Kevin Denelsbeck (denelsbe@cs.unc.edu)
Date: 20 Sep 90 23:30:08 GMT

NOTICE OF CHANGES

IN COURSE SCHEDULE

Due to the well-publicized budget crunch at UNC, the Fall 1990 graduate computer science course schedule has undergone some changes. The following corrections take place immediately :

Replacing COMP 122 (ALGORITHMS AND ANALYSIS):
COMP 123 ALGORITHMS AND PSYCHOANALYSIS

Investigation into the motives of famous algorithm designers. Anal retentive behavior among sort developers. Gardening habits of Prim, Kruskal, Adel'son-Vel'skii, and Landis. Examples of Dijkstra's lecture tour routes. Karp's early career as a brush salesman. Scavenger hunt successes of Boyer and Moore, with discussion of recent losses to some new guy.
REQUIRED TEXT: The Psychology of Computer Programming, Weinberg.

 

Replacing COMP 171 (NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING):
COMP 175 SUPERNATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING

Tools and techniques in computer analysis of psychic communication. Syntactic and semantic models of telepathy. Technical considerations for power outages, especially within the context of the seance. Implications of "ghosts in the machine". Investigation of various interface strategies, including tarot card readers, crystal trackballs, and ouija mousepads.
REQUIRED TEXT: Time-Life Mysteries of the Unknown. Students will be required to READ THE BOOK.

 

Replacing COMP 213 (FILES AND DATABASES):
COMP 215 FILES NAND DATABASES

Due to budgetary limitations, the subject matter for this course will be necessarily abridged. We might cover files; we might not. Ditto for databases. But we certainly won't cover both. As a matter of fact, we might not cover anything! Prerequisite: COMP 216 (Digital Logic Techniques), just to figure out your options.
REQUIRED TEXT: Maybe.

 

Replacing COMP 217 (INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES):
COMP 218 INTRODUCTION IN PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

Investigation of techniques (in various programming paradigms) of creating the "Hello World" program. Generalization to other useless programs. Introduction to NP-easy problems.
REQUIRED TEXT: I Didn't Know You Could Do That With A Computer!

 

Replacing COMP 233 (DISCRETE EVENT SIMULATION):
COMP 235 DISCREET EVENT SIMULATION

Virtual realization of scenarios that most of us geeks will never experience in real-life. Digitization of glossy pictures. Redesign of WalkThru, and possible renaming of same. Techniques for interfacing with various 1-900 numbers. Course project required; may need to be evaluated several times by instructor.
REQUIRED TEXT: It's a secret.

 

Replacing COMP 238 (RASTER GRAPHICS):
COMP 239 RASTA GRAPHICS

Hey mon. Let me tell you, mon, you'll be likin' this course. We be jammin' to many important concepts, mon. Rendering dreadlocks, mon. Synchronization with MIDI sources of reggae, mon. Debugging with voodoo, mon. You get the picture; get it, mon, "get the picture"? I be seeing you, mon. Take the course.
REQUIRED TEXT: None, but bring your Marley and Tosh cassettes.

 

Replacing COMP 290-1 (EXPERT SYSTEMS):
COMP 290-3 NOVICE SYSTEMS

Design, implementation, and testing of systems that simulate computer novices. Observation and analysis of real novices in Mac Lab. Course project required; end-of-semester demonstration constitutes substantial portion of grade. "Optimal" NS's will behave erratically at this demo: complaining, crying, copying other students' disks, failing to do rudimen- tary documentation, and bothering COMP 4 and 14 TA's to distraction. Extra credit given for creative program generation.
REQUIRED TEXT: Pascal, Koffman, but students are not allowed to refer to it at any time.

 

Replacing COMP 290-2 (HIGHLY PARALLEL PROGRAMMING):
COMP 290-4 HIGHLY PERPENDICULAR PROGRAMMING

Design of multiprocessor machines, with the emphasis being on non-cooperation among the nodes. Geometric theorem-proving by computer, with varying approaches to internal representation of compass and straightedge. Introduction to truly orthogonal programming constructs.
REQUIRED TEXT: Who'd write a text on this?

 

Replacing COMP 291 (PROFESSIONAL WRITING IN COMPUTER SCIENCE):
COMP 292 CONFESSIONAL WRITING IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

This course further emphasizes UNC's strong commitment to building a real sense of ethics in its students. If you're bound and determined to cheat on the job, this course will provide you with the writing skills to confess about it later. Through successive drafts, students refine their public catharsis to a razor-sharpness that any politician would find enviable. Special guest lecturers: Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Morris, Jr.
REQUIRED TEXT: None -- the STUDENTS write the book.