0
Pause. Course title. Blackboard
with course information.
6.046J/18.410J
Introduction to Algorithms
Course info handout
Lecturers: Prof. Charles Leiserson
Prof. Erik Demaine
SMA. Prof. David Hsu
6.046J/18.410J At MIT,
not only courses but also fields of study are numbered:
Computer Science is 6; Math is 18. Each course has an ID
that consists of the number of the field and the number of the course,
separated by a dot. Some courses are cross-listed
(listed in more than one field). This course is listed in
both computer science and mathematics
10.467
We're going to get started. Handouts are by the door if
anybody didn't pick one up. umm My name is Charles
Leiserson, I'll be lecturing this course this term,
Introduction to Algorithms, with Eric Demaine
We are going to get started. Handouts are by the door. If you didn't pick one up
when you entered, you can get one now. My name is Charles
Leiserson. I will be giving lectures in this course this term.
The course is Introduction to Algorithms. Erik Demaine will also be lecturing.
(Erik Demaine gets up briefly to introduce himself.)
get started Means the same as the verb start. It is used when you don't say what gets started; otherwise, use the verb: We are going to start the lecture.
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So, in addition, this is an SMA
course, a Singapore-MIT Alliance course, which will be run in
Singapore by David Hsu.
In addition to being an MIT course, it is an SMA course. SMA is an abbreviation for Singapore-MIT Alliance. This is an alliance between MIT, the National University of Singapore
(NUS), and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). This course will also be taught, over the Web, in Singapore. It will be run there by David Hsu.
will be run Future Passive. run is an irregular verb: to run, ran, run.
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and so all the lectures will be videotaped and made available
on the Web umm for the Singapore students, as well as for MIT
students who choose to watch them on the Web.
Lectures by Leiserson and Demaine will be recorded on video. The recordings will be on the Web. They will be available on the Web for the Singapore students. They will also be available for MIT students. MIT students can choose to watch them on the Web instead of coming to class..
will be videotaped and made available more Future Passive
48.867
Umm if you have an issue of not
wanting to be on the video tape umm you should sit in the back row.
If you don't want to be on videotape -- if you have a problem with being on videotape -- you should sit in the back row,
have an issue of not wanting An awkward phrase. He could have said: "If you have an issue with being videotaped ... " Some speakers (and Dr. Leiserson is one of them) use the expression have an issue where many others would use have a problem (with something).
Generally, you cannot videotape people without their permission. This would be considered a violation of privacy. Privacy is a very important concept in American life.
58.2
OK? Umm otherwise you will be
on it. There is a video recording policy but it seems like they
ran out, so if anybody wants to see it, umm people -- if they could just maybe
pass them around a little bit, or, once you've done
reading it, or you can come up and... I did secure one copy.
otherwise you will be on it. There is a video recording policy, and it has been printed in many copies, but it seems that the copies ran out (or: it seems that they -- the organizers of joint course -- ran out of copies). If anybody wants to see the policy, maybe people who have copies can pass them around once you are done reading it. Or you can come up to me after the lecture. I did secure one copy for myself.
There is a policy. When there are privacy issues, there is often a written statement describing what will and will not be done.
They ran out.The phrase run out can be used in two ways: We've run out of water. Our water supply has run out.
once you've done reading it More commonly used as a passive form: Once you're done reading it. You can say simply: "I'm done", meaning "I'm done doing whatever I was doing." Also in a question: Are you done?
I did secure a copy. A stronger way of saying "I secured a copy."
80.533
Umm, let's -- before we
get into the content of the course, let's briefly go over
umm the course information, 'cos there's some
administrative things that we sort of have to do. As you can
see this term we have a big staff
Before we get into the content of the course, let us briefly go over the administrative information for the course. There is some administrative information to discuss. There are some administrative details we have to go over. As you can see, this term we have a big staff --
There's some administrative things In informal speech the form there's is sometimes used with plural nouns.
administrative things The generic noun things is used because the speaker doesn't want to think of a more precise noun (details, information, aspects of the course). Also, administrative things are boring, they don't deserve a better word.
we sort of have to do The phrase sort of probably means something like "I'm sorry that we have to spend time on this boring stuff and follow those boring rules - but we sort of have to."
