CSI 3334: Data structures, Fall 2008

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 cover data structures in a way that exercises your problem-solving skills. These problem-solving skills are what you will need to be a successful programmer, scientist, engineer, or mathematician.

This course covers:

This is a difficult course. My recommendation is to attend lectures, study hard, start projects early, and seek help from the professor when you need it.

Practical information

Lectures are from 11:15 AM to 12:05 AM in Rogers 104 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. You may use the general 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 Sweta Shrestha.

Schedule

Here is a schedule of the material we will cover:

Week Dates Topics Reading Monday Wednesday Friday
1 Aug 25-29 Overview, C++ review 1.1-1.6 Project 0 assigned Homework 0 assigned Project 1 assigned
2 Sep 1-5 Algorithm analysis 2 Labor day holiday
3 Sep 8-12 Algorithm analysis Homework 1 assigned Project 2 assigned
4 Sep 15-19 ADTs, lists, stacks, queues 3.1-3.3, 3.6, 3.7
5 Sep 22-26 Trees 4 Homework 2 assigned Project 3 assigned
6 Sep 29-Oct 3 Trees
7 Oct 6-10 Heaps 6 Homework 3 assigned Project 4 assigned
8 Oct 13-17 Heaps Midterm exam Fall break
9 Oct 20-24 Hashing 5
10 Oct 27-31 Hashing Homework 4 assigned Project 5 assigned
11 Nov 3-7 Sorting 7 (skip 7.4)
12 Nov 10-14 Sorting, Graphs 9.1-9.5 Homework 5 assigned
13 Nov 17-21 Graphs Project 6 assigned
14 Nov 24-28 Graphs Thanksgiving holiday Thanksgiving holiday
15 Dec 1-5 Disjoint set, Algorithm design 8, 10
16 Dec 8-12 Algorithm design Dead days/Final exams Dead days/Final exams

The final exam will be Friday, December 12 at 2 PM. 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). An older edition might be okay, 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:

Grading

Grades will be assigned based on this breakdown:

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 did not complete two of the projects, then your letter grade will be a 'D'.

Different projects and assignments may have different point values. In-class exams are closed-book. The final will be comprehensive.

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

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:


Copyright © 2008 Greg Hamerly, with some content taken from a syllabus by Jeff Donahoo.
Computer Science Department
Baylor University

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