Draculog: Understanding Vampire Algorithms

Joshua Gross
CSU Monterey Bay

Stevenson 1300
12:00 PM

Many computer science students struggle to learn computational complexity. Some find the topic too "math-y", and others struggle to perform systematic analysis. But what if the real challenge is to get students to care about computational complexity? Modern computers are so fast that the impact of complexity isn't immediately apparent, but what if we connected complexity to something that most students already care about: global climate change?

That's what Draculog does: it helps students understand complexity and analysis in terms of energy usage and CO2 produced, not just time.

This talk will cover the architecture and implementation of Draculog and plans to validate its effectiveness in motivating students to better understand complexity. In addition, the talk will discuss several student research projects using Draculog to better understand complexity and climate impact.