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so take a look at the handout here,
umm including this term six TAs, which is... which is two more
TAs than we normally get for this course. So it means
recitations will be particularly small.
take a look at the handout. -- including this term six Teaching Assistants (TAs). This is two more TAs than we normally get for this course. This means that recitations will be particularly small.
take a look at the handout here This sentence is an interruption inside a different sentence: "This term we have a big staff, including, this term, six TAs."
TAs Teaching Assistants who help in the labs and conduct recitation sessions. They are usually graduate students.
recitations, recitation sessions In addition to general lectures for the entire course, students meet in small groups once or twice a week. These meetings are called recitations. This is common practice at large universities. Lectures are normally given by professors; recitations are normally taught by graduate students (TAs)
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There is a World Wide Web umm
page, and umm you should bookmark that, and go there
regularly, because that's where everything will be
distributed.
There is a Web page for the course. You should bookmark it and visit it regularly, because that is where everything (all materials for the course) will be distributed.
Web page Most courses in most US universities have a web page.
will be distributed another Future Passive
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Email: you
should not be emailing directly to the -- even though we give
you our email addresses -- directly to the staff in general -- to
the individual members of the staff; you should email us
generally, and the reason is you'll get much faster
response.
About email: we have given
you our email addresses. There is also a general email address for the entire staff of the course. You should not be emailing directly to the individual members of the staff. You should email us generally, to the general email address. The reason is that you will get much faster response.
even though we give you our email addresses This interrupts the sentence "you
should not be emailing directly ... to
the individual members of the staff."
to the staff in general After an interruption, the lecturer misspoke and had to correct himself
133.8
And also, for any
communications generally, we'd like to monitor what the
communications are, so it's helpful to have emails coming
to everybody on the course staff.
Also, for any communication in general, we would like to monitor what the communications between the students and the staff are. For this, it is helpful to have emails coming to everybody on the course staff, [not to individual staff members].
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As I mentioned,
we'll be doing distance learning this term, umm and so you
can watch lectures online if you choose to do that.
As I mentioned, we will be doing distance learning this term. You
can watch lectures online if you choose to do that.
we'll be doing distance learning Future Progressive, to indicate that this will be happening throughout the semester.
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Umm I would recommend
for people of the opportunity to umm to watch.. umm to come
live; it's better live, you get to interact, there's an
intangible that comes with having it live; in fact in addition
to the videos I meet weekly with the Singapore students so that
they have a live session as well.
I would recommend that those who have the opportunity to come and watch them live. It is better to watch them live. You get to interact [with the lecturer]. There is an intangible advantage that comes with having it live. In fact, I [will] meet every week with Singapore students so that they have a live session as well.
people of the opportunity a fancy way of saying "people who have the opportunity"
live = Not recorded, performed at the time it is viewed. The word can be used as an adjective, (a live session) or as an adverb, (watch it live).
an intangible intangible_a3 "hard to pin down or identify" is an adjective, but it is one of those adjectives that you can make into a noun by simply putting an article in front of it.
I meet every week with Singapore students. It is not clear whether he has a live video conference or travels to Singapore every week. It is a long trip.
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Prerequisites: umm the
prerequisites for this course is... are 6.042, which is math
for computer science, and 6.001 (six double-o one): you
basically need discrete mathematics and probability,
as well as some programming experience,
to take
this course successfully.
About prerequisites: the
prerequisites for this course are 6.042, which is math
for computer science, and 6001 [which is introduction to computer science]. 6.042 teaches discrete mathematics and probability; 6.001 gives some programming experience. You need discrete mathematics and probability; as well as programming experience, to take
this course successfully.
six double-o one In telephone numbers and numeric IDs, americans frequently say "o" instead of "zero." If there are two zeros, they can say "o o" or "double o."
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People who do not have
that background should not be in the class. We will be checking
prerequisites; if you have any questions please come to talk to
us after class.
People who do not have
that background should not be in the class. We will be checking
[whether you have the] prerequisites. If you have any questions please come to talk to
us after class.
We will be checking prerequisites. Future Progressive to indicate that this will be happening over some period of time.
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Umm...
let's see -- lectures are here, taped [for] SMA
students: they'll have the videotapes, and they'll also
be in -umm, and they also will have a weekly meeting.
