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Courses - Fall 2026
CMSC
Computer Science Department Site
CMSC498Z
Selected Topics in Computer Science; Differentiable Programming
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in CMSC351, CMSC330 and CMSC421; CMSC422 preferred; and permission of the CMNS-Computer Science department.

This course is an introduction to differentiable Programming, a new programming paradigm in which a numerical program can be differentiated through automatic differentiation, allowing gradient-based optimization of parameters in the program. It has broad applications in Computer Graphics, Computer Vision, Deep Learning, Quantum Computing, System Control, and many more. The course assumes a good working knowledge of linear algebra and differentiation. The course experience includes hands-on projects with differentiable programming for agentic AI systemsand physical intelligence.