CSC246: Machine Learning – Spring 2021 2/2/21, 4:12 PM

CSC246: Machine Learning – Spring 2021

Course Information
Mathematical foundations of classification, regression, and decision making. Perceptron
algorithm, logistic regression, and support vector machines. Numerical parameter
optimization, including gradient descent and quasi-Newton methods. Expectation
Maximization. Hidden Markov models and reinforcement learning. Principal Components
Analysis. Learning theory including VC-dimension and PAC learning guarantees.

Credit hours: 4.0

Prerequisites: MATH 164, MATH 165, CSC 242 strongly recommended.

Class: Tuesdays and Thursdays 1105-1220 via zoom (link on blackboard).

Relevant Links: BlackBoard, Course Page, and Course Schedule.

Revision history:

Feb 1 - Initial version.

Teaching Staff
Instructor:

Adam Purtee <apurtee@cs.rochester.edu>

Website: cs.rochester.edu/u/apurtee
Pronouns: He, him, his, Mr.
Office hours and location: see blackboard

Teaching Assistants:

Boyu Zhang
Alexandra Ferrante
Katherine Seeman
Saad Ahmad
Office hours and contact information for TAs will be listed on blackboard.

https://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/apurtee/246/ Page 1 of 5
CSC246: Machine Learning – Spring 2021 2/2/21, 4:12 PM

Course Mechanics
We will meet synchronously via zoom at the scheduled class time. Class time will primarily
be lecture format. Questions are highly encouraged. We will use breakout rooms for problem
solving. Lecture portions will be recorded and posted to panopto. You will be required to
either upload scans of written work or to typeset your assignments and exams using LaTeX
and submit via PDF.

Textbook and Materials:

Primary: Christopher M. Bishop, Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning. Springer.

2006. This (freely available online) textbook is required. Homework assignments will
come from this book and many lectures will follow it closely.
Supplementary:
These books may provide helpful background if you get stuck, or want more
information.
Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig, Artificial Intelligence, A Modern Approach.
Trevor Hastie, Robert Tibshirani, Jerome Friedman, The Elements of Statistical
Learning: Data Mining, Inference, and Prediction.
Larry Wasserman, All of Statistics, 2004
An Introduction to Statistical Learning. Gareth James, Daniela Witten, Trevor
Hastie and Robert Tibshirani. Springer 2018. This one is freely available online.
Convex Optimization. Stephen Boyd and Lieven Vandenberghe. Cambridge
University Press. 2009. This is a great, free textbook on optimization and
associated numerical algorithms.

Course schedule:
The anticipated schedule of topics is available at
www.cs.rochester.edu/u/apurtee/246/schedule.pdf.

Exams:
There will be two exams for this course -- both are take-home format. The midterm exam will
be due by 1159pm anywhere-on-earth March 18th. The final exam will be due at the end of
the final exam period, which is May 14th 1130am EST. Both exams will be distributed
approximately 24 hours before their deadlines, and it is anticipated that you will complete the
exam during whatever timeslot you typically would use to interact with the material. No
lecture will be held on the day of the midterm.

Grading:

Homeworks: 30%
Projects: 40%
Midterm exam: 15%

https://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/apurtee/246/ Page 2 of 5
CSC246: Machine Learning – Spring 2021 2/2/21, 4:12 PM

Final exam: 15%

Letter grades will follow the Official University of Rochester Grading Scheme. Note that the
University scheme puts “average” somewhere between C and B.

A: Excellent >=93%

A-: >=90%

B+: >=87%

B: Above Average >=83%

B-: >=80%

C+: >=77%

C: >=73%

C-: Minimum satisfactory grade >=70%

D: Minimum passing grade >=60%

E: <60%

Policies
Zoom, Cameras, and Recordings:
All lecture periods will be recorded and uploaded to Panopto as soon as possible. In
practice, this may take a few hours after the lecture to complete. While you are encouraged
to attend lecture synchronously, you are not required to do so.

Please note, students are not permitted to make their own recordings, either in-person or
online. Please also note Section V.7 of the College’s Academic Honesty policy regarding
“Unauthorized Recording, Distribution or Publication of Course-Related Materials.”

Minimum Technology Requirements

You will need access to a computer with reliable internet access for this course, but it does
not need to be fast or higher bandwidth necessary than for standard Zoom calls. A computer
with webcam capabilities (and enough hardware to run zoom while taking notes in your
application of choice) is recommended. It is possible to complete all written work
electronically using LaTeX; however, you may find it more convenient to have access to a
scanner in order to capture and submit written work.

https://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/apurtee/246/ Page 3 of 5
CSC246: Machine Learning – Spring 2021 2/2/21, 4:12 PM

Diversity and Inclusion

It is my hope that all participants in my courses feel welcome, respected, and supported. If
anyone feels unfairly excluded for any reason, please let me know and I will work to bring
the course into as equitable a state as possible.

Academic Honesty
All assignments and activities associated with this course must be performed in accordance
with the University of Rochester’s Academic Honesty Policy. More information is available at:
www.rochester.edu/college/honesty

All incidents of academic dishonesty will be reported. This is because academic dishonesty
is harmful to the entire university community, AND because it is the explicit requirement of
the University of Rochester Academic Honesty Policy.

All zyBook exercises must be completed on your own.

All quizzes must be completed on your own.

All projects must be completed on your own.

Note that posting homework and project solutions to public repositories on sites like GitHub
is a violation of the College’s Academic Honesty Policy, Section V.B.2 “Giving Unauthorized
Aid.”

Disability Resources
The University of Rochester respects and welcomes students of all backgrounds and
abilities. In the event you encounter any barrier(s) to full participation in this course due to
the impact of disability, please contact the Office of Disability Resources. The access
coordinators in the Office of Disability Resources can meet with you to discuss the barriers
you are experiencing and explain the eligibility process for establishing academic
accommodations. You can reach the Office of Disability Resources at:
disability@rochester.edu; (585) 276-5075; Taylor Hall.

Students with an accommodation for any aspect of the course must make arrangements in
advance through the Disability Resources office. Then, as instructed by the office, contact
the instructor to confirm your arrangements.

Illness and Incompletes

This course follows the University policy regarding incompletes: “Incompletes may be given
only when there are circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as illness or personal
emergency, that prevented the student from finishing the course work on time.” Students
who are unable to attend or complete any part of the course due to illness should contact the
instructor as soon as possible. Please note that the University Health Service (UHS) does
https://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/apurtee/246/ Page 4 of 5
CSC246: Machine Learning – Spring 2021 2/2/21, 4:12 PM

not provide retroactive excuses for missed classes. Students who are seen at UHS for an
illness or injury can ask for documentation that verifies the date of their visit(s) to UHS
without mention of the reason for the visit. For remote students, medical excuses will still
require some kind of documentation from a healthcare provider. If you cannot visit UHS,
please make arrangements with whoever you visit. Please contact CCAS or Disability
Services if you need more help with this. Because of the potential impact across all of your
courses, students with extended or severe illness should additionally contact the College
Center for Advising Services (CCAS) for advice and assistance.

Late work
No late work will be accepted without prior approval from the instructor. If you are
unable to complete your work on time, please submit what you have before the deadline in
order to be considered for partial credit.

Credit Hours
This course follows the College credit hour policy for four-credit courses, including lectures
and study sessions.

Students are expected to do significant work outside of class time. You may find it necessary
to spend several hours most weeks reading the textbook, studying derivations, and working
on assignments.

Last update: 1 Feb 2021

https://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/apurtee/246/ Page 5 of 5