Welcome to 6.S082 / 16.901 / 18.S190

Introduction to Computational Science and Engineering (CSE)!

Instructors:

Laurent Demanet

David Darmofal

Matt Li (TA)

Juliana Chew (TA)

Kevin James (TA)

Best way to email:

cse.0002-staff@mit.edu

Office hours

(same link for everyone)

Laurent Demanet - Th 11:00am

David Darmofal - Th 6:00pm

Matt Li - T 6:00pm

Juliana Chew - M 6:00pm

Kevin James - W 6:00pm

Lecture : Zoom

MW 3:00pm - 4:30pm

Q&A: Piazza

Current schedule (last update October 22)

This should be consistent with the Canvas calendar and assignments.

If you see differences, please email us at cse.0002-staff@mit.edu

This class is a new, alternative track for 6.0002. There was an info session about this new course which was recorded and is available here. The accompanying slides can be found under the "Files" tab on the left. Like 6.0002, this new subject will continue to help you learn to solve problems using computers. The basic structure of the class will be essentially the same as 6.0001/2 (5 psets, a few microquizzes, same lecture schedule, Python, etc). The difference will be the algorithms: in this new subject, emphasis will be on computational science and engineering (CSE) algorithms while 6.0002 will emphasize data science and machine learning algorithms.

Mechanics

What is Computational Science and Engineering (CSE)? In computer science, we study algorithms for tasks like sorting a list, partitioning a graph, finding the shortest path, and many more. In CSE, we first look to the sciences (physics, chemistry, biology, Earth sciences, social sciences,…), find the equations that describe some phenomenon, and then study the algorithms that solve those equations or manipulate them somehow. These mathematical equations are called models, and they include Newton’s law (F=ma), mass balance and reaction rates for chemical or biological compounds, the laws of electromagnetism, etc. They often involve implicit relationships like differential equations that still need to be solved with algorithms to reveal useful information. Setting up models and solving them is universal and powerful -- all engineering and science fields use models from robotics to climate science, atomic to planetary motion, epidemiology, material science to electrical engineering, and so on. CSE also enables optimization, control, data fitting, and uncertainty quantification for the systems described by those models.

The purpose of this class is to give an introduction to programming in Python from the point of view of CSE. Our examples will be algorithms that deal with models, instead of the traditional algorithms from computer science. This half-semester journey might play a role in helping you identify a major! Whether you follow this track, or the data science / machine learning track of 6.0002, should ultimately not prevent you from taking the more advanced subjects of either track later on.

For more information, check out the syllabus.

Live participation. We recognize that ease of access might be an issue, particularly if you are in a different time zone. As a result, we strongly encourage live participation but do not require it. Recordings of the lectures will be made available. The live component of the class will include ungraded group activities in breakout rooms, so you get to know one another.

Evaluation. There will be no final exam. The evaluation will consist of

5 problem sets:
- Problem sets will have two grade components:
  - a score based purely on your submitted code considering both the ability of the code to accomplish the stated objectives as well as the quality of the code (clarity, style, efficiency, etc)
  - a checkoff score (based on your explanations to the TA).
- You are allowed to collaborate in groups of at most 3 students on the problem sets, and even submit the same code as your group if you wish. However, be warned that we will be assessing your understanding of the submitted code on an individual basis during the checkoffs. We encourage psetpartners.mit.edu for forming study groups.
- We offer late days on psets. All students are given 3 late days (24 hour extensions) to use in 6.S082. Late days are discrete (e.g. a student cannot use 0.314 of a late day). The staff will keep track of late days and feedback for each problem set will include the number of late days the student has remaining. For example, turning a pset on Saturday 7PM when it was due on Friday 5PM would cost two late days. You can use as many of your late days as you want on a pset, but you will be responsible for handing in the following pset on time. Any additional late work beyond these late days will not be accepted.
- The check-off for a pset submission which you used a late day(s) must still be held on the days offered by the staff. We expect psets will be due on Fridays at 5pm and check-offs will be offered that immediately following Monday and Tuesday.
- To avoid surprises, we suggest that after you submit your pset, you double check to make sure the submission was uploaded correctly. We strongly urge you to see the late days as backup in case of an emergency. Your best strategy is to do the psets early before work starts to pile up.
3 microquizzes, handed out on days marked on your calendar, and due 24 hours later. You may use the class resources, but you may not otherwise use the Internet. You may not collaborate with others for the quizzes.
Finger exercises, handed out after (most) lectures, and due before the start of the next lecture. They will include short answer questions and small Python programming problems that are automatically checked for correctness.

The grading policy will be 60% psets, 30% microquizzes, and 10% finger exercises. Your lowest microquiz score will be dropped.

Office hours and piazza. There will be office hour (time TBA). We are running a piazza site for Q&A, with the ability to post anonymously, see link on the left. The office hours may start with some of the piazza questions, or may be structured like recitations. The live Q&A during lecture will be through the zoom chat.

Since this is the first time we are running this class, we have a list of FAQ below.

Earth science 1 Earth science 2

Frequently asked questions

Q: When will lectures for 6.S082 be held?

A: Online lectures will be held on Zoom on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm (EST). Note this timeslot coincides with the 6.0002 lectures.

The first lecture will start on Monday, October 19th, 2020.

