Fall 2026

Topics in Theoretical Computer Science

COMPSCI 880 covers advanced topics in algorithms, complexity, and cryptography.

offering recorded3 credits

Recorded instructors · Fall 2026 Rishab Goyal3.3/5 Dieter van Melkebeek

Summary

1 / 3

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2024: 3.78 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=9 letter grades); Spring 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=15 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.96 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=28 letter grades).

Grade history

↗

average GPA
letter grades

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

Graduate/professional standing

Graduate/professional standing

COMPSCI 880

This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree

Graduate/professional standing

Professors

Fall 2026

Rishab Goyal

/5Adjusted rating

/5RMP difficulty

captured reviews

About this rating

Raw average: 2.70/5 from 10 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2022: 3.66 GPA, 84.2% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Fall 2023: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=10 letter grades); Spring 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=15 letter grades).

Dieter van Melkebeek

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2020: 3.84 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=32 letter grades); Spring 2023: 3.47 GPA, 79.3% A/AB (n=29 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.92 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=13 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

DIETER VAN MELKEBEEK is recorded teaching in Spring 2008, Fall 2010, Spring 2013, Spring 2020, Spring 2023, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

RISHAB GOYAL is recorded teaching in Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Fall 2026

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

Section	Mode	Enrolled / capacity	Waitlist
LEC 001	Online Only	19 / 0	7
LEC 002	Classroom Instruction	7 / 30	0

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records

Download part 1

Student experience

the class

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2024: 3.78 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=9 letter grades); Spring 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=15 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.96 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=28 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

No workload feedback recorded.

Topics

Algorithms
Complexity
Cryptography

Grades

Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Fall 2026.

Grade distribution · % of letter grades

Grades over time

Through Spring 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Not enough comparable courses for Fall 2026 in UW–Madison.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

Download part 1

Selected offering source records

COMPSCI 880 · Fall 2026

Topics in Theoretical Computer Science

Recorded 2026-09-07

COMPSCI 880 · Fall 2026

Quantum Algorithms

Recorded 2026-09-07

COMPSCI 880 · Fall 2026

Graduate Cryptography

Recorded 2026-09-07

Raw records

[
  {
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "semester": "1272",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1272:266:004359",
    "course_id": "COMPSCI 880",
    "course_uid": "course_14bbc998f24b0170e27123d7",
    "term_id": "1272",
    "source_course_id": "004359",
    "source_subject_id": "266",
    "title": "Topics in Theoretical Computer Science",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Occasionally"
  },
  {
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "semester": "1272",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1272:266:004359.15",
    "course_id": "COMPSCI 880",
    "course_uid": "course_14bbc998f24b0170e27123d7",
    "term_id": "1272",
    "source_course_id": "004359.15",
    "source_subject_id": "266",
    "title": "Quantum Algorithms",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Occasionally"
  },
  {
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "semester": "1272",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1272:266:004359.21",
    "course_id": "COMPSCI 880",
    "course_uid": "course_14bbc998f24b0170e27123d7",
    "term_id": "1272",
    "source_course_id": "004359.21",
    "source_subject_id": "266",
    "title": "Graduate Cryptography",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Occasionally"
  }
]

Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews

No records available.

Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades

Model outputs & technical records

nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4

LLM outputs across runs

Download part 1

Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1

Model & dataset provenance

{
  "model": "nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4",
  "model_revision": "1355db6a052410cfd62085d94b58866fd0f2c3c5",
  "task_version": "14",
  "output_id": "42ec0e452dfa3a646ac39cd052145eb4d3b7da8d54906cdad1823aadc4b8f6a6",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
  "dataset_revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00"
}