CSE544: Syllabus

Course Goals: Computing is become data centered today. Databases have been at the heart of commercial applications for decades, but today both commercial and scientific organizations need to store and process huge volumes of data, and this requires and extension of data management techniques far beyond traditional database systems. Virtually every area of Computer Science today uses data management concepts. The purpose of this course is to discuss key concepts that underly both traditional databases and modern data management. This is a graduate class: we discuss all traditional topics and cover some of the in depth, and will also discuss some foundational material and some novel research topics. For the detailed list of topics and schedule, please see the course calendar.

Course Format: The class meets twice a week. Most classes will consists of lecturing, but we will also have discussions. Please attend all lectures, since the material is not based on any particular text.

Homework assignments: There are ~~four~~ three homework assignments. The first two are small programming assignments, the last consists of theory problems.

Project: There will be a programming project, which will be designed as a mini research project. At the end of the project, you are expected make a presentation in class and to hand-in a short, conference-style paper.

Paper readings: There are nine paper reading assignments; all reviews are due before class. Use this link to upload your reviews. You may skip one review without penalty. All reviews are credit/nocredit. The reviews and the participation in the class discussions are part of your final grade.

Grading: Assignments: 50%
Project: 30%
Paper readings and class participation: 20%

Textbook (optional): The textook is optional: Database Management Systems, 3rd Edition. Raghu Ramakrishnan and Johannes Gehrke.

Late Policy for Homework assignments and Project Milestones: Since this is a graduate class, we are more lenient about late days. We will accept valid excuses (conferences, paper deadlines, etc.) and will work with you to figure out the earliest day that you can hand in your work. Note, however, that the schedule for the entire course is very tight. Once you fall behind, it will be very hard to catch-up. Also, we will not grade anything handed in after the deadline for the project reports.

Collaboration Policy: You are encouraged to discuss the content of this course with anyone you like. Assignments are to be completed in groups of up to two students. Within the group of two, divide the work any way you see fit - of course some modes of collaboration lead to better learning than others. Please do NOT discuss your answers with other groups, although feel free to point each other to any relevant documentation. The project is to be done in a group of up to three students. Groups can talk to each other about their projects as much as they want. Of course, if two teams pick the same project, we expect each team to produce original work different from that of other teams. Paper reviews should be done individually without talking to others. Feel free to look-up any information on the web that you may find useful in completing the assignments, projects, or paper reviews.

Computer Use Policy: Some excerpts from the campus policies. Take them seriously: "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: See http://www.cs.washington.edu/students/policies/misconduct