Collaboration

In any class like this, it is difficult to draw a sharp line between accceptable and unacceptable forms of collaboration. Here are some guidelines that might help:

1. In general, it is acceptable to talk about programs using natural languages, but not acceptable to use any formal language, and especially not Java. In other words, you should not be looking at other people's code or showing them yours.
2. It is never acceptable to present someone else's work as if it were your own. Unless stated otherwise, I will assume that all work you hand in is yours and yours alone. If you work with another student, you must acknowledge that student's contribution in writing on your assignment. If you get help from me or a TA that constitutes a significant part of the assignment, you should acknowledge that, too. If you are not sure, err on the side of caution.
3. Copying other people's code is a serious violation and may be regarded as a disciplinary matter. It is sometimes tempting to make superficial changes to copied code to disguise it, but I should warn you that (1) similarity between programs is often more obvious than you think, and (2) an attempt to disguise cheating is evidence of guilt, and is a more serious offense since it compounds plagiarism with further deceit.