CSE 326: Data Structures

Syllabus & General Information

Summer 2000

 

Course Web Site

http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/courses/326/00su

Staff

Martin Dickey, instructor.  423B Sieg. e-mail: dickey@cs.washington.edu
Office hours: Tues & Thurs 10:30-12:00

Gerome Miklau, TA.  e-mail:  gerome@cs.washington.edu

Office hours: Thurs 1-2pm, Sieg 226

Schedule

Lectures: MWF 10:50-11:50, EE1 037

Sections: Thursday 10:50-11:50, EE1 026. Check the Registrar's online schedule for confirmation of time and place.

Topics, reading assignments, & exam dates: A tentative week-by-week schedule is available online.

 

Course Goals

 

The objective of this class is to study the fundamental data structures and algorithms used in computer science. Students will study advanced programming techniques and will learn to analyze the algorithms to determine their time and space requirements.  By the end of the course, students should have the skills necessary for selecting between existing data structures and algorithms, and for designing their own.  Students will also have gained some familiarity with the Linux (UNIX) operating system.

 

Course Format

 

The class meets three times a week for lectures and once a week in a quiz section. On your own time, you have homework to do, some of which involves computer programs to design and debug, and some of which are pencil and paper exercises.

Communication

Please use the course web and the mailing list to keep abreast of events.  All students are expected to subscribe to the mailing list and will be responsible for any announcements made there by course staff.

Textbook

Required: Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in C++ (second edition).  Mark Allen Weiss Addison Wesley, 1999.  We will cover most of the first nine chapters.  Unlike some courses you may have taken in computer science, the textbook will be very important.  Please read the assigned sections before coming to each lecture.

 

Quizzes and Exams

There will be frequent assigned reading quizzes; other quizzes in section, two midterms, and a fairly comprehensive final exam. All tests are closed book, closed notes.  Calculators may or may not be permitted. Tests cannot be made up. Tests may include a variety of multiple-choice questions, short answers, short essays, and programming problems. The exams will be timed at approximately 55 minutes.

The final exam will be on Friday, August 18, at the usual time and at the usual place (unless another location is announced). It will not be possible to give the final on any other day. Please be careful not to schedule travel or other activities that conflict with the exams.

 

Homework

 

Programming is one of those things you learn partly by doing. About four programming projects will be assigned throughout the course. Programming assignments may be done by pairs or groups of students (each assignment will specify this).  In addition, there will non-programming homework exercises of various types, mostly problems from the textbook.

 

Project Turn-In

 

Most programming assignments will be turned in via a Linux script.  Parts of some assignments may be turned in by other methods. In some cases, you may be asked to demonstrate or discuss your program in person.   Specific instructions will be available with each homework.  Programs are compiled by the staff after they are turned in; if a program fails to compile, or it compiles but doesn't run, it will receive little or no credit.

Attendance

Please plan to attend every class!  It's very easy to fall behind. Missing lectures or sections can quickly lead to disaster. If you miss a class, talk to a friend who was present, and be sure to check the Web for class messages or handouts.

Grading

Tentative percentage breakdown:

 

2 midterm exams

12.5+12.5

Final exam

15

Programming Projects

25

Other homework

15

Reading quizzes

10

Section quizzes, other

10

If you find an error in our grading, please bring it to our attention within one week of that item being returned.

Make-up/Late Policy

Barring exceptional circumstances, late homework will not be accepted.  Make-up quizzes and exams will not be offered, and exams cannot be taken early.

Computing Facilities

You are welcome to compute at home or using general UW computing facilities.  However, many of the assignments will specifically require you to submit your work from your account on a CSE instructional Linux machine.  If you do not develop such projects using Linux, please allow plenty of time to get your work into the required form for submission.  Deadlines will not be extended simply because you used a different platform.

 

Non-majors

 

            If you are not a major in the CSE Department, you need a key for access to the labs in Sieg Hall, and an account on a CSE instructional Linux machine.  Please visit the CSE Office in Sieg 114 and ask for forms to be filled out and signed by the instructor.

 

Computer Use Policy

Some excerpts from the campus policies follow. "You must use all UW [computing] resources in strict accordance with local, state, and federal laws. These laws cover such areas as illegal access to computer systems, networks, and files; copyright violations; and harassment issues... Software and information resources provided through the university for use by faculty, staff, and students may be used on computing equipment only as specified in the various software licenses. Unauthorized use of software, images, or files is regarded as a serious matter and any such use is without the consent of the University of Washington...If abuse of computer software, images, or files occurs, those responsible for such abuse will be held legally accountable."

Academic Misconduct

Although students are strongly encouraged to study together to understand general course content, each student is expected to produce his or her own solution to the problems, except as allowed on team projects. Copying or using sections of someone else's work, even if it has been modified by you, is plagiarism and is not tolerated.  In general, you should not look at anyone else's work, nor allow anyone to look at yours, unless that is specifically authorized in the assignment.

last updated 06/18/00 08:38 PM

Data Structures in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington