CMSC 341H Data Structures Fall 2006

Section 0101 (Tues/Thurs 11:30 - 12:45 MP 008)

Dr. Tim Oates

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

Required: Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in C++, 3rd Edition, by Mark Alan Weiss, Addison-Wesley, ISBN 0-321-37531-9

Recommended:


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 concepts 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 on 5 programming projects, 2 in-class exams and the final exam.

Each programming project is 8% of your grade, each exam is 20% of your grade.

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).

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.

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.


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:

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. 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.


Class Schedule

Class
Date
Topic
Reading
1 Thurs Aug 31 Introduction and C++ MAW 1
2
Tues Sep 5 C++ and OOP MAW 1

Wed Sep 6
Project 1 Assigned

3 Thurs Sep 7 Asymptotic Analysis MAW 2
4 Tues Sep 12 Asymptotic Analysis MAW 3
5 Thurs Sep 14 List ADT and Implementations MAW 3
6 Tues Sep 19 List Implementations MAW 3

Wed Sep 20
Project 1 Due

7 Thurs Sep 21 Stacks, Queue, Deque ADT MAW 3
8 Tues Sep 26
Exam 1
Classes 1 - 7

Wed Sep 27
Project 2 Assigned

9 Thurs Sep 28 Introduction to Trees MAW 4.1 & 4.2
10 Tues Oct 3 Introduction to Trees MAW 4.1 & 4.2
11
Thurs Oct 5 Binary Search Trees MAW 4.3
12 Tues Oct 10 Binary Search Trees MAW 4.3

Wed Oct 11
Project 2 Due
Project 3 Assigned

13 Thurs Oct 12 Splay Trees MAW 4.5
14 Tues Oct 17 Red-Black Trees MAW 12.2 + notes
15 Thurs Oct 19 Red-Black Trees MAW 12.2 + notes
16 Tues Oct 24 B-Trees MAW 4.7

Wed Oct 25
Project 3 Due

17 Thurs Oct 26 B-Trees MAW 4.7
18 Tues Oct 31 K-D trees MAW 12.6
19 Thurs Nov 2
Exam 2
Classes 9 - 18
20 Tues Nov 7 Priority Queues and Heaps MAW 6

Wed Nov 8
Project 4 Assigned

21 Thurs Nov 9 Priority Queues and Heaps MAW 6
22 Tues Nov 14 Hashing MAW 5
23 Thurs Nov 16 Hashing MAW 5
24 Tues Nov 21 Skip Lists MAW 10.4.2 + notes

Wed Nov 22
Project 4 Due


Thurs Nov 24
Thanksgiving


Mon Nov 27
Project 5 Assigned

25 Tues Nov 28 Disjoint Sets MAW 8
26 Thurs Nov 30 Graphs MAW 9.1, 9.3 + notes
27 Tues Dec 5 Graphs MAW 9.1, 9.3 + notes
28 Thurs Dec 7 Graphs MAW 9.1, 9.3 + notes

Sun Dec 10
Project 5 Due

29 Tues Dec 12
Review
Thursday, December 14th, 10:30 - 12:30
Final Exam
Classes 20 - 28

Course Web Page

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 course web page URL is

www.cs.umbc.edu/courses/undergraduate/341/fall06/index.shtml
Please check the web page frequently. Any changes to the page will be mentioned in the "Latest News" link.