of Computer Science
I supervise various subjects for Trinity College, and lecture on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and Bayesian Inference.
I also regularly speak in the wider media.
Supervisions in 2022/23
Easter Term - Artificial Intelligence
I suggest that we start supervisions in Week 2, by which I mean the week starting Monday 8th May. As usual, my reasoning is that if we start a week earlier then there is relatively little to talk about.
There is a problem sheet available on the course web page. Please complete this as we go through the course.
In addition, please attempt exam questions as follows:
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Week 2
Exam questions 2001-9-8, 2008-3-7, 2016-4-2.
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Week 3
Exam questions 2013-4-1, 2014-4-1, 2015-4-2.
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Week 4
Exam questions 2019-6-1, 2019-6-2, 2018-6-1, 2016-4-1.
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Week 5
Exam questions 2015-4-1, 2017-4-2, 2018-6-2.
Lent Term
The following timetable summarizes the supervision preparation work for the Lent Term 2023 for Logic and Proof and Prolog. Please complete this work before attending the supervision for the relevant week and bring it to the supervision with you.
As usual, please also complete any exercises set in the lecture notes and/or practicals, and keep up with these as the lectures progress.
In the following, Week 2 starts on Monday 30th January.
Past exam papers can be found here. They are identified below using the format year-paper-question, so for example 2011-1-2 denotes Paper 1, Question 2 from 2011.
Logic and Proof
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Week 2
Exam questions 2004-5-9, 1997-5-10, 2002-5-11.
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Week 3
Exam questions 2013-6-5, 2013-6-6, 2016-6-5, 2012-6-5.
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Week 4
Exam questions 1999-5-10, 2000-6-11, 2005-5-9, 2008-4-5.
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Week 5
Exam questions 1999-6-10, 2007-6-9, 2010-6-6, 2015-6-5.
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Week 6
Exam questions 2016-6-6, 2014-6-5, 2014-6-6, 2009-6-7.
Prolog
Week 6 starts on Monday, February 27th.
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Week 6
No exam questions but please complete the exercises and practicals in parallel with the lectures as usual.
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Week 7
Exam questions 2010-3-7, 2013-3-8, 2019-7-10.
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Week 8
Exam questions 2014-3-8, 2012-3-8, 2011-3-8.
Michaelmas Term
The following timetable summarizes the supervision preparation work for the Michaelmas Term 2022 for Foundations of Computer Science. Please complete this work before attending the supervision for the relevant week and bring it to the supervision with you.
In the following, Week 1 starts on Monday 10th October.
Past exam papers can be found here. They are identified below using the format year-paper-question, so for example 2011-1-2 denotes Paper 1, Question 2 from 2011.
A small amount of web searching will no doubt lead to the discovery that solution notes for past exam questions are available. DO NOT READ THESE until AFTER the work is covered in supervisions. If you read them beforehand, then I reserve the right to (a) get VERY cross and (b) make you redo the question using a fiendish alternative approach of my own choosing. Why? My reasons are explained on the right-hand side of this page.
Foundations of Computer Science
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Week 1
Everyone: start attempting the questions in the handout for Foundations of Computer Science as early as you can. You should continue with these question throughout the term.
There are no supervisions in this week.
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Week 2
Exam questions 1999-1-1, 2006-1-1, 2008-1-1.
Note that these aren't representative of current exam questions because they predate the current exam format.
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Week 3
Exam questions 2002-1-1, 2005-1-1, 1996-1-2.
I suggest you also start to take a look at 97-1-5. This is generally regarded as challenging, and it may take a few supervisions for you to finish it, but you should definitely aim to do so before the term ends.
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Week 4
Exam questions 2003-1-5, 2004-1-5, 2005-1-6, 2019-1-2.
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Week 5
Exam questions 2016-1-2, 2010-1-1, 2010-1-2, 2020-1-1.
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Week 6
Exam questions 2017-1-2, 2019-1-1, 2018-1-2, 2020-1-2
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Week 7
Exam questions 2021-1-2, 2015-1-1, 2015-1-2, 2017-1-1
Solution notes are EVIL!!!
Solution notes seem like a good idea, but this is deceptive. Why?
First and foremost, there is the temptation to look at them without having first attempted the problem. This is an extremely bad idea, as once you've peeked, most of the educational benefit that you would have attained by attempting (and possibly getting stuck with) the question is irrevocably lost. Some of the problems we set are hard. That is deliberate, and in computer science many of the problems you meet in the future will be hard as well. The difference is that in the future you will not have access to hints of this kind.
"But!" I hear you protest. "Right now we have them and it helps to get a hint." Fine, but remember this: at some point, the oily, sickly fear of the exam hall will induce cold beads of sweat to trickle down your neck, and at that precise moment, you will thank me for emphasizing the need to be able to complete exam questions when solution notes are not available to you.
Second: solution notes are NOT model answers. They were never written with the aim of serving as model answers; in fact the only purpose they have is as a guide to examiners, not students. There is, at this level, no such thing as a model answer - there are most likely many answers to a given problem, of greater or lesser quality - and the time to accept this is right now.
Third: the supervision system is there for you to use. Solution notes give a hint at one way a question might be done. I can usually provide you with several different ways, the trade-offs between them, and an explanation as to their relative merits. Which do you think is more useful?