The lectures will be here. They will be taped for SMA students. They [the students] will have the videotapes and they will also have a weekly meeting.
They'll also be in... The lecturer couldn't think of a good way to finish this sentence, so he restructured it. This is a good strategy: if you forget a word, don't fall silent while you are trying to remember it, but restructure the sentence with simpler words.
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Students must attend a
one-hour recitation session each week. There will be new
material presented in the recitation. Unlike the lectures, they
will not be online. Unlike the lectures, there will not be
lecture notes distributed for the recitations in general.
Students must attend a recitation session each week. Recitation sessions are one-hour long. There will be new material presented in the recitation. Unlike the lectures, the recitations will not be online. For lectures, we will distribute lecture notes. Unlike the lectures, there will be no notes distributed for the recitations.
Students must attend a one-hour recitation session each week. From this and other sentences in this segment, we can conclude that some students don't come to recitation sessions.
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OK? and yet there will
be material there that is directly on the exams. And so every
term we say "Oh, when did you cover that?" - That
was in recitation, you missed that one. So the recitations are mandatory.
Even though there will be no notes for the recitations, there will be material there that will be on the exams. Every term, this conversation happens: some students say: "Oh, when did you cover that material?" The answer is: "That was in a recitation. You missed that material because you missed the recitation." The recitations are not optional. They are mandatory. You must attend the recitations.
and yet Contrary to what you may expect from what I have just said
every term we say = Every term we have this conversation.
252.133 And in
particular, also, let me just mention, your recitation
instructor is the one who assigns your final grade. OK? So we have
a grades meeting, and we keep everybody normal but your
recitation has the final say on your grade. Umm ...
Let me also mention that your final grade will be assigned by your recitation instructor. Your recitation
instructor is the one who assigns your final grade. We have a general meeting in which we discuss grades. We discuss all grades, and we set the same standards for everybody, but your recitation [instructor] makes the final decision on your grade.
final grade grade for the entire course
a grades meeting meeting in which grades and grades policy are discussed
we keep everybody normal A way of saying that there is some general grades policy for the entire course. Everybody is normal, nobody is crazy.
has the final say "has the decisive vote; makes the final decision"
270.2
Handouts: handouts are available on
the course web page; we will not generally -- except for this
one first handout -- we will not generally be bringing handouts
to class.
About handouts: handouts are available on
the course web page. You have this
one first handout, but generally [in the future] we will not be bringing handouts
to class.
We will not be bringing handouts to class. Future Progressive again, to indicate that throughout the semester something will not be happening.
281.40000000000003 Textbook is... is this book, Introduction to Algorithms, OK?
MIT students can get it at any of the local bookstores,
including MIT COOP. There's also a new online service that
umm that provides textbooks; you can also get a discount if you
buy it at the MIT Press bookstore. There's a coupon in the MIT
student telephone directory for a discount on MIT Press books,
and you can use that to purchase that book at a discount.
The textbook is this book, Introduction to Algorithms.
MIT students can get it at any of the local bookstores. One of those local bookstores is the MIT Co-operative Bookstore or Coop. There is also a new online service that
provides textbooks. You can also get a discount if you
buy it at the MIT Press bookstore [because the book is published by MIT Press. To get a discount, find your copy of the MIT
student telephone directory. In that directory, there is a coupon for a discount on MIT Press books. You can use that coupon to purchase our textbook at a discount.
MIT Coop. Although spelled as one word, it is pronounced as if spelled "co op." It is short for co-operative. Many university bookstores are called coop. This means that they are collectively owned by all members of the university community, and they do not make a profit for themselves. If they make money, it goes to the university; if it loses money, the university covers the loss.
317.5330000000001 Umm umm yep -- course
website: this is the course website; it links to the Stellar
website which is where actually everything will be kept, and
SMA students have their own website.
About the website: I mean the course website. All course materials will actually be kept at the Stellar website, http://stellar.mit.edu/. [Stellar is the course management system used at MIT.] The course website links to the Stellar website. SMA students have their own website.
Umm umm yep The lecturer is looking through the list for the next item. Yep is a colloquial form of yes.
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Some students find this
course particularly challenging, so each... we will have extra
help: we will post weekly office hours on the course website,
for the TAs. And then as an experiment this term we're
going to offer homework labs for this class.
