Incredibly dry course but also extremely difficult. Patrice and Alan both being as cryptic as possible and making it impossible to get TA help. Assignments are so long, easily 15+ hours each with incredibly complex questions, page long proofs, and very strict marking. Also a brutal midterm with an average below 40. It's a good course for interviews but if you don't need to take it avoid it like the plague.

Start assignments early, take in a light semester with another course that gives you the will to live.

His slides are very good. His lectures are pretty exdee- loud keyboard typing, old ipod earbuds are part of the character. The course content is extremely useful but quite difficult, hard work is required