(Latest Revision -- 08/03/00)
Course Description
for Data Structures +
Algorithms: CS 3100
TERM: Fall 2000
CLASS CODES: 40658 CS 3100 001 Data Structures and
Algorithms Lec 3.0 MWF 10:10-11:08 P-101
INSTRUCTOR: John Sarraille, Professor of Computer
Science
OFFICE: P-286, Professional Schools Building, Cal
State Stanislaus
OFFICE HOURS: MWF 9-10, TTh 11:15-12:15; or by
appointment
E-MAIL:
john@ishi.csustan.edu
HOMEPAGE:
http://www.cs.csustan.edu/~john/jsHomepage.html
PREREQUISITES:
You have to be adequately prepared for taking this course,
CS 3100. Check with me if you have not passed Computer
Programming II (CS 2500), or the equivalent.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The highest aim of this course is for you to learn how to
choose and design good abstract data structures and good
algorithms for computer programs. To work toward that aim
we will study the abstract data structures and algorithms
that are widely-known to be "good" for common programming
problems.
To understand what makes one data structure or algorithm
good for performing a given task, and another not as good,
it is necessary that we know how to analyze the potential
efficiency of an algorithm. Therefore, analysis of
algorithms is a course objective too.
It is also quite important that you take on and complete
challenging programming assignments -- ones that require
you to bring to bear considerable organizational and
problem-solving skill. Among other things, this will
demand that you be proficient using our Unix computers and
campus network.
Finally, it must be said that "surviving" this course is
an important objective for computer science majors!
Passing CS 3100 is a big milestone on the road to
acquiring a CS degree. What you learn here will be
applied in many other CS courses.
REQUIRED TEXT:
Data Abstraction and Problem Solving with C++: walls and
mirrors by Carrano, Helman, and Veroff (2nd edition),
published by Addison Wesley, ISBN 0-201- 87402-4,
http://www.awlonline.com/product/0,2627,0201874024,00.html
RECOMMENDED TEXT:
Just Enough Unix, 3rd ed. by Paul K. Andersen,
McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-230297-6.
http://www.mhhe.com/catalogs/0072302976.mhtml
SUGGESTED READING:
You should also consider getting a more comprehensive Unix
book. Here are a couple of possibilities:
UNIX in a Nutshell: System V Edition, 3rd Edition
by Arnold Robbins, published by O'Reilly & Associates,
ISBN 1-56592-427-4,
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/unixnut3/
UNIX System V: A Practical Guide, 3/e by Mark G.
Sobell, published by Addison Wesley, ISBN 0-8053-7565-1,
http://www.awlonline.com/product/0,2627,080537566X,00.html
COURSE COVERAGE:
We'll start out by quickly reviewing chapters 1, 6, and 7
from Data Abstraction and Problem Solving with C++:
walls and mirrors. Those chapters concern program
design, stacks, and queues. After that, we'll carefully
work through most of chapters 8 through 13: class
relationships, algorithm efficiency and sorting, trees,
tables and priority queues, advanced implementation of
tables, and graphs.
See the
schedule
for weekly reading assignments.
BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT CLASS SESSIONS:
Each class session will be some mixture of laboratory and
lecture activities. Mainly the purpose of class sessions
is twofold: to help students absorb the readings
and related material, and to help them complete the
programming assignments.
Students are responsible for working on programming
assignments outside of class time. Doing the assignments
can fill up a lot of hours. To keep the pace, you will
need to "work smart." In any case, expect to spend about
ten hours per week on this class, in addition to class
time.
My expectation is that everyone will attend all the class
sessions and keep current with everything that is happening
in class. I will keep track of attendance.
TESTS & GRADING:
The course has two main components: programs, and exams.
There will be three in-term exams, an optional
comprehensive final exam, and about five programming
assignments.
To pass the course you must receive a passing average in
both the programming component and the exam
component. You also must turn in a working solution to
every programming problem. If you do all this, then
your course grade will be determined by giving a weight of
60% to your exam average (20% per exam) and 40% to your
programming assignment average (about 8% per program).
If you get a failing exam average, a failing average on
your programs, or if you fail to turn in a program before
the final deadline, you don't pass CS 3100 this term.
