CMSC 341 Data Structures
Section 0401
Dr. Muhammad Rabi
Mon/Wed,   5:30 p.m.-6:45 p.m.,  SS 003


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++, 2nd Edition, by Mark Alan Weiss, Addison-Wesley

Recommended: C++ with Object-Oriented Programming by Paul S. Wang, PWS Publishing.

You may wish to consult other texts. Here are some suggestions:


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 50% of your grade, each project weighted equally. Each in-class exam is worth 15 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).

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 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.


Syllabus

 
Date
Topic
Reading
  Mon  29 Jan Project 1 Assigned
1 Mon   29 Jan C++ and OOP MAW 1
PSW 7,8,10,12
  Wed   31 Jan
Thur   1 Feb
Extra session: C++ Review
8:30-9:30 P.M.   SS 101
2 Wed   31 Jan C++ and OOP MAW 1
PSW 7,8,10,12
3 Mon   5 Feb Asymptotic Analysis MAW 2
  Wed   7 Feb
Thur   8 Sep
Extra session: Project 1 Preview
8:30-9:30 P.M.   SS 101
4 Wed  7 Feb List ADT and Implementations MAW 3
5 Mon  12 Feb List Implementations MAW 3
Wed  14 Feb Project 1 Due
Project 2 Assigned
6 Wed  14 Feb List Implementations MAW 3
7 Mon   19 Feb Stacks, Queues, and Applications MAW 3
  Wed   21 Feb
Thur   22 Feb
Extra session: Project 2 Preview
8:30-9:30 P.M.   SS 101
8 Wed   21 Feb Binary Search Trees MAW 4
9 Mon   26 Feb Binary Search Trees MAW 4
  Wed   28 Feb Project 2 Due 
  Wed   28 Feb
Thur   1 Mar
Extra session: Exam 1 Review
8:30-9:30 P.M.   SS 101
10 Wed   28 Feb Hashing MAW 5
11 Mon   5 Mar Exam 1
12 Wed   7 Mar Hashing MAW 5
13 Mon   12 Mar Priority Queues MAW 6
14 Wed   14 Mar Priority Queues MAW 6
Mon   19 Mar SPRING BREAK
Wed   21 Mar SPRING BREAK
Mon   26 Mar Project 3 Assigned
15 Mon   26 Mar Balanced Search Trees MAW 4
  Wed   28 Mar
Thur   29 Mar
Extra session: Project 3 Preview
8:30-9:30 P.M.   SS 101
16 Wed   28 Mar Balanced Search Trees MAW 4
17 Mon   2 Apr Balanced Search Trees MAW  4, 11
  Wed   4 Apr
Thur   5 Apr
Extra session: Exam 2 Review
8:30-9:30 P.M.   SS 101
18 Wed   4 Apr Balanced Search Trees MAW 11, 12
19 Mon   9 Apr Exam 2
20 Wed   11 Apr B-Trees MAW 4 + Notes
  Sun  15 Apr Project 3 Due
  Mon  16 Apr Project 4 Assigned
21 Mon   16 Apr B-Trees MAW 4 + notes
  Wed   18 Apr
Thur   19 Apr
Extra session: Project 4 Preview
8:30-9:30 P.M.   SS 101
22 Wed   18 Apr Graphs MAW 9
23 Mon   23 Apr Graphs MAW 9
24 Wed   25 Apr Graphs MAW 9
  Sun   29 Apr Project 4 Due
  Mon   30 Apr Project 5 Assigned
25 Mon   30 Apr Skip Lists MAW 10 + notes
  Wed   2 May
Thur   3 May
Extra session: Project 5 Preview
8:30-9:30 P.M.   SS 101
26 Wed   2 May Skip Lists  MAW 10 + notes
27 Mon  7 May Disjoint Sets MAW 8
28 Wed   9 May Disjoint Sets MAW 8
  Sun  13 May Project 5 Due
29 Mon   14 May Advanced Topics Notes
  Wed   16 May
Thur   17 May
Extra session: Final Exam Preview
8:30-9:30 P.M.   SS 101
  Mon  21 May Final Exam
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.


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
http://www.cs.umbc.edu/courses/undergraduate/341/spring01/index.shtml
Please check the web page frequently. Any changes to the page will be mentioned in the "What's New" link.
Last modified on Sunday 28 January 2001 by Dr. Muhammad Rabi
email: mrabi@cs.umbc.edu

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