies are two important considerations in the processes of finding correlations.

Activities

  • Reading: Reference 6, or 7
  • Homework 2 is given

Related Videos

Semantic Analysis, Instruction Construction (Divide and Conquer)

2019/3/19 for 2 hours

How can we communicate? Through lanaguges. How can our brain understand the language signals we receieved? Do we communicate effecively? Can it be improved? In this session, we will learn to use "divide and conquer" approach to make communication more easily.

Activities

  • Reading: Reference 1, or 2

Related Videos

Python Basics

2019/3/26 for 2 hours

In this session, we will learn the basic data types of Pythons. They are Strings, Integers, Floats, Lists, Tuples, Sets, and key value pairs.

Activities

  • Classes are given in Computer Rooms in EECS
  • Homework 3 is given
  • Reading: Reference 8

Related Videos

Rationality and Humanity in Decision Making

2019/4/2 for 2 hours

How does human make decisions? Is it rational or irrational? This session will discuss the relationality and humanity in decision making.

Activities

  • Reading: Reference 4
  • Homework 4 is given

Related Videos

Loops and Conditional Selections

2019/4/9 for 2 hours

In this session, the concepts of loops and conditional selection will be introduced.

Activities

  • Classes are given in Computer Rooms in EECS
  • Reading: Reference 8

Related Videos

Structures and Standard Procedures

2019/4/16 for 2 hours

In this session, we will learn how to structure the programs. The advantages and disadvatanges will be discussed.

Activities

  • Classes are given in Computer Rooms in EECS
  • Homework 5 is given
  • Reading: Reference 8

Related Videos

Quiz

2019/4/23 for 2 hours

Time to evaluate. Different from other examination in our life, we do not want to assess how much we remember. It is more important to know how much we understand. Hence, each student can bring one A4-page paper with all kinds of notes into the classroom. Enjoy.

Notes

  • Students can take one A4 page with them
  • quiz is given in Computer Rooms in EECS

Brief History of Informatics

2019/4/30 for 2 hours

This session will introduce a brief history of informatics. We will discover how our society forms/formed the modern

Activities

  • Reading: Reference 1, or 2

Related Videos

Information Entropy

2019/5/7 for 2 hours

This session will breifly introduce the concept of information theory, particularlly information entropy.

Activities

  • Reading: Reference 1, or 2
  • Homework 6 is given

Related Videos

Encoding and Random Generators

2019/5/14 for 2 hours

This session will introduce the coding in Computers and the random generators.

Activities

  • Classes are given in Computer Rooms in EECS
  • Homework 7 is given
  • Reading: Reference 1 (or 2) and 8

Related Videos

Algorithms and Data Structures

2019/5/21 and 2019/5/28 for 4 hours

Computer Science can be viewed as the study of algorithms (and data structures). In this session, we will briefly introduce several improtant algorithms and the concept of data stuctures.

Activities

  • 2019/5/28 Classes are given in Computer Rooms in EECS
  • Homework 8 is given
  • Reading: Reference 1 (or 2) and 8

Related Videos

Quiz

2019/6/4 for 2 hours

Time to evaluate. Different from other examination in our life, we do not want to assess how much we remember. It is more important to know how much we understand. Hence, each student can bring one A4-page paper with all kinds of notes into the classroom. Enjoy.

Notes

  • Students can take one A4 page with them
  • quiz is given in Computer Rooms in EECS

Midterm Examination

2019/6/11 for 2 hours

Time to evaluate. Different from other examination in our life, we do not want to assess how much we remember. It is more important to know how much we understand. Hence, each student can bring one A4-page paper with all kinds of notes into the classroom. Enjoy.

Notes

  • Students can take one A4 page with them

Final Project Demo

2019/6/18 2 hours

Realizing by learning, thinking, and doing. This is the final realizing step, to develop a fine application for this course. Through this practice, we not only polish our programming skills but also experience team works. With team mates, we dare to dream.

Requirements

  • Students should work with 3 or less people for their project.
  • Each group should generate 3 minute youtube clips to show in the class
  • Each group should have a poster and a working system