CS/CNS/EE 156a: Learning Systems (Fall 2025)

Class Time: Tuesday and Thursday 2:00-3:00 PM (video) and 3:00-4:00 PM (discussion)

Except Thursday, October 30 (Neural Networks) and Tuesday, December 2 (Future of AI) - regular lectures 2:30-4:00

in Beckman Institute Auditorium

Organizational Meeting

Monday, September 29, 4:00 PM, in Beckman Institute Auditorium. This meeting is to explain the flipped classroom format and class policies. The class schedule is fixed (see above).


Syllabus

Please read the Course Description and Policies handout carefully. Contact the instructor (yaser-at-caltech...) if you have any questions.


Lectures and Slides

The lecture videos are available on YouTube.

The lecture slides are available on this site.


Textbook

The recommended textbook (not required) covers 14 out of the 18 lectures. The rest is covered by free e-Chapters (password is provided in Canvas - do not share).


Office Hours

[Fridays] Yaser in 150 Moore: 2:15-3:45 PM, except on Oct 17 and Nov 14 would be 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
[Saturdays] Grading TA in 139 Moore (direct access from the Moore courtyard in the north): 2:00-4:00 PM
[Sundays] Sani in 139 Moore (direct access from the Moore courtyard in the north): 2:00-4:00 PM

People

You can ask the instructor and TA's any questions (that are allowed per the syllabus) during their office hours (scheduled just before each homework is due). Please post all online questions about the technical material on Piazza (linked through the course Canvas page; can be done anonymously) and we will answer you there. The contact email addresses of the instructor and the TA's below are for administrative purposes only (like discussing a grading issue).

e-mail Responsibility
Instructor Yaser Abu-Mostafa yaser(at)caltech... all
Head TA Harsh Gandhi hgandhi(at)caltech... Final Set
TA Jena Alsup jalsup(at)caltech... HW 2,3
TA Sani Deshmukh sani(at)caltech... Office Hours
TA Shrujana Kunnam sskunnam(at)caltech... HW 7,8
TA Ishi Mathur imathur(at)caltech... HW 4,5
TA Anna Szczuka aszczuka(at)caltech... HW 1,6
TA Erica Wang (at)caltech... Piazza + Bonus Exercise
Secretary Sylvia Lee sylvial(at)caltech... administrative

Homework and Final Exam

This is your only source for the homework sets, final set, and solutions for this course. Do not access the homework, final exam, or solutions from any other source. Please follow the schedule below, and do not look at the solution key until you have turned in the corresponding homework or exam. The homework sets will be accessible at 2:00 PM the day they are handed out, and will be due on Gradescope (linked through Canvas) at 2:00 PM a week later. The solution key will be accessible 30 minutes after the homework is due.

[9/29] Homework #1 (pdf file) Due: Monday, 10/6/25 at 2:00 PM through Gradescope (linked from Canvas). Grading TA: Anna.
Don't look at the solution key until you have turned in the homework.

[10/6] Homework #2 (pdf file) Due: Monday, 10/13/25 at 2:00 PM through Gradescope (linked from Canvas). Grading TA: Jena.
Don't look at the solution key until you have turned in the homework.

[10/13] Homework #3 (pdf file) Due: Monday, 10/20/25 at 2:00 PM through Gradescope (linked from Canvas). Grading TA: Jena.
Don't look at the solution key until you have turned in the homework.

[10/20] Homework #4 (pdf file) Due: Monday, 10/27/25 at 2:00 PM through Gradescope (linked from Canvas). Grading TA: Ishi.
Don't look at the solution key until you have turned in the homework.

[10/27] Homework #5 (pdf file) Due: Monday, 11/3/25 at 2:00 PM through Gradescope (linked from Canvas). Grading TA: Ishi.
Don't look at the solution key until you have turned in the homework.

[11/3] Homework #6 (pdf file) Due: Monday, 11/10/25 at 2:00 PM through Gradescope (linked from Canvas). Grading TA: Anna.
Don't look at the solution key until you have turned in the homework.

[11/10] Homework #7 (pdf file) Due: Monday, 11/17/25 at 2:00 PM through Gradescope (linked from Canvas). Grading TA: Shrujana.
Don't look at the solution key until you have turned in the homework.

[11/17] Homework #8 (pdf file) Due: Monday, 11/24/25 at 2:00 PM through Gradescope (linked from Canvas). Grading TA: Shrujana.
Don't look at the solution key until you have turned in the homework.

[11/24] Final Set (pdf file) Due: Friday, 12/5/25 at 2:00 PM through Gradescope (linked from Canvas). Grading TA: Harsh.
Don't look at the solution key until you have turned in the final exam.


Updated: 9/27/2025