CSCI E-121 (extension school) Fall 2021 Syllabus (7/29), CS 121 (college) Fall 2021 Syllabus

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Course Description: Computation occurs over a variety of substrates including silicon, neurons, DNA, the stock market, bee colonies, and many others. In this course we study the fundamental capabilities and limitations of computation, including the phenomenon of universality and the duality of code and data. We touch upon the following questions: Are there functions that cannot be computed? Are there true mathematical statements that can't be proven? Are there encryption schemes that can't be broken? Is randomness ever useful for computing? Can we use the quirks of quantum mechanics to speed up computation?

Harvard College/Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

• COMPSCI 121
• Term:  2021 Fall / Full Term
• Course Instructor(s):  Madhu Sudan and Adam Hesterberg
• Location:  114 Western Ave 2111+2112
• Meeting Time:  Monday 12:45 PM - 02:00 PM; Wednesday 12:45 PM - 02:00 PM
• Exam Group:  FAS08_G
• Notes:  Students may not receive credit for both CS 121 and CS 125.

Division of Continuing Education - Extension 

• Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science
• Term:  Fall 2021
• Course Instructor(s):  Madhu Sudan PhD, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University - Adam Hesterberg PhD, Lecturer on Computer Science, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University
• Prerequisites: CSCI E-20 or the equivalent.
• Notes:  Online.
  Optional sections to be arranged.
  The recorded lectures are from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences course Computer Science 121. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Mondays and Wednesdays, 12:45-2:00 pm starting September 1 or they can watch them on demand. Videos are available within 24 hours of the lecture.
  Undergraduate credit $1,920, graduate credit $2,980.
  See  http://www.extension.harvard.edu