Instructors: Kilian Q. Weinberger and Wei-Chiu Ma

Office hours:
Kilian Weinberger : Mondays 9:45 - 10:30 am (Booking Link) in 410 Gates Hall
Wei-Chiu Ma: TBD (Booking Link) in 450 Gates Hall

Lectures: Tuesday and Thursday from 2:55 to 4:10 pm.

Course staff office hours: Calendar Link (TBD)

Course overview: This class is an introductory course to deep learning. It covers the fundamental principles behind training and inference of deep networks, deep reinforcement learning, the specific architecture design choices applicable for different data modalities, discriminative and generative settings, and the ethical and societal implications of such models.

Prerequisites: Fundamentals of Machine Learning (CS4780 , ECE4200 , STCSI4740), Python fluency (CS1110), and programming proficiency (e.g. CS 2110).

Course logistics: For enrolled students the companion Canvas page serves as a hub for access to Ed Discussions (the course forum) and Gradescope (for HWs). If you are enrolled in the course you should automatically have access to the site. Please let us know if you are unable to access it.

Homework, projects, and exams


Your grade in this course is comprised of four components: homework, mid-term exam, project and participation.

Grading

Final grades are based on homework assignments, project, exam and participation.

For students enrolled in CS 4782, your final grade consists of: For students enrolled in CS 5782, your final grade consists of:

Schedule


A tentative schedule is given below. It is quite possible the specific topics covered on a given day will change slightly. This schedule will be updated as necessary.

Topic Date Lecture References Notes/assignments
Week 1 Basics Jan 20 Logistics + History slides

References


While this course does not explicitly follow a specific textbook, there are useful references on many of the topics covered. Pointers to references will be provided here.

Background references

Software

Course policies


Inclusiveness

You should expect and demand to be treated by your classmates and the course staff with respect. You belong here, and we are here to help you learn and enjoy this course. If any incident occurs that challenges this commitment to a supportive and inclusive environment, please let the instructors know so that the issue can be addressed. We are personally committed to this, and subscribe to the Computer Science Department’s Values of Inclusion. [Statement reproduced with permission from Dan Grossman.]

Mental health resources

Cornell University provides a comprehensive set of mental health resources and the student group Body Positive Cornell has put together a flyer outlined the resources available.

Participation

You are encouraged to actively participate in class. This can take the form of asking questions in class, responding to questions to the class, and actively asking/answering questions on the online discussion board.

Collaboration policy

Students are free to share code and ideas within their stated project/homework group for a given assignment, but should not discuss details about an assignment with individuals outside their group. The midterm and final exam are individual assignments and must be completed by yourself.

Academic integrity

The Cornell Code of Academic Integrity applies to this course.

Accommodations

In compliance with the Cornell University policy and equal access laws, we are available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that may be required for student with disabilities. Requests for academic accommodations are to be made during the first three weeks of the semester, except for unusual circumstances, so arrangements can be made. Students are encouraged to register with Student Disability Services to verify their eligibility for appropriate accommodations.