THE OPTIONAL FINAL EXAM:
Under ideal circumstances you will not need to take the
final exam. However, if you miss an exam or if you want
to improve your average on the exam component of the
course, you may choose to take the final exam.
The final exam is penalty-free. If your score on the
final exam is higher than your lowest in-term exam score,
then the final exam will replace your lowest in-term exam
score: it will count 20% of your grade in the course and
your two highest in-term exam scores will each count 20%.
If your score on the final exam is equal to or lower than
your lowest in-term exam score, then nothing will change:
your course grade will be computed just as it would have
been if you did not take the final exam.
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE:
Our text is C++ oriented, and I will present most code
samples in C++. If you want to do a programming assignment
in a different computer language, basically I am willing
to accept that, but you must speak with me in advance and
reach an agreement on some ground rules.
PROGRAM DESIGN METHODOLOGY:
I will require you to design each program using a top-down
design methodology, modular data structures, and
information hiding. You will use the top-down method
to design the instructions of your program,
the data structures, the documentation, and the
test data. A programmer using the top-down method
develops the program level-by-level. The programmer
starts with a very simple first-level program design, and
works down, step-by-step, to more detailed levels.
I will sometimes require you to turn in two or three
"levels" of your programming assignments so that I can
check your progress in employing the top-down design
method. For example, for a programming assignment worth
8% of your overall grade, the top and second levels might
count 2% each and the final level 4%.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS:
Get started early on your assignments. That way, if you
run into difficulty, you can seek help in class and/or
office hours in a timely fashion.
I will assess a late penalty of 10% credit per calendar day (including
holidays and weekends) on programming assignments turned in between
one and five days late. I will not accept programming
assignments late more than 5 days.
We can have class discussions about due dates and I may be
willing to move a due date back if the class can justify
this to my satisfaction. If you are uncomfortable with a
scheduled due date, please bring this to my attention as
soon as possible, and not at the last minute.
If you cannot finish an assignment on time, please turn in
whatever you have done. It may be possible to get
up to about half credit on an unfinished program,
depending on the quality of the work and the
circumstances.
To "survive" in a class like this, you may need to put
aside "foolish pride," stubbornness, and/or shyness. If
you are failing to make progress on some aspect of an
assignment, seek help from me promptly. You may speak to
me after class or during my office hours. You may send me
a message by e-mail. You are entitled to get help this
way. Please don't subvert your chances of success by
sitting and "spinning your wheels" until it is too late.
I'm sorry but if you fail to turn in just one program by the
fifth day after the due date, you fail CS 3100. You will
not be allowed to continue in the class. I will not make
exceptions.
PARTICIPATION:
I hope to be accessible and helpful to you during this
course. I want you to get as much as possible out of it.
Remember, we are a team and you are a key player. Read
everything I assign ASAP, and read with care. Read
difficult material more than once! Attend all classes.
Pay close attention. Take notes. Review your notes
before each class. Get started on assignments early. Do
a little each day, and bring your questions and problems
concerning these assignments to class each day.
Finish assignments and reading on time. Do what you can
to keep class discussion lively and to the point. Reply
to questions. Ask questions and make remarks if you feel
you have something to add, or if you feel something needs
to be explained better.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN WORK:
Assignments: When your purpose is to clarify or to
reach an understanding of program specifications, you may
discuss programming assignments with other people,
including your classmates, as much as you like. You may
also freely discuss the relative merits of various general
approaches to designing and engineering solutions.
You are permitted to use algorithms or segments of code
from any of the published printed matter in our library,
from our course text, or from any programming textbooks to
which you have access.
You may ask me for help and hints. Ask in class, so that
everyone has a chance to benefit from the discussion.
You may not discuss or give away any program code
segments.
You may not accept program code or accept help from
any source other than those described above.
Exams: You must write your exams with no discussion
or help from anyone. The one exception is that you are
allowed to come forward and ask me to clarify the meaning
of a test question, if you wish. It will be up to me to
decide how to answer, or whether to answer at all. I will
tell the class any new information that arises from such
an exchange.
Penalties: If there is compelling evidence that
homework, programs, or tests were not done according to
the above criteria, I will withhold credit.
