CSI 3334: Data structures, Fall 2011

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 9:05 AM to 9:55 AM in Rogers 210 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. You may use the general labs on the first floor of Rogers, 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 Tak-Chien Chiam.

Schedule

Here is a schedule of the material we will cover:

Week Dates Topics Reading Monday Wednesday Friday
1 Aug 22-26 Overview, C++ review 1.1-1.6 Project 0 assigned Homework 0 assigned Project 1 assigned
2 Aug 29-Sep 2 Algorithm analysis 2
3 Sep 5-9 Algorithm analysis Labor day Homework 1 assigned Project 2 assigned
4 Sep 12-16 ADTs, lists, stacks, queues 3.1-3.3, 3.6, 3.7
5 Sep 19-23 Trees 4 No class; Homework 2 assigned No class; Project 3 assigned
6 Sep 26-30 Trees
7 Oct 3-7 Heaps 6 Homework 3 assigned Project 4 assigned
8 Oct 10-14 Heaps Midterm exam Fall break
9 Oct 17-21 Hashing 5
10 Oct 24-28 Hashing Homework 4 assigned Project 5 assigned
11 Oct 31-Nov 4 Sorting 7 (skip 7.4)
12 Nov 7-11 Sorting, Graphs 9.1-9.5 Homework 5 assigned Project 6 assigned
13 Nov 14-18 Graphs
14 Nov 21-25 Graphs Thanksgiving Thanksgiving
15 Nov 28-Dec 2 Disjoint set, Algorithm design 8, 10
16 Dec 5-9 Disjoint set, Algorithm design Last day of class No class; study day Final exam (2 PM)

Dr. Hamerly will likely be out of town September 20-23. Therefore, we will try to arrange make-up lectures at alternative times prior to that week.

The final exam will be Friday, December 9 at 2:00 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 © 2011 Greg Hamerly, with some content taken from a syllabus by Jeff Donahoo.
Computer Science Department
Baylor University

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