Course Description

Data Structures are the paramount concern of this course. The principle objective of the course is to help you learn how to design and analyze a wide range of data structures.

The course covers data structures and associated algorithms. Relationships among data structures, their utility in various situations, and factors affecting their performance in algorithms will be considered. You will learn to analyze the demands of algorithms, how to choose appropriate data structures, and how to integrate data structures into algorithms.

Textbooks

Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in C++, 2nd Edition by Mark Allen Weiss Addison-Wesley, ISBN 0-201-36122-1

Recommended:

Your favorite C++ reference book:

My personal favorite The C++ Programming Language, Special Edition by Bjarne Stroustroup (He's the guy who invented the language) Addison-Wesley, 2000, ISBN 0-201-70073-5

C++ Primer, Third Edition by Stanely B. Lippman, Josee Lajoie Addison-Wesley, 1998, ISBN 0-201-82470-1

C++ FAQs, Second Edition by Marshall Cline, Greg Lomow, Mike Girou Addison-Wesley, 1999, ISBN 0-201-30983-1

Effective C++ Second Edition by Scott Meyers Addison-Wesley, 1997, ISBN 0-201-92488-9

More Effective C++ by Scott Meyers Addison-Wesley, 1995, ISBN 0-201-63371-X

Thinking in C++ by Bruce Eckel Prentice Hall, 2000, ISBN 0-139-79809-9 This book is available in its entirety on the web at: www.mindview.net/Books/TICPP/ThinkingInCPP2e.html

Additional Books on Data Structures:

Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis by Clifford Shaffer Prentice-Hall, 1996, ISBN 0-130-28446-7 This book has good coverage of data structures and algorithm analysis in C++. It has excellent descriptions of a number of data structures.

Data Structures, Algorithms, and Applications in C++ by Sartaj Sahni McGraw-Hill, 1998, ISBN 0-071-09219-6 Covers some material not covered by the Heileman text.

Data Structures and Algorithms by Alfred Aho, John Hopcroft, and Jeffrey Ullman Addison-Wesley, 1983, ISBN 0-201-00023-7 This is one of the all-time classics, written in Pascal.

Fundamentals of Data Structures in C++ by Ellis Horowitz, Sartaj Sahni, and Dinesh Mehta W H Freeman & Co, 1995, ISBN 0-716-78292-8 Another classic. In C++. This is one of the all-time classics, written in Pascal.

Abstract Data Types by Nell Dale and Henry Walker Houghton Mifflin Company College Division, 1996, ISBN 0-669-40000-9 A high-level view of data structures and algorithms, with no programming language specified. A very worthwhile and modern text with an alternative viewpoint.

Prerequisites

We will assume that you have mastered the material from CMSC 201, CMSC 202, and CMSC 203, including mastery of the C++ language. We will not review material that has been covered in the prerequisite courses. We do cover a few of the data structures from CMSC 202, but from a deeper point-of-view. A few advanced C++ topics such as templates and exceptions will be reviewed.

Grading

Your grade for this course will be based upon 5 projects, 2 in-class exams and the final exam. The projects are worth 40% of your grade, each project weighted equally. Each in-class exam is worth 20 percentage points; the final is worth 20 points. Note that the due dates for the projects and the dates of the exams are already set (q.v., the syllabus and project policy handout). Please plan your schedules accordingly. Makeup exams will be given only under the most dire circumstances (almost never) with appropriate documentation.

Your final letter grade is based on the standard formula:

0 <= F < 60, 60 <= D < 70, 70 <= C < 80, 80 <= B < 90, 90 <= A <= 100

These levels may be adjusted slightly in your favor, but grades will not be "curved" in the conventional sense.

Your grade is given for timely work done during the semester; incomplete grades will only be given for medical illness or other such dire circumstances (again, with documentation).

Attendance and Readings

You are expected to attend all lectures. You are responsible for all material covered in the lecture, even if it is not in the textbook. You should keep up with the assigned readings during the semester. Some reading material will be distributed through the course web page. You are responsible for the material in the readings, even if it is not covered during lecture.

You must study to do well in this course. It will not be enough to attend lectures and do the homework. As advanced undergraduates, you will be responsible for learning material that is not necessarily covered in lectures. A prime learning requirement is that you contribute to class discussions and raise questions about the course material.

BlackBoard Discussion Board

A BlackBoard site has been created for this course. This site is used primarily to support discussion boards, but announcements are also posted there.

A discussion board will be established for each programming project. Students are encouraged to post general project questions, answer questions posted by other students or just browse the discussion board to find answers to project questions. Your instructors and TAs will also be posting questions and answers. Your questions may be posted anonymously.

Other discussion boards for topics such as general C++ questions will also be established. The course BlackBoard is accessed by logging on to my.umbc.edu and clicking on the BlackBoard tab at the top of the page.

Contacting Me or the TAs

Please feel free to visit me or the TAs during our office hours. If you can't make it during the regular hours, please ask for an appointment. We will do everything we can to be available to provide help with this course. Office hours, phone numbers and other contact information is available on-line. If you need to contact any of the course staff outside of lecture and office hours, email is much better than the telephone. You should, however, observe the following etiquette:

• Please do not email program code. If you want me or the TA to help you debug your code submit the code in the usual way including functioning makefile, and then send email about the problem. We will look at the submitted code. Please, do NOT mail code to me or to the TA!
• Note that the Help Center does not offer help with code for this course.
• Please use your real name. Email from "Crazy Ape" does not get the attention you may want it to. Besides, when you get that great-paying job because you know data structures so well, will you want to send mail to your boss from "Crazy Ape?" Your mail will look much more professional if you use your real name.
• Include a meaningful subject line, something like "CMSC 341 Project 2 question."

Academic Integrity

Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Instances of cheating will be reported to the UMBC Academic Conduct Committee. These reports are filed by the Committee and can be used for disciplinary action such as a permanent record on your transcript. Academic honesty is absolutely required of you. You are expected to be honest yourself and to report any cases of dishonesty you see among other students in this class. Reports of dishonest behavior will be kept anonymous.

Further details on honesty in doing projects for this course are on-line at the Project Policy link.

Students are welcome and encouraged to study together for exams, but examinations are to be your own work - not your neighbor's and not your notes. All exams are closed-book, closed-notes. Only pencils (or pens) and erasers are permitted in the exam room unless otherwise indicated. Photo ID will also be required for the exams. Scratch paper is provided to you, as needed. Having any other materials in your possession during an exam will be taken as evidence of cheating and dealt with accordingly.

Syllabus

Course Web Pages

A few handouts will be provided in paper form at the first class. After that, all handouts will be provided only on the web. The Coursewide CMSC 341 web page URL is:

www.cs.umbc.edu/courses/undergraduate/341/fall04/

I have also put together a webpage specific to the 0201 section, it is at:

www.cs.umbc.edu/courses/undergraduate/341/fall04/hood/

Please check both web pages frequently. Any changes to the coursewide page will be mentioned in the "Latest News" link.