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Oxford Undergrad CS Admission Interview Problems

comlab.ox.ac.uk

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Re: Oxford Undergrad CS Admission Interview Problems

#41

Post by ig1 »

mjac wrote: post #38
ig1 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Generally all the top-tier universities are more theoretical than the lower tier universities. Historically Oxford has been much more focused on the rigorous underpinning of CS by Mathematics than other universities, although in recent years they've been cutting down on this and moving closer to the CS syllabus offered by other top-tier universities. Here's the course list for first year at Oxford: • Functional Progr…

In the first year all of us do Computer Science (2 papers), Mathematics (1 paper), and a science subject (1 paper, I did Physics). It is predominantly theoretical (something I found hard to cope with): 1st year: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/0809/part1a-cst.html 2nd year: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/0910/part1b.html 3rd year: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/1011/part2.html Although I think there is far too m…

Perhaps "theoretical" is the wrong word, what I meant is that Oxford courses tend to take a more formal & mathematical approach to topics than other universities.

Re: Oxford Undergrad CS Admission Interview Problems

#42

Post by JoeAltmaier »

ig1 wrote: post #19
smcl wrote: post #8

I suspect the Oxford\Cambridge undergrad interviews have less to do with assessing technical competency and more to do with providing admissions with a reason to discriminate against state-educated kids. The amount of Oxbridge intake come from private schools is disproportionately high to be due to exam results alone, and is better explained by an ingrained negative view of those with a state education or old boys ne…

There's no statistical evidence showing this is the case. Students from high performing schools are disproportionately likely to apply to Oxbridge, but adjusting for academic performance there's no indication that Oxbridge discriminates. Pretty much everyone applying to Oxbridge is applying with top grades, plenty of exceptional candidates from both state and private sector schools get rejected. If you want to unders…

I didn't see that claim supported by that report. Did I miss it?

Re: Oxford Undergrad CS Admission Interview Problems

#43

Post by jws »

djhworld wrote: post #40
JoachimSchipper wrote: post #22

[SPOILER for 4 - "Monkey beans"] The answer is not probabilistic (that is, the last bean is either white with 100% probability, or black with 100% probability). This took me a while to figure out.

I'm confused at the first hurdle What if the money picks out 2 white beans at the start? "If they are the same he puts a black bean back in the urn"

I think the sentence's grammar is awkward. That pile next to the monkey has both black and white beans in it.

Re: Oxford Undergrad CS Admission Interview Problems

#44

Post by hasha »

JoachimSchipper wrote: post #22

[SPOILER for 4 - "Monkey beans"] The answer is not probabilistic (that is, the last bean is either white with 100% probability, or black with 100% probability). This took me a while to figure out.

I don't think so. After each drawing the number of whites is congruent modulo 2 to the initial number of whites. Hence, when there are two beans left, one will be white and the other black so the last bean will be white.

Re: Oxford Undergrad CS Admission Interview Problems

#45

Post by JoachimSchipper »

hasha wrote: post #44
JoachimSchipper wrote: post #22

[SPOILER for 4 - "Monkey beans"] The answer is not probabilistic (that is, the last bean is either white with 100% probability, or black with 100% probability). This took me a while to figure out.

I don't think so. After each drawing the number of whites is congruent modulo 2 to the initial number of whites. Hence, when there are two beans left, one will be white and the other black so the last bean will be white.

That's the right answer, yes (you can even skip "Hence, when there...the other black"); but what do you mean by "I don't think so"?

Re: Oxford Undergrad CS Admission Interview Problems

#46

Post by JoachimSchipper »

djhworld wrote: post #40
JoachimSchipper wrote: post #22

[SPOILER for 4 - "Monkey beans"] The answer is not probabilistic (that is, the last bean is either white with 100% probability, or black with 100% probability). This took me a while to figure out.

I'm confused at the first hurdle What if the money picks out 2 white beans at the start? "If they are the same he puts a black bean back in the urn"

The monkey randomly picks two beans from the urn, then puts one (from the pile) back. That is, if the monkey picks two white beans from the urn, he gets a black bean from a pile of beans next to him, and puts that black bean in the urn.

Re: Oxford Undergrad CS Admission Interview Problems

#47

Post by djhworld »

jws wrote: post #43
djhworld wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm confused at the first hurdle What if the money picks out 2 white beans at the start? "If they are the same he puts a black bean back in the urn"

I think the sentence's grammar is awkward. That pile next to the monkey has both black and white beans in it.

Ah I see, this is what confused me, there's no stipulation as to what beans are sitting next to him in a pile.

Re: Oxford Undergrad CS Admission Interview Problems

#48

Post by arjunnarayan »

ig1 wrote: post #41
mjac wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the first year all of us do Computer Science (2 papers), Mathematics (1 paper), and a science subject (1 paper, I did Physics). It is predominantly theoretical (something I found hard to cope with): 1st year: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/0809/part1a-cst.html 2nd year: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/0910/part1b.html 3rd year: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/1011/part2.html Although I think there is far too m…

Perhaps "theoretical" is the wrong word, what I meant is that Oxford courses tend to take a more formal & mathematical approach to topics than other universities.

As someone who studied computer science at Cambridge, I can assure you that Cambridge teaches at a very formal and mathematical level.

Re: Oxford Undergrad CS Admission Interview Problems

#49

Post by ig1 »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #42
ig1 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's no statistical evidence showing this is the case. Students from high performing schools are disproportionately likely to apply to Oxbridge, but adjusting for academic performance there's no indication that Oxbridge discriminates. Pretty much everyone applying to Oxbridge is applying with top grades, plenty of exceptional candidates from both state and private sector schools get rejected. If you want to unders…

I didn't see that claim supported by that report. Did I miss it?

For the particular point that private school isn't the difference see this report:

http://www.suttontrust.com/research/applications-offers-and-...

Re: Oxford Undergrad CS Admission Interview Problems

#50

Post by ig1 »

flipbrad wrote: post #39
andrew1 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope, you can only apply to one college at either Oxford or Cambridge per year (you can't apply to both universities, which probably makes sense as almost everyone who applied to one would probably apply to the other). There is a clearing system I think where if the college you apply to doesn't want you then other colleges can look at your application and choose to interview you, but I think that's fairly rare.

Whilst you're discouraged at all levels from applying to both Ox and Cam, I don't think it's true that you can't. But you're correct about the second interviews (at other colleges). This was actually pretty standard (for Biochem, at Oxford) when I applied and you went for the alternative interview (at a college you're assigned to, you don't get a second choice) before the first has made any sort of decision on you. T…

You can't, UCAS won't accept your application. There are a few exceptions where you are allowed to apply for both, but in general you can't.
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