Breadth Category: Theory

In this course we will be studying differential privacy and its variants, their applications, as well as other other topics in data privacy.

Course content will include:

• Motivation for differential privacy (DP)
• Definition of DP and DP mechanisms (e.g. Laplace, Gaussian, Exponential, Sparse Vector Technique, Binary Tree Mechanism)
• Applications (e.g. local DP, private learning), and variants of DP (e.g. distributional DP, Renyi DP)

This is a research-focused course, and some coursework will expect students to have:

• An undergraduate-level understanding of algorithms and probability theory
• Ability to write mathematical proofs

No background in cryptography is required.

The objective of this course is to introduce students to privacy research.

During this course, students will:

• Understand the challenges in data privacy and the advantages and limitations of various privacy definitions
• Work with various DP mechanisms and reason about their privacy parameters and accuracy
• Familiarise with current topics in privacy research
• Read and analyse research papers on data privacy

No textbooks are required, but a very helpful reference is available for free (from book author) below:

• The Algorithmic Foundations of Differential Privacy (Dwork, Roth): https://www.cis.upenn.edu/~aaroth/Papers/privacybook.pdf

Students will be assigned three problem sets during the course.

Individually or in a group, students will complete the following:

• One in-person oral presentation of a research paper related to (differential) privacy
• One written literature review of a specific area of research related to (differential) privacy

Rubric for both written and oral presentation components will be given in advance.

There will be no exams in this course.

The number of graded items and their weights may be adjusted slightly during the semester.

The University of Victoria follows a percentage grading system in which the instructor will submit grades in percentages. The University will use the following Senate approved standardized grading scale to assign letter grades. Both the percentage mark and the letter grade will be recorded on the academic record and transcripts.

Typically marks for assignments, examinations, and provisional final grades, are made available through a Learning Management System (LMS) like Brightspace, where each student will be able to view only their own grades. Sometimes numerical marks/grades may be posted publicly to the entire class. In that case, full student numbers or names will not be included with the posted information.

I value your feedback on this course. Towards the end of term you will have the opportunity to complete a confidential course experience survey (CES) regarding your learning experience. The survey is vital to providing feedback to me regarding the course and my teaching, as well as to help the department improve the overall program for students in the future. When it is time for you to complete the survey, you will receive an email inviting you to do so. If you do not receive an email invitation, you can go directly to the CES site

You will need to use your UVic NetLink ID to access the survey, which can be done on your laptop, tablet or mobile device. I will remind you closer to the time, but please be thinking about this important activity, especially the following three questions, during the course.

• What strengths did your instructor demonstrate that helped you learn in this course?
• Please provide specific suggestions as to how the instructor could have helped you learn more effectively.
• Please provide specific suggestions as to how this course could be improved.

The Engineering & Computer Science Students' Society (ECSS) serves all students registered in an Engineering and Computer Science degree program, including Software Engineering (BSEng). For information on ECSS activities, events and services navigate to https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/ess/.

Late Assignments: No late assignments will be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor at least 48 hours before the assignment due date. Coursework Mark Appeals: All marks must be appealed within 7 days of the mark being posted. Attendance: We expect students attend all lectures and labs. It is entirely the students' responsibility to recover any information or announcements presented in lectures from which they were absent. Electronic devices in labs and lectures: No unauthorized audio or video recording of lectures is permitted. Electronic devices in midterms and exams: Calculators are only permitted for examinations and tests if explicitly authorized and the type of calculator permitted may be restricted. No other electronic devices (e.g. cell phones, pagers, PDA, etc.) may be used during examinations or tests unless explicitly authorized. Plagiarism: Submitted work may be checked using plagiarism detection software. Cheating, plagiarism and other forms of academic fraud are taken very seriously by both the University and the Department. You should consult the link given below for the UVic policy on academic integrity. Note that the university policy includes the statement that "A largely or fully plagiarized assignment should result in a grade of F for the course."

The Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science Standards for Professional Behaviour are at https://www.uvic.ca/ecs/_assets/docs/student-forms/professional-behaviour.pdf U.Vic guidelines and policy concerning fraud and academic integrity are at http://web.uvic.ca/calendar/grad/academic-regulations/academic-integrity.html U. Vic Privacy Policy: If any student has concerns about their private information being stored or accessed outside of Canada, they are required to inform the course instructor about their concerns before the end of second week of classes.

This course aims to provide equal opportunities and access for all students to enjoy the benefits and privileges of the class and its curriculum and to meet the syllabus requirements. Reasonable and appropriate accommodation will be made available to students with documented disabilities (physical, mental, learning) in order to give them the opportunity to successfully meet the essential requirements of the course. The accommodation will not alter academic standards or learning outcomes, although the student may be allowed to demonstrate knowledge and skills in a different way. It is not necessary for you to reveal your disability and/or confidential medical information to the course instructor. If you believe that you may require accommodation, the course instructor can provide you with information about confidential resources on campus that can assist you in arranging for appropriate accommodation. Alternatively, you may want to contact the Centre for Accessible Learning located in the Campus Services Building.

The University of Victoria is committed to promoting, providing, and protecting a positive, and supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.

All course content and materials are made available by instructors for educational purposes and for the exclusive use of students registered in their class. The material is protected under copyright law, even if not marked with a ©. Any further use or distribution of materials to others requires the written permission of the instructor, except under fair dealing or another exception in the Copyright Act. Violations may result in disciplinary action under the Resolution of Non-Academic Misconduct Allegations policy (AC1300).

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