Global Arc

The senior thesis for AB COS majors (498A-499A) is a year-long project in which students complete a substantial piece of research and scholarship under the supervision and advisement of a Princeton faculty member. While a year-long thesis is due in the student's final semester of study, the work requires sustained investment and attention throughout the academic year. Therefore, students will receive a P/D/F for COS 498A and a letter grade for COS 499A.

This single-term IW course requires COS BSE seniors to complete a substantial piece of research and scholarship under the supervision and advisement of a Princeton faculty member in either a seminar or one-on-one format. The work requires consistent engagement throughout the term. Students may pursue a project aligned with their interests and skills. Seminar projects must fit within the scope of the assigned seminar. The work will result in a final paper. Offered in fall and spring, this course provides COS BSE seniors with an opportunity to concentrate on a state-of-the-art project in computer science to fulfill the IW requirement.

This course will focus on a few great ideas in theoretical computer science that power modern computing applications. We will cover both classical ideas in algorithm design and more contemporary ideas from optimization and their applications. We will also study new computation models, such as online learning and communication complexity motivated by current large-scale applications. We will examine the role of randomness in algorithm design and theoretical computer science more generally. We will also cover modern topics such as error-correcting codes and their role in reliable information processing and transmission.

Introduction to neural network models of brain function based on transcriptomic and connectomic maps of brain structure, with applications to the visual system of the fruit fly Drosophila. Fundamentals of modeling neurons, synapses, and networks. Connectivity motifs, simplified models, and mathematical theory of neural nets. Computation by cellular biophysics. Realistic models ("emulations") based on "-omic" maps. Evaluating the fidelity of an emulation. Parallels with computer vision and robotics.

This single-term IW seminar course(COS 397) requires students to complete a substantial research project under the advisement of a Princeton faculty member within a structured seminar format. The work requires consistent engagement throughout the term. Students may pursue a project aligned with their interests and skills, provided it fits within the scope of the assigned seminar. The work must result in a final paper. Offered in fall and spring, this course provides AB and BSE juniors with an opportunity to concentrate on a state-of-the-art project in computer science to fulfill the IW requirement.

This course will study domain applications that involve both algorithms and economic incentives. The course will focus on engaging with rigorous mathematical models to make sound real-world design choices. Students in the course will not prove mathematical statements nor read any proofs, but instead will leverage these results to make better designs.

This course introduces intellectual, philosophical, and poetic tradition of Classical India through readings selected from different Sanskrit texts of various periods, genres, and branches of Indian thought. All the readings are dedicated to the topic of TIME thus showing how this important notion has developed through ages and texts. The course will afford the students an opportunity to get acquainted with works in different genres and types of Sanskrit connected via a common theme. Not only will it show how ideas about time have evolved, but also demonstrate how the Sanskrit language has changed along with the ideas.

This course builds upon the foundation in Classical Sanskrit grammar and vocabulary established during 1st and 2nd year Sanskrit, and also builds knowledge of Sanskrit poetry and South Asian culture through reading selections from Sanskrit poetic works and traditional theoretical treaties on poetics. It is primarily a reading course, focusing on passages from poems by Kalidasa, Murari, Bhavabhuti, Bhartrhari and other classical poets in combination with readings from Dandin's theoretical work on poetry the Kavyadarsa. This course provides students a comprehensive introduction to the Sanskrit poetic literature of different periods.

This course offers an introduction to the intellectual, philosophical, and poetic traditions of Vedic and Classical India through selected readings from major Sanskrit texts spanning various periods, genres, and schools of Indian thought. The course provides students with the opportunity to engage with works representing diverse genres and registers of Sanskrit, including Vedic, late Vedic, Classical, and scholastic/philosophical varieties. Beyond tracing the evolution of major religious and philosophical concepts, the course demonstrates how the Sanskrit language itself evolved in tandem with these intellectual developments.

This course develops core concepts and key theories behind understanding the 3D shape of molecules, and asks fundamental questions current scholars deal with across multiple disciplines. The students will explore topics such as how diseases can be caused by misshapen biological proteins (i.e., sickle cell anemia) and how global climate change can be explained through the shape of greenhouse gasses. The connecting question is how does our understanding of the 3D shape of molecules influence our understanding of important real-world phenomena?