Some students find this course difficult. It is a challenging course. For this reason, we will have extra help. There will be weekly office hours by the TAs. We will post information about those office hours (when they are) on the course website. We will post those hours on the course website. As an experiment, this term we will also offer [a new thing called] homework labs.
challenging Over the last 30 years, it has become common in the US to say certain things indirectly, to avoid using some words and use some other words instead. Instead of saying "This is a difficult course" it is considered more correct and proper to say "This is a challenging course." This sounds more positive, because a challenge is better than a difficulty.
X's office hours The scheduled times each week when X is in his or her office ready to accept visitors.
353.80000000000007 So what a homework lab
is is... it's a place and a time you can go where other
people in the course will go to do homework, and there will be
typically two TAs, who staff the lab,
A homework lab is where you can do your homework together with other students. It is scheduled at a certain place and a certain time. You can go there to do your homework. Other students will also be there. There will be TAs, usually two TAs. They will be the staff of those homework labs They will staff the homework labs.
homework lab This is an unusual term, so the lecturer needs to explain what it means.
What a homework lab
is is = The homework lab is ... . In this unfinished sentence, what the homework lab is is the subject, and the second use of the word is is the verb. The sentence would be clearer if the verb in the subject phrase were different: What the homework lab does is bring together students and TAs so students can get help with their homework. In colloquial speech you could also say: What the homework lab does, it brings together ... .
368.53300000000013 and so as you're
working on your homework, you can get help from the TAs if you
need it, and it's generally a place in gen... we're
going to schedule those, and they'll be on the umm course
calendar for where it is and when it is that they'll be
held; but usually Sundays two to four pm
As you are
working on your homework during a homework lab, you
can get help from the TAs if you need it. We are
going to schedule those labs. They will be on the
course calendar. The course calendar will say when
and where they are. But [I can tell you now that]
usually they will be on Sundays from two to four pm.
and it's generally a place in gen... The
lecturer abandoned this sentence probably because he
couldn't think of anything to say that would not be
a repetition of what he had just said.
386.66700000000014 or else it will on some
evening; I think the first one is in the evening, right, near
to when the homework is due. Your best bet is try to do your
homework in advance of the homework lab, but then if you want
extra help, if you want to talk over your solutions with
people, 'cos that's what we'll talk about problem
sets you can solve in collaboration with other people in the
class, OK?.
Or maybe it will be on some evening. I think the first one is in the evening, near the day when the homework is due. You will make the best use of them if you do your
homework before the homework lab. Then you go to the lab to get extra help, or to discuss your solutions with
other people. We will talk about problem
sets and collaboration. We will talk about how you can work on problem sets in collaboration with other people in the
class.
your best bet the best strategy you can follow
411.8000000000001 In
addition, there are several peer assistance programs, umm and
those usually get ... also the office of minority education has
a... an assistance program, and those usually get booked up
pretty quickly, so if you're interested in those, good idea
to make an appointment to get there and get umm get help soon.
In homework labs there are TAs who are helping students. TAs are graduate students, not students. TAs are not students' peers. There are also programs in which students help from other students. These are peer-assistance programs. The Office of Minority Education also has an assistance program. All those programs have a limited number of spaces. They get filled very quickly. They get booked up pretty quickly. If you are interested in those programs, you should make an appointment with people who administer those programs. It is a good idea to make such an appointment, and go there, and get help soon.
Office of Minority Education Most universities have an office that provides additional help to minority groups, such as African-Americans, Hispanic Americans (immigrants from Latin America), Native Americans (the indigenous populations of the United States),, and Pacific Islanders (the indigenous population of Hawaii and other islands in the Pacific).
437.7330000000001
OK? So homework
labs, I hope a lot of people will try that out -- we've
never done this, I don't know of any other course... Do
other people have ... know of courses at MIT that have done
this?
So this was about homework labs. I hope many people will try them out. We have never done this before. I don't know if any other course at MIT [has done them]. Do other people know of such courses? [A student raises his hand.]
I don't know if any other course sentence left unfinished
Do other people have... know of verb replaced
447.4670000000001 Yeah? 6.011
did it? OK, good, so, and was it successful in that class? Never
went... OK, good. So we'll see, we'll see, OK? if
it... if it's not paying off then we'll just return to
ordinary office hours for those TAs, but I think that for some
students I think that's a... that's a good opportunity.
