INFO 206A

Introduction to Programming and Computation
INFO 206A
UC Berkeley
Fall 2025

Course
Time/Location: MW 2:00-4:00, Weill 101

Instructor: Hany Farid
Office Hours: MW 4:00-5:00, or by appointment (South Hall 203A)

Course Staff: Monica Paz Parra and Devi Sivakumar
Office Hours: all GSI office hours will be held in South Hall 110

Mon: 10:00-2:00; 5:00-6:00
Tue: 11:00-1:30
Wed: 10:00-2:00; 4:00-5:00
Thu: 11:00-1:30; 4:30-5:30
Fri: 11:00-1:00

Description
This course introduces the basics of computer programming that are essential for those interested in computer science, data science, and information management. Students will write their own interactive programs (in Python) to analyze data, process text, draw graphics, manipulate images, and simulate physical systems. Problem decomposition, program efficiency, and good programming style are emphasized throughout the course.

Structure
This course will be flipped: pre-recorded lectures will be delivered asychronously and we will use class time to answer questions, work through lecture problems and complete in-class exercises (which will be graded). You should watch each day's videos before class, and then come to class prepared to ask questions about the course material.

Prerequisite
None.

Software
All course assignments will be done in Python using Jupyter Notebooks. Please install Python 3 and Jupyter Notebook on your computer. I found it easiest to use pip instead of conda to perform the installation. Please also install the following Python libraries: drawSvg (version 1), matplotlib, and numpy. Please install version 1.9 of drawSvg: pip install "drawSvg~=1.9".

Ed
Ed is an excellent forum for asking questions. I strongly encourage you to ask and answer questions here. Please be sensitive of the academic integrity policy and do not post your code or solutions. I and the course staff will regularly monitor piazza and answer unanswered questions in a timely manner.

Academic Integrity
All work that you submit must be your own. You may not download, copy, or reproduce, in any way, code or solutions that you prompt online, find on-line or from a fellow or former student. Submitting any work that is not entirely your own is a violation of Academic Integrity. You will generate and submit sample output of your code. Altering this output in any way to be inconsistent with your code is a violation of Academic Integrity.

You may not publish or post any of your assignments, exams, or course solutions onto any publicly accessible websites. Such postings only fuel violations of the academic integrity policy in future semesters.

Violations of Academic Integrity will be taken very seriously. Independent of any Univeristy consequences that may result from a violation of this code, violations may lead to a failing grade in the class.

For in-class quizzes, you may not use your notes, any external resources, or chatGPT or similar tools.

For assignments, you will submit: (1) your own code that you wrote without the help of ChatGPT or other LLM and in-line with the above policies; and optionally (2) after you have completed your assignment, an LLM-generated or edited version of your code. If you receive full marks on your first submission, the second submission will have no impact on your grade; if you do not receive full marks, then your second submission can be used to recover up to 50% of the lost points.

Schedule (subject to minor change)

[08/27] Welcome
[09/01] Holiday
[09/03] Coding basics
- algorithms [video]
- hello world [video] [code] [simplefunctions.py]
- draw something [video] [code]
[09/08] Variables, data types, expressions, operators
- variables [video]
- expressions [video] [code]
- assignment [video]
- strings & booleans [video]
- practice [video]
- while loops [video] [code]
[09/10] Flow of control
- practice [video]
- while loops [video]
- logical operators [video] [code]
- conditionals [video]
- drills [video] [code]
[09/15] For-loops and lists
- lists [video]
- lists & loops [video]
- list reversal [video]
- more lists [video]
- nested loops [video] [code]
- modifying lists [video] [code]
[09/17] Functions, file I/O, basic data visualization
- returning parameters [video]
- passing and returning parameters [video]
- local & global variables [video]
- file I/O [video] [code] [states.txt] [us-500.csv]
- data visualization [video] [code] [temperatures.csv]
[09/22] Recursion
- factorial [video]
- list reversal [video]
- list sum [video] [code]
- towers of Hanoi [video]
[09/24] Object-oriented programming (1/3)
- class constructors [video]
- ball class [video] [code]
- list of objects [video] [code]
- drills [video] [code]
[09/29] Object-oriented programming (2/3)
- eye & face class [video] [code]
- crowd class (drill) [video] [code]
- student class [video]
[10/01] Object-oriented programming (3/3)
- course class (drill) [video] [code]
- tree & forest class [video] [code]
- game of life [video] [code]
[10/06] Binary numbers and Boolean logic
- binary numbers [video]
- two's complement [video]
- decoding [video]
- Boolean logic [video]
- transistors and gates [video]
[10/08] Transistors, gates, and circuits
- circuits [video]
- designing circuits [video]
- 1-bit compare for equality [video]
- 4-bit comapre for equality [video]
- 1-bit addition [video]
- 4-bit addition [video]
- 8-bit equality to zero [video]
- Karnaugh maps [video]
[10/13] Wrap Up + Welcome to 206B

Assignments (subject to minor change)
In order to increase flexibility, I will release all assignments at the beginning of the semester. I would ask, however, that you use office hours to ask only about current assignments. Assignments are due at 2:00 pm on the due date. Assignments submitted between 2:00:01 pm on the due date and 2:00 pm on the following day will be subjected to a 25% penalty; assigments submitted after this will not be accepted. Please submit all assignment to bCourses.

Assignment 1 (out: 09/03; due 09/08)
Assignment 2 (out: 09/08; due 09/11)
Assignment 3 (out: 09/11; due 09/15)
Assignment 4 (out: 09/15; due 09/18)
Assignment 5 (out: 09/18; due 09/22)
Assignment 6 (out: 09/22; due 09/26)
Assignment 7 (out: 09/29; due 10/03)
Assignment 8 (out: 10/03; due 10/10)
Assignment 9 (out: 10/10; due 10/13)

Grading
Your final grade will be determined from 9 assignments (60%) and 10 in-class exercises (40%). You must submit all 9 assignments. You must complete at least 8 in-class quizzes (we will excuse 2 absences or drop your 2 lowest in-class exercise grades; these 2 lowest scores, however, will be factored in as bonus points against any lost points on your assignments). You must be in class when completing these quizzes.

Resources

Project Python [link]
Think Python [link]
Python Tutor [link]