About GEC1506, Spring 2021

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 2021

  • Tuesday 12:30-15:10

Location

  • Delta 105

People

Supporting this course

Instructors:

Yi-Shin Chen

Yi-Shin Chen

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.

  • email: weipane@gmail.com
  • office: Delta 607
  • office hours: Monday 12:00-13:00

Teaching Assistants:

Eric Huang

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

Jessie Tsu

Jessie Tsu
  • email: jesstsumin@gmail.com
  • office: Delta 701
  • office hours: By email appointment

Syllabus

Orientation

2021/2/23 for 3 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

Language and Understanding

2021/3/02 for 3 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 Introduction

2021/3/09 for 3 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

  • Homework 1 is given
  • Reading: Reference 8

Related Videos

Scientific Laws

2020/3/16 for 3 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 Basics

2021/3/23 for 3 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

  • Homework 2 is given
  • Reading: Reference 8

Related Videos

Causality and Fallacies

2021/3/30 for 3 hours

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

Activities

  • Reading: Reference 6, or 7
  • Homework 3 is given

Related Videos

Loops and Conditional Selections

2020/4/06 for 3 hours

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

Activities

  • Reading: Reference 8
  • Homework 4 is given

Related Videos

Rationality and Humanity in Decision Making

2021/4/13 for 3 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 5 is given

Related Videos

Quiz

2021/4/20 for 3 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 Teams

Structures and Standard Procedures

2021/4/27 for 3 hours

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

Activities

  • Homework 6 is given
  • Reading: Reference 8

Related Videos

Brief History of Informatics

2021/5/04 for 3 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

Encoding and Random Generators

2021/5/11 for 3 hours

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

Activities

  • Homework 7 is given
  • Reading: Reference 1 (or 2) and 8

Related Videos

Thinking Processes and Algorithm

2021/5/18 for 3 hours

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

Activities

  • Reading: Reference 1 (or 2) and 8

Related Videos

Lab of Algorithms

2021/5/25 for 3 hours

In this session, we will briefly introduce ways to code several algorithms and the concept of data stuctures.

Activities

  • Reading: Reference 1 (or 2) and 8
  • Homework 8 is given
  • Lectures are held in Teams

Related Videos

Information Entropy

2021/6/1 for 3 hours

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

Activities

  • Reading: Reference 1, or 2
  • Homework 9 is given

Related Videos

Online Quiz

2021/6/8 for 3 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
  • Online quiz is given in Teams

Examination for Conclusion

2021/6/15 for 3 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

2021/6/22 3 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