CSI 3334: Data structures, Spring 2007
Announcements
- Tue Feb 27 17:00:23 CST 2007
- I will be out of town from Wednesday at noon through the weekend. I may or may not have email access during this time; please send email anyway if you have questions and I will try to get to an internet terminal.
- Wed Jan 24 15:48:57 CST 2007
- My office hour will be cancelled this Friday. If you need help that day, please come by after 3 PM.
- Thu Jan 18 11:58:56 CST 2007
- Homework 1 has been posted; please get started on it!
- Wed Jan 17 09:33:53 CST 2007
- Since the university cancelled class today, we will move today's milestone to be due Friday, but everything else remains the same. Therefore, you should turn in two milestones for project 1 on Friday.
- Fri Jan 12 10:02:58 CST 2007
- If you want to attend an extra lecture on C++ class inheritance, please send me an email. If there's interest I'll hold it next Wednesday immediately after class. It won't count for any grade or towards attendance; just if you're interested.
- Wed Jan 3 09:19:59 CST 2007
- Here are some notes on calculating logarithms in T(n) and O(f(n)) analysis, which we will need in a few weeks.
- Wed Jan 3 09:14:45 CST 2007
- Welcome to data structures! Please read this syllabus and the linked pages carefully. Project 0 has been posted, and is due this Friday. Quiz 1 is on blackboard.
Overview
Data structures and the algorithms that operate on them are the keys to making efficient software. They are also very interesting. This course will allow you to learn about data structures in a setting that exercises your problem-solving skills. These problem-solving skills are what you will need to be a successful scientist, engineer, or mathematician.
This course covers:
- fundamental data structures such as arrays, lists, queues, stacks, heaps, trees, and graphs
- standard algorithms to operate on these data structures, including searching and sorting
- separation of interface and implementation using abstract data types
- use of C++ for implementation of the concepts presented in class
- analysis of algorithms for time and space complexity
- appropriateness of different data structures for different tasks
This is a difficult course. Be prepared to invest the time necessary to understand the concepts, and to do the programming projects. It's in your best interest to attend the lectures, ask questions, and start projects early. It's also important that you seek help when needed from the professor.
Practical information
Lectures are from 9:00 AM to 9:50 AM in Rogers 104 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. For this course you can use the lab in Rogers 112, though there is no lab component of the course.
My office is in the Rogers Engineering and Computer Science building, and office hours are listed on my home page. I am glad to talk to students during and outside of office hours. If you can't come to my office hour, please make an appointment for another time, or just stop by.
The TA for this course is TBA.
Schedule
Here is a schedule of the material we will cover:
Week | Dates | New topics | Reading | Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jan 8-12 | Overview, C++ review | 1.1-1.6 | Project 0 assigned | Project 1 assigned | |
2 | Jan 15-19 | Intro to algorithm analysis | 2 | MLK Jr. holiday | Homework 1 assigned | |
3 | Jan 22-26 | Algorithm analysis | Project 2 assigned | |||
4 | Jan 29-Feb 2 | Queues, lists, vectors | 3.1-3.3, 3.6, 3.7 | Homework 2 assigned | ||
5 | Feb 5-9 | Trees | 4 | |||
6 | Feb 12-16 | Trees | ||||
7 | Feb 19-23 | Heaps | 6 | Project 3 assigned | ||
8 | Feb 26-Mar 2 | Heaps | Midterm review | Midterm exam | ||
9 | Mar 5-9 | Hashing, midterm | 5 | |||
Mar 12-16 | Spring break | |||||
10 | Mar 19-23 | Hashing, sorting | 7 (skip 7.4) | Project 4 assigned | ||
11 | Mar 26-30 | Sorting | ||||
12 | Apr 2-6 | Sorting, Graphs | 9.1-9.5 | Homework 3 assigned | Easter holiday | |
13 | Apr 9-13 | Graphs | Easter holiday | Project 5 assigned | ||
14 | Apr 16-20 | Graphs | ||||
15 | Apr 23-27 | Algorithm design | 10 | Homework 4 assigned | ||
16 | Apr 30-May 4 | Algorithm design | Final exams |
The final exam date will be Thursday, May 3rd between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. The latest university finals information is available here.
