Spring 2026 · CSE 494 / Syllabus

Syllabus· Basics· Graphs· Dynamic Programming 1· Range Queries 1· Combinatorics· Number Theory· Trees· Midterm Review· Strings· Geometry· Dynamic Programming 2· Range Queries 2· Flows· Game Theory· Final Review

Instructor

Zilin Jiang
Email: [email protected]
Office: Wexler A839

Meeting Information

Location: BYAC 110
Time: 10:30AM–11:45AM

Onboarding

Please complete the onboarding form: https://forms.gle/zw4JAcuLqAEKofV37

Discord Server

[Discord server link to be provided through private communication]

Weekly Competition

Weekly 2-hour in-person contests will be held. Location and time to be announced soon.

  • 2 points per problem solved during the contest
  • 1 point per problem solved within one week after the contest

Codeforces Competition

Students can earn credit by participating in Codeforces rated contests:

  • 2 points per problem solved in Division 1 and Division 2 contests
  • Division 2 Problem A is excluded from credit
  • Each student must register exactly one Codeforces handle with the instructor
  • Only submissions from the registered handle will count toward course credit

Grade Cutoffs

Final grades are based on total points earned:

  • A: ≥ 50 points
  • B: ≥ 30 points
  • C: ≥ 20 points
  • D: ≥ 10 points
  • F: < 10 points

Policy on the Use of GenAI

During Weekly Contests

NO Gen-AI tools are allowed during weekly in-class contests:

  • No code completion tools (including Copilot)
  • No ChatGPT or similar AI assistants
  • No AI-based translation tools

This policy matches ICPC competition rules and ensures fair evaluation. Violations will result in grade penalties and possible academic integrity violation reports.

Practice and Learning (Outside Contest Time)

Gen-AI tools may be used freely for:

  • Learning and understanding algorithms
  • Practicing problem-solving
  • Analyzing different solution approaches

Requirements:

  • Must document AI assistance in submissions
  • Required to understand all code you submit
  • Code similarity detection will be used to identify potential violations

Auditing

To ensure fairness and academic integrity, the instructor may conduct solution audits. An audit is a short, informal verification where a student is asked to explain one or more of their submitted solutions, including:

  • The core idea of the algorithm
  • Why it is correct
  • Its time and space complexity

Audits may be conducted at the instructor’s discretion, including:

  • Random selection
  • Selection based on unusual submission patterns
  • Selection of students who primarily earn credit outside in-person contests

Students who regularly participate in weekly in-person contests are less likely to be audited. Failure to satisfactorily explain one’s own submitted solution may be treated as evidence of academic misconduct.

By enrolling in this course, students agree to participate in such audits if requested.