CSI 3334: Data structures, Spring 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 9:00 AM to 9:50 AM in Rogers 204 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 New topics Reading Monday Wednesday Friday
1 Jan 14-18 Overview, C++ review 1.1-1.6 Project 0 assigned Homework 0 assigned Project 1 assigned
2 Jan 21-25 Algorithm analysis 2 MLK, Jr. holiday
3 Jan 28-Feb 1 Algorithm analysis Homework 1 assigned Project 2 assigned
4 Feb 4-8 ADTs, lists, stacks, queues 3.1-3.3, 3.6, 3.7
5 Feb 11-15 Trees 4 Homework 2 assigned Project 3 assigned
6 Feb 18-22 Trees
7 Feb 25-29 Heaps 6 Homework 3 assigned Project 4 assigned
8 Mar 3-7 Heaps Midterm exam
9 Mar 10-14 Spring break
10 Mar 17-21 Hashing 5 Easter holiday
11 Mar 24-28 Hashing 7 (skip 7.4) Easter holiday Homework 4 assigned Project 5 assigned
12 Mar 31-Apr 4 Sorting
13 Apr 7-11 Sorting, Graphs 9.1-9.5
14 Apr 14-18 Graphs Homework 5 assigned Project 6 assigned
15 Apr 21-25 Graphs, Disjoint set 8
16 Apr 28-May 2 Algorithm design 10
17 May 5-9 Algorithm design Dead days/Final exams

The final exam will tentatively be Saturday, May 10 at 2 PM (but this is subject to change; as of writing this, the final exam schedule is not definite). 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 one of the projects, then your letter grade will be a 'C'.

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