NETWORK AVAILABILITY OF COURSE MATERIALS:
I will make course documents, assignments, supplements,
and so on available on the world wide web. To access the
on-line CS 3100 materials, you can open the URL:
http://shalim.csustan.edu/~john/Classes/CS3100_DataStructures/
There is also a miscellaneous collection of information
that you may want to use from time to time. It is located
here:
http://shalim.csustan.edu/~john/Classes/General_Info/
COMPUTER EQUIPMENT:
Each of you is supposed to have an account that gives you
access to all the Computer Science Department Sun Ultra 10
and Sun Ultra 30 computers. The computers have a network
file system, so you get the same home directory,
regardless of which Sun Ultra you log on to.
If you don't seem to have access to the Ultra's, then let
me know right away, preferably by e-mail. Give me your
full name and the name of the class. I'll see to it that
you get an account. I'll give you the account information
at the next class meeting.
We'll have a special lab session to teach you what you
need to know in order to use the Ultra's for class
assignments.
The Ultra's and other CS computers are located in the
Computer Science Lab:
P-288.
P-288 is in the Professional Schools Building (aka
Demergasso-Bava Hall), in the extreme northwest corner of
the north wing.
I will test the programs that you write for this course by
compiling and executing them on a Sun Ultra. Therefore
you must write programs that will compile and run without
errors on these machines. If you are accustomed to a
different computing environment, you will have to be
careful about this.
Generally, CS Department workstations are available for
access and use on a 24-hour basis. However campus
computer labs do not remain open at all hours. Therefore
sometimes network and modem connections are the only means
available for connecting to a workstation. For more
information about network and modem connections, see the
sections below entitled "MODEM CONNECTIONS" and "INTERNET
CONNECTIONS". Also see the course document entitled
loginDirections.
P-288 will be open basically mid-morning until about 5:00
p.m.. During these times, you can be physically present
in the CS Department Lab while using a department
computer. This can be very beneficial because you then
have the opportunity to work and communicate with fellow
students and members of the staff and faculty.
Due to budgetary constraints beyond our control, the hours
during which P-288 is open are subject to change on short
notice. Please check the postings of the lab hours at the
entrance to the lab or in the "message of the day" that is
printed on your screen when you log on to your Sun Ultra
account.
Incidentally, the CS Department often seeks volunteers and
work-study students to help keep the lab open longer
hours. For further information, ask our system
administrator, Julie Gorman: P-288C, 667-3273,
julie@eos.csustan.edu
While you are in the CS Lab, you will be able to access
Sun Ultra workstations by logging in directly at the
console, or by using telnet from some other kind of
computer in the lab, such as a Macintosh or a "Wintel".
Telnet makes it possible for many people to use a given
workstation simultaneously. We will have a demonstration
of how to get a telnet connection. (You can probably get
help just by asking someone in the lab.) You can also
access the Sun Ultra's via a telnet connection from most
any computer on the campus local network, such as those in
P-106, P-120, L-125 and L-145. Generally those labs are
open during the same hours that the campus library is
open. Please check postings at the labs or ask lab
personnel in order to get further information about lab
hours. Lab assistants (wearing red vests) should be able
to show you how to telnet to a CS Department
workstation.
MODEM CONNECTIONS:
Some phone numbers for making modem connections are: from
Turlock 669-9834; toll-free from Modesto 523-2173;
toll-free from Merced 723-2810; and toll-free from
Stockton 467-5399. There has been recent discussion of
discontinuing the availability of some of these
connections. Check with the computer center's (OIT's)
help desk to get the latest information. The help desk is
in L-150, and the telephone number is 667-3687.
INTERNET CONNECTIONS:
You may want to purchase Internet connectivity. This is
not a requirement and not necessary for
success, but it can be a great time-saver and a
convenience once you have gotten past the hurdle of
setting everything up.
There are several Internet service providers (ISP's) that
serve this area. Chances are that members of the class
can make good recommendations. We can devote some time to
this topic in class.
One can find many ISP's by using the site:
http://thelist.internet.com.
ISP's also advertise in the yellow pages and in
newspapers.
If you get an Internet connection, make sure you get
telnet and ftp capability. This will allow
you to log in remotely to your computer account at the
college and also transfer files back and forth. For doing
telnet and ftp, you may need to get some special add-on
software. For more information about this, read the
telnet and ftp help sheet. For additional
information, ask me or the CS Lab Administrator, Julie
Gorman.