This is the webspace for the iteration of CSCI 341 Theory of Computation taught in Fall 2025. Here, you can find course notes, links to where you are supposed to hand things in, and other logistics. Below, you will find what amounts to a syllabus for the course.
Syllabus
Firstly, who is your professor? My name is Todd Schmid. I use both he/him and they/them pronouns. My office can be found in Breakiron (BRKI) 372. You can call me any one of
- Professor Schmid
- Professor Todd
- Doctor Todd
- Doc
- Todd
Logistics
Lectures are flipped in this course. This means that, while I will often start a lecture by actually lecturing a little bit, you will be expected to go over the notes for each class before-hand. You can find the notes under the Notes tab above. The schedule of readings and topics can be found in the course spreadsheet.
Locations and times are recorded below.
| Room | Dana 137 |
| Lecture/Recitation Times | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11am to 11:50am |
| Drop-in Hours | Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1pm to 1:50pm |
| Request a Meeting | Through Calendly |
All coursework will be handed in through Gradescope (also can be reached from the link above).
Assessment
This is a proof-based and pretty mathematically inclined course. This entails a lot of writing: you will be expected to form coherent passages of text detailing your work towards a particular solution to a particular problem.
Your grade has five components, the breakdown is below:
| In-class Exercises | Problem Sets | Project | Quizzes | Final Exam | |
| Weight | 5 | 10 | 15 | 50 | 20 |
To gain some perspective on how you should be distributing your time, try this: time yourself drawing 100 \(*\)s. Individually, the amount of time it takes to draw the first 5 is the proportion of your time you should spend on In-Class Exercises, the next 10 on Problem Sets, and so on. Note, however, that your time doing in-class exercises and problem sets should count towards your time spent on Quizzes and the Final Exam, since you are basicall studying.
You will be working in teams during class throughout the semester. This includes your in-class work and (if you would like) your problem sets. The first few weeks I will assign teams, but after that you will be making your own.
In-Class Exercises
In-Class Exercises coincide with the corresponding notes for that lecture, if there are any (some days will be "workshops", and nothing is due for those). To complete a set of In-Class Exercises, take pictures of your whiteboard work and upload them tot he corresponding Gradescope assignment. Only one person on your team needs to do this. Don't forget to form a group submission on Gradescope.
You do not need to complete every exercise in class, or at all! These are graded by (partial) completion. I will do my best to provide feedback on the work you submit each week.
In-class Exercises are due the Monday after they are assigned.
Problem Sets
Problem Sets are weekly assignments intended to have you engage with the material more deeply. The problems that appear can be seen in the Gradescope assignment, but they also appear embedded in the notes. The Problem statements that appear in the Notes sometimes come with hints (mouse over the dashed-line boxes)!
Problem Sets can be submitted in groups, but there are rules about how the groups can be formed. Basically, Problem Set groups are contained within In-Class Exercise teams. For example, if you are part of the team \(\{A, B, C, D\}\), then the possible Problem Set submission groups can be
- One submission: \(\{A, B, C, D\}\)
- Two submissions: \(\{A, B, C\}\), \(\{D\}\)
- Two submissions: \(\{A, B\}\), \(\{C, D\}\)
- Three submissions: \(\{A, B\}\), \(\{C\}\), \(\{D\}\)
- Four submissions: \(\{A\}\), \(\{B\}\), \(\{C\}\), \(\{D\}\)
Problem Sets are (usually) due two Fridays after they are assigned. See the course schedule and Gradescope for precise dates.
Quizzes
There are four quizzes in total. Quizzes will be worth 20, 15, 10, and 5, in order from your best score to your worst. Quiz questions will be entirely taken from In-class Exercises, possibly with small changes.
Project
The details about the final project are TBA. For now I will say that it will involve a proposal, a write-up, possibly some code, and a presentation.
