# Schedule


Week Date (Sec 1) Date (Sec 2) Topics Textbook
W1 20-May, 22-May 23-May Linear Regression, Logistic Regression, Perceptron SS9,14
W2 24-May, 29-May 30-May Neural Network, Backpropagation SS20,11
W3 3-Jun, 5-Jun 6-Jun Support Vector Machine, K-Nearest-Neighbors, Decision Tree SS15-19
W4 10-Jun, 12-Jun 13-Jun Deep Learning, Convolutional Network, Computer Vision SS20
W5 17-Jun, 19-Jun 20-Jun Natural Language and Speech, Naive Bayes, Bayesian Network SS24
W6 24-Jun, 26-Jun 27-Jun Hierarchical Clustering, K-Means Clustering, Principal Component Analysis SS22, SS23
W7 1-Jul, 3-Jul 2-Jul Markov Decision Process, Reinforcement Learning, Review RN21
W8 10-Jul, 12-Jul 11-Jul, 16-Jul Midterm Exam
W9 15-Jul, 17-Jul 18-Jul Uninformed Search, Informed Search, Robotics RN3
W10 22-Jul, 24-Jul 25-Jul Hill-Climbing, Simulated Annealing, Genetic Algorithms, Sequential Games RN4
W11 29-Jul, 31-Jul 1-Aug Minimax Game, Alpha-Beta Pruning, Repeated Games RN5
W12 5-Aug, 7-Aug 8-Aug Mechanism Design, Review RN17
W13 14-Aug, 16-Aug 15-Aug, 20-Aug Final Exam


📗 Click the W1, W2, etc to see the lecture slides and homework of the week.
📗 The topics are subject to change.
📗 The textbooks are (SS) Understanding Machine Learning: From Theory to Algorithms by Shai Shalev-Schwartz and Shai Ben-David Link and (RN) Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach by Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig Link. All materials in (SS) can be found in (RN) Chapter 18.
📗 SS is freely available online. Any edition of RN is okay. No homework problem will be assigned from the textbooks. Annotated lecture slides will be posted and will contain all the materials necessary for the homework and exams.
📗 For recommended preparations from Probability and Statistics, Multivariate Calculus, Linear Algebra, Propositional Logic and First-Order Logic, see W1. These material will be reviewed during the lectures.

# Grading Scheme (Subject to Change)


Index Component Frequency Number Max Points Each
G1 Quizzes Weekly 10 / 11 max(G1, G2) = 2
G2 Math (Written) Weekly 10 / 11 max(G1, G2) = 2
G3 Programming Weekly 10 / 11 4
G4 Midterm Once 1 / 2 20
G5 Final Once 1 / 2 20


📗 The Number column is "the number of assignments counted towards grades / total number of assignments".
📗 The recommended programming language is Java, but the course staff will be able to help with code written in Python as well. Code written in other languages will be accepted but please make sure they do not require installation of additional packages.
📗 There are alternative dates for the midterm and the final for people who cannot make the scheduled ones during the lecture time. Attending either one is okay, but not both.
📗 The due dates for individual assignments are marked on Canvas.
📗 Programming assignments can be submitted within two weeks after the due dates without penalty, 50% of the grade may be deducted after that (please also message the course staff on Piazza or by email).

Grade Letter Numeric
90+ A 4
85+ AB 3.5
80+ B 3
75+ BC 2.5
70+ C 2
60+ D 1
0+ F 0


📗 The conversion table is subject to minor modification.
📗 Midterm and final exam grades will be curved by dropping the questions which significant proportion of the students cannot answer correctly. The students who answered those correctly keep the points as bonus points. Quiz and homework grades will not be curved. The final grade will not be curved.

Exams Time Format Coverage
Midterm 2 hours 40 Multiple Choice W1 to W5
Final 2 hours 40 Multiple Choice W6 to W11


📗 The number of questions and coverage subject to change.
📗 The new materials covered the week before the exams will not be on the exams.

# Admin


📗 TA:
For Sec 1, Dandi Chen
For Sec 2, Tan (Tananun) Songdechakraiwut and Ainur Ainabekova

📗 Office Hours:
For Sec 1, Fridays from 12:30 to 2:30 pm in 168 Noland.
For Sec 2, Fridays from 5:30 to 8:30 pm in Ender's Game.
For both, Saturdays and Sundays 12:30 to 2:30 pm in CS1221. This can be used as a group study session to work on programming assignments together.

📗 Homework Rules:
(1) You have to be present during the lectures to participate in the quizzes.
(2) You have to indicate whether your math homework is incomplete in the comments.
(3) You cannot submit code written by other students or the course staff, or found online as part of your programming homework.
(4) You cannot submit output produced by other students as part of your programming homework.
There will be a written warning for the first or second offense, and a deduction of 10 percent of the final grade every time after that.

# Course Website


📗 This webpage (for lecture notes and assignments).
📗 Canvas (for grades): Link.
📗 Piazza (for discussion): Link.
📗 Socrative (for quizzes): Link. The room numbers are "CS540S1" and "CS540S2": use your wisc ID to log in.
📗 Professor Jerry Zhu: 2018.
📗 Professor Yingyu Liang: 2018; 2019.
📗 Professor Charles Dyer: 2018;
📗 Professor Jude Shavlik: 2016.






Last Updated: November 09, 2021 at 12:04 AM