Textbooks & resources
Required text: we will be using Mark Weiss' textbook Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in C++ (3rd Edition). You can purchase an older edition, but you are responsible in case there are differences between the editions. You can purchase this book from the Baylor bookstore or amazon, among other places.
Further online resources:
- We will use Blackboard as a class discussion board. I check this regularly and respond to postings.
- Bruce Eckel, Thinking in C++ (2nd edition)
- the Standard Template Library (STL) reference
Grading
Grades will be assigned based on this breakdown:
- midterm exam: 25%
- final exam: 25%
- projects: 25% (including 1% for milestones)
- homework: 25%
Important: Each project not completed by the end of the semester will result in a drop of one letter grade. For example, if you would have received a 'B', but you completed only 5 of the 6 projects, then your letter grade will be a 'C'. Please see the project submission guidelines for specific information on how to submit your projects, and the coding style guidelines for information on how to format your code. Because the programming projects can be difficult, it is imperative that you start working on them as soon as they are assigned.
Different projects and assignments may have different point values. In-class exams are closed-book. The final will be comprehensive.
You will have the opportunity to test yourself about the reading material with quizzes on Blackboard. You can also see your assignment scores on Blackboard.
Homework is due at the beginning of class; homework turned in after it has been collected but before the end of class will receive a 20% penalty. Homework will not be accepted after class on the due date.
Final letter grades will be assigned at the discretion of the instructor, but
here is a minimum guideline for letter grades:
A: 90-100, B+: 88-89, B: 80-87, C+: 78-79, C: 70-77, D: 60-69, F: 0-59
Policies
- Check this website every day for updates and announcements. We only meet three times a week, but updates may be posted at any time.
- All work in this course is strictly individual, unless the instructor explicitly states otherwise. While discussion of course material is encouraged, collaboration on any homework or projects for the course is not allowed. Collaboration includes (but is not limited to) discussing with anyone other than the professor any material that is specific to completing an assignment. You are not to work with anyone else on any project or assignment unless your professor expressly permits it. You are encouraged to discuss the course material with the professor, preferably in office hours, and also by email.
- Baylor policy requires 75% class attendance from each student. Even "excused" absences are included in the overall absent count.
- In order to facilitate keeping attendance, please choose a seat on the second class meeting that you will use for the rest of the course.
- Exams may be made up with prior arrangement (made at least one class before to the exam) or due to illness, with a note from a health care professional.
- Bring any grading correction requests to your professor's attention within 2 weeks of receiving the grade or before the end of the semester, whichever comes first.
Academic honesty
I take academic honesty very seriously. Many studies, including one by Sheilah Maramark and Mindi Barth Maline have suggested that "some students cheat because of ignorance, uncertainty, or confusion regarding what behaviors constitute dishonesty" (Maramark and Maline, Issues in Education: Academic Dishonesty Among College Students, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Research, August 1993, page 5). In an effort to reduce misunderstandings, here is a minimal list of activities that will be considered cheating in this class:
- Copying another student's work. Simply looking over someone else's source code is copying.
- Providing your work for another student to copy.
- Collaboration on any assignment, unless the work is explicitly given as collaborative work. Any discussion of an assignment or project is considered collaboration.
- Using notes or books during any exam.
- Giving another student answers during an exam.
- Reviewing a stolen copy of an exam.
- Plagiarism.
- Studying tests or using assignments from previous semesters.
- Providing someone with tests or assignments from previous semesters.
- Taking an exam for someone else.
- Turning in someone else's work as your own work.
- Studying a copy of an exam prior to taking a make-up exam.
- Providing a copy of an exam to someone who is going to take a make-up exam.
- Giving test questions to students in another class.
- Reviewing previous copies of the instructor's tests without permission from the instructor.
Copyright © 2007 Greg Hamerly, with some content
taken from a syllabus by Jeff Donahoo.
Computer Science Department
Baylor University