Non-Course Specific Information
Bathrooms (Breakiron)
TBA
Teaching and Learning Center
Whether you are a superstar or not, resources like the teaching and learning center are incredibly important and should be used by everyone. here for the TLC webpage with links to all of its resources. It is no secret that the most successful students are frequently the ones who use the TLC the most.
Accessibility Resources
Any student who may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) at 570-577-1188 or OAR@bucknell.edu. The office will help coordinate reasonable accommodations for those students with documented disabilities. Please visit their website for more information about the OAR.
Academic Integrity
All submitted work must be your own, created by your (and your group members’) own hand and own brain. Before you hand in your first assignment, you are required to state the following out loud to your roommate, best friend, parents or legal guardians, dog, cat, bird, fish, or lizard. As a student and citizen of the Bucknell University community,
- I will not lie, cheat or steal in my academic endeavors.
- I will forthrightly oppose each and every instance of academic dishonesty.
- I will let my conscience guide my decision to communicate directly with any person or persons I believe to have been dishonest in academic work.
- I will let my conscience guide my decision on reporting breaches of academic integrity to the appropriate faculty or deans.
- I will hold you to that (and so will whomever you read it out loud to, especially if they are a cat).
Chat GPT and Other Horrors
I consider any secret usage of artificial intelligence tools to complete graded work an academic offense, and will file a report on every instance I discover or strongly suspect. However, you may use AI tools, as long as your work is accompanied by the following information:
- What and where was the tool used?
- What prompt did you feed it?
- How and why did you edit the response?
Health, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
I will not conciously discriminate on the basis of any characteristic protected by law in its educational programs and activities, admissions or employment. You are always welcome to come and talk to me if I or any of your colleagues in class have said or done (or not done) anything to make you feel uncomfortable or underappreciated on the basis of bias. Even if it seems small or insignificant, you can talk to me. I will listen to you. And I will do my best to right the situation. See Bucknell’s Title IX and Non-Discrimination page for detailed information about Bucknell policies and resources around bias, discrimination, and harassment. It is important for me to make you aware that I am a mandatory Title IX reporter: while I am here to listen to you and support you in all ways that make up you as a person, I am required to report any instances of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and relationship violence.
Pronoun Usage
Names and pronouns are important elements for each person to be properly recognized and valued. Such recognition and value is fundamental to creating a good and safe community, so this course welcomes each of you to share your own and to diligently (and correctly) address one another using affirming names and pronouns throughout the course. Religious Observance. Bucknell University recognizes the value of religious practice and seeks to ac- commodate students’ commitment to their religious and spiritual traditions whenever possible. When conflicts between holy days or other religious practice and academic scheduling arise, I will make every effort to allow students to adhere to their tradition, including - when possible - excusing class absences and allowing make-up work. A student anticipating the need to miss a class for religious reasons should notify me as early in the semester as possible - understanding that last-minute requests may not be able to be accommodated. A form for notification is available through the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life if you wish to use it. We can then have further conversation to shape a final agreement. If you have ques- tions or concerns or need support, you can contact Religious & Spiritual Life at Chaplain@bucknell.edu.
Student Mental Health Resources
In this classroom and on Bucknell’s campus we support mental health efforts. If you are struggling and believe this may impact your performance in the course I encourage you to contact the Counseling & Student Development Center at 570-577-1604 (24/7). You are also encouraged to register for a Uwill account for expanded therapy options at no cost. Uwill provides access to a therapist of your choice via the mode of their choice–video, phone, chat or messaging. Teletherapy services are available during the day, as well as evenings, weekends and holidays.
For more information about CSDC services, please visit the CSDC website. The CSDC has created a robust catalog of resources for faculty and staff, both for yourselves and as you support students. Check out the Guide for Emotional Health and Well-Being. A conversation that needs to be had about supporting students.
Here are a couple of links to statistics on the mental health of college students. If you or somebody you know experience struggles with mental health, you are not alone.
And finally, a Rewrd!
Thank you for reading this whole document. Here is what you get in return:
If you just skipped to the end: Mabel is not mad. She’s just disappointed.