Q: What level of programming experience do I need?

A: This course is intended for, but not limited to, students who have just taken 6.0001. Don’t worry if you consider yourself a novice programmer! The point of this class is still to get you comfortable with programming. We use the same Python and Spyder environment as 6.0001 so the transition should be seamless.

Q: What level of math/physics experience do I need?

A: Nothing more than high school physics. Our plan is to build from a very basic level of: high-school linear algebra, single-variable integration and differentiation, and Newtonian mechanics (enough to know F=ma, a = dv/dt and v = dx/dt with a little intro).

Q: Can I enroll in 6.0002 and 6.S082 concurrently this semester and get credit for both?

A: No, unfortunately, it is “exclusive or” -- you can only take one of these classes for credit. However, you are of course welcome to register as a listener.

Q: Can I take 6.0002 for credit this semester, and then 6.S082 for credit next semester?

A: No, for now. This may change in the future.

Q: Can I take 6.0001 this semester and enroll in 6.S082 in the spring semester (without taking 6.0002 at all).

A: Yes, certainly!

Q: If I registered for 6.S00 (i.e. 6.0001+6.0002 on P/NR for non-first-years), can I take 6.0001 + 6.S082 in a similar P/NR option for non-first years?

A: For this (Fall 2020) semester, we are not offering a joint 6.0001+6.S082 P/NR subject for non-first years. We may be able to accommodate this for Spring 2021.

Q: Does 6.S082 satisfy REST requirements?

A: Yes.

Q: If a major lists 6.0002 as a requirement, will they automatically accept 6.S082 in its place?

A: Yes for Aero/Astro and Biological Engineering. We can also help you petition other departments to accept 6.S082 in place of a 6.0002 requirement! If you have specific major in mind, please feel free to reach out to us via email.

Q: If a subject lists 6.0002 as a pre-requisite, will they automatically accept 6.S082 in its place?

A: Not necessarily. While we believe that the differences in what you will learn in 6.0002 vs. 6.S082 are small enough that most subjects will be fine with either, we can imagine for some subjects that might not be true. Therefore, we strongly recommend checking with instructors of any subjects now about this. And, we will help you with this. Specifically, we have an email template that we can give you that describes the differences between 6.0002 and 6.S082, and you can also copy us into any emails you send to instructors. We are in your corner and will help you use 6.S082 as a pre-requisite in place of 6.0002, however, we can't guarantee for all subjects that this will be possible.

Q: Can I sit in both and decide which variant I want to attend after a week? Can I switch from 6.0002 to 6.S082 part-way through the course?

A: Yes, so as long as you comply with the H2 half term add/drop date deadlines (see: https://registrar.mit.edu/registration-academics/registration-information/adddropchangeLinks to an external site. )

The deadline for adding a half-term subject is October 30th, 2020.

The deadline for dropping a half-term subject is November 30th, 2020.

Q: What will I miss out on by taking 6.S082 instead of 6.0002, or vice versa?

A: Don’t worry about “missing out” on anything! Both 6.0002 and 6.S082 are introductory level courses that just give you a flavor of different topics. You will almost certainly encounter these topics again in later courses, in far more depth. For now, just compare the list of topics and see which interests you more!

In general, if you enjoy scientific and engineering disciplines (physics, chemistry, biology, fluid dynamics, mechanics, Earth sciences, social sciences, ...) and learning about equations that model some phenomenon, 6.S082 will likely interest you as we will study the algorithms that use computers to solve those equations somehow.

Q: Why are there so many course codes? Should I register for 6.S082, 16.901, 18.S190? What is the difference between them? Am I declaring a major by choosing which one I sign up for?

A: The course codes are purely administrative and refer to the exact same class. You are not implicitly declaring a major by enrolling in any of those.

In the future we actually expect this course to be cross-registered in many more departments since all disciplines rely on ideas from CSE. For this reason, if you’re undecided on a major, 6.S082 can give you a good idea of what kinds of problems each department is interested in.

Q: If I want to major in Course ___ which version should I register for?

A: It doesn't matter. However, it is probably true if you plan to be a Course 6, 16, or 18 major, then picking the corresponding subject number may help your advisors and academic administrators know what you are talking about when you say 6.S082/16.901/18.S190 was the best class you've ever had =)

Q: If I want to work at Facebook/Amazon/Apple/Netflix/Google, which version of the class should I take?

A: Neither 6.0002 nor 6.S082 will limit your choices of future employment, so you should just register for the variant that interests you more.

Q: If I want to do a UROP, which version of the class should I take?

A: Neither 6.0002 nor 6.S082 will limit your choices of UROP positions, so you should just register for the variant that interests you more.

Q: If I want to apply to grad school / med school / law school / business school / Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters / Starfleet Academy, which version of the class should I take?

A: Neither 6.0002 nor 6.S082 will limit your choices of future career paths, so you should just register for the variant that interests you more.

Q: If I want to go back in time and rewrite season 8 of Game of Thrones, which version of the class should I take?

A: Neither 6.0002 nor 6.S082 will fix your disappointment with how that show ended, so you should just register for the variant that interests you more.

Q: What if I have a question that’s not addressed here?

A: Feel free to email us at cse.0002-staff@mit.edu, we’ll be happy to help!

6.S082 Special Subject in EE & CS