University of Washington

CSE 373, Data Structures

Course Organization

 

Autumn 2001                                                                                       October 1, 2001

Donald Chinn

 

Instructor:                                                                  TAs:

    Donald Chinn                                                       Kenneth Tam

    Sieg 226D, (206) 616-2406                                            Sieg 226A

    dci@cs.washington.edu                                                   ktam@cs.washington.edu

 

                                                                                        Xin Dong

                                                                                        Sieg 226A

                                                                                        lunadong@cs.washington.edu

 

    Office hours:                                                     Office hours:

        MWF 1:30-2:15pm (after lectures),                     To be announced.

        Th 11:00-12:00,

        or by appointment.

 

Class Time and Place:    MWF 12:30-1:20pm, Mary Gates Hall 241

 

Prerequisites: CSE 143.

 

Text: Data Structures & Algorithm Analysis in C++, Second edition, Weiss, Addison-Wesley, 1999.

 

Reading Assignments: Keep up.  Your ability to grasp the material and get the most out of lectures will depend largely on how much preparation you do before class.  This course will cover most of Chapters 1 through 9.

 

Grading: There will be written homework assignments (30%), programming assignments (30%), a midterm exam (15%), and a final exam (25%).

 

Late homework policy: All assignments (written or programming) are due at the beginning of lecture on the due date.  For a class this size, it is very inconvenient to allow for late homework.  For programming assignments, there will be no late submissions.  Written assignments, however, may be turned in up to one lecture late, but at a penalty of 20% off your score for that assignment.  No written assignments will be accepted after the beginning of the lecture after the due date.

 

Labs: We will use PCs and Visual C++ 6.0 for the programming assignments.  There are labs with such PCs in the Math Sciences Computing Center (MSCC, located in the basement of the Communications building) for our use.  Please go to http://www.ms.washington.edu/  to read about lab hours, policies, etc.  Note that the lab is used by students in other classes, so it might get crowded at times.  Also note that any PC on campus that has VC++, Word, PowerPoint, a browser, etc. will be sufficient for the purposes of this class.

 

Collaboration on Homework and Labs: In this class, homework and programming assignments are designed to reinforce learning and are an important part of the learning process.  I know there are many situations where collaborative solution to problems is an effective aid to learning.  I encourage you to work with your classmates if you find that helpful.  Some guidelines are necessary, however.  Here are mine (collectively, these are called the Gilligan's Island rule):

·          You may discuss problems with your classmates to your heart's content.

·          After you have solved a problem, discard all written notes about the solution.

·          Go watch TV for an hour (for programming assignments, 15 minutes).  Preferably Gilligan's Island.

·          Then write your solution.  (If you can't write your solution at this point, you didn't really understand it.)

In addition, for each problem, you are expected to acknowledge those individuals with whom you discussed the problem (by writing something like "I discussed this problem with XXX").  Whether you collaborate or not, what you turn in is expected to be your original work.

 

I think the spirit and intent of the Gilligan's Island rule is pretty clear, but in case it isn't, here are some examples of unethical behavior:

·          Copying someone else's homework assignment answer.

·          Discussing the problem with others without discarding all written notes.

·          Discussing the problem with others and then not waiting at least an hour after your discussion before starting to write down your answers.

·          Cutting and pasting code from someone else's lab assignment.

·          Having someone write code for you in the programming assignment.

On the other hand, here are some acceptable ways of completing your assignments:

·          Working entirely alone on your assignments.

·          Following the Gilligan's Island rule above.

·          Having someone look at your code to help you find a syntax error or to find out why your program keeps printing a stream of unintended 0's in your output.

·          Explaining to someone else how you have organized your code, and discussing whether it's a good organization.  Then following the Gilligan's Island rule above.

 

Cheating: Cheating, either on an exam or in the abuse of the Gilligan's Island rule, will not be tolerated.  Cheating is not only a misrepresentation of your abilities, but it is also unfair to your classmates.  It also violates the mutual trust between student and teacher.  You owe it to yourself and your education to hold a high ethical standard at all times.