Yes? [Course number] 6.011. Good. Were the homework labs successful in that class? [Repeats after student] Never went. OK, good. We'll see. If they are not successful, it people are not coming, if they are not paying off, we will make them ordinary office hours.The TAs who staff homework labs will have office hours instead. But I think that for some students those homework labs will be a good opportunity.
OK, good. (students laugh) It is useful to understand why the students find the lecturer's response funny. It is clearly not good that the student never went to a homework lab. However, "good" is a good optimistic thing to say. Americans often say "good" just because this is a normal thing to say. The lecturer says it with an intonation that makes it clear that he is making fun of this habit of saying "good" even when things are not good.
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If you wish to be
registered in this course you must sign up on the course web
page, so that's requirement one, must be done today. We will
umm umm You'll find it difficult to pass the course if
you're not in the class.
If you wish to be
registered in this course you must sign up on the course web
page. [A joke follows.] This is requirement one; it must be done today. You will find it difficult to pass the course if
you are not in the class. This is a joke because in order to receive any grade in the course, you must be in the class. If you don't register, you don't receive any grade. So, it's not just difficult - it is impossible to pass the course if you're not registered. However, it is equally impossible to fail the course.
register in a course (or for a course) This is a step after which a student officially becomes a member of the class. Without that step, the student cannot get any grade in the course, even if he or she does all the work.
pass the course Complete the course with a grade that is higher than "F." If you get an F, you fail the course. F is "the failing grade." Grades higher than F are passing grades. The grade of C- is the lowest passing grade.
494.2000000000001 OK? and you should
notify your TA if you decide to drop so we can get you off and
stop the mailings, stop the spam, OK?
If, after you register for the course you decide to drop it, you should tell your TA about it. You should notify your TA, so we can get you off [the list of students in the course]. This will stop course mailings to you. Otherwise, course emails will keep coming to your mailbox, and they will be like spam.
notify X that... let X know that...
drop (a course) remove yourself from the course; cancel your registration in the course. There is a period in the beginning of the semester when you can drop a course without any penalty. This is called the drop-add period, because usually the student drops a course in order to take (add) another one.
drop, get off In more formal speech, you would complete these phrases (drop what? get off what?)
503.86700000000013 umm and you should
register today before 7pm, and then we're going to email
your recitation assignment to you before noon tomorrow. OK? and if you
don't receive this information by Thursday noon, please
send us email, OK? saying -- to the course staff generally, not
to me individually -- saying that you didn't receive your
recitation assignment.
You should register today before 7pm. Registered students are divided into recitation sessions. They get assigned to recitation sections. We are going to email recitation assignments before noon tomorrow. If you do not receive this information by Thursday noon, send us email. Send email to the general course staff address, not to me individually. Send us email saying that you did not receive your recitation assignment.
If you don't receive this information by Thursday As usual, in if-clauses we use a present tense to refer to future events. It can be any present tense. (See the next segment.)
528.9329999999994 and so If you
haven't received that by Thursday noon, you know, you
wanna ... I think that generally I think we're going to try
to send them out tonight, right? or at least by tomorrow
morning.
So, if you have not received that [recitation group assignment] by Thursday noon, you want to [notify us, let us know]. I think we will try to send them out tonight. [Addressing Erik Demaine] Right? At least by tomorrow morning.
If you haven't received that by Thursday noon It is common but not absolutely required to use the Present Perfect tense with by-certain-time phrases. If you haven't finished your homework by Sunday, you should go to the homework lab.
540.3999999999987 OK. SMA
students don't have to worry about this.
This does not concern SMA students. SMA students don't have to concern themselves with this information. They don't have to worry about this.
don't worry about this Pay no attention to this; ignore this.
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Grammar topics:
- Future Passive; Future Progressive; tense in conditional clauses
Expressions:
I'm done, I'm done reading, I'm done with this assignment; I did secure; Do come visit;
Vocabulary:
prerequisite; secure (v.); register for a course, register for a class, be in a course/class, drop a course, add a course, drop-add period; lecture, recitation, recitation session; recitation session assignment; pass/fail the course
CS terminology :
none