This is a list of prerequisite concepts, i.e. concepts you should know prior to attending this class. It is by no means a complete list, but if you can't do these things, start studying them now before we get to them!

  1. Basic algebra.
    1. If you can't solve equations for one variable (in equations that have more than one variable), you are in serious trouble.
    2. If you can't add, subtract, multiply, divide, and simplify mathematical expressions (of variables in fraction form), you are in serious trouble.
  2. Basic probability and statistics
    1. Basically up to and including an understanding of the Binomial Distribution.
  3. If you don't know basic conversions of units, you need to get to known them quickly:
    1. Mb = 1,024 bytes, mb = 1,000 bytes (in general in cs we use lower case prefix to mean the normal scientific 1000 (m=mega=million) or capital when we mean the base 2 calculation like Kb = 1024 bytes)
    2. 1 Km = 1,000 meters
    3. 1 sec = 1,000 ms = 1,000,000
  4. Also be able to manipulate units with algebraic expressions.
  5. Convert to and from decimal to binary and/or hexadecimal. General understanding of binary (e.g. multiplying or dividing by 2 in binary is similar to multiplying or dividing by 10 in decimal)
  6. Not to insult your intelligence, but you must be able to write (and type) concise, complete, coherent English-language sentences.