Some Dates to Remember

Course Description

You will also study the relationships among data structures, their utility in various situations, and factors affecting their performance. You will learn to analyze the time complexity of algorithms, and how to choose appropriate data structures and algorithms.

In addition to these topics, you will be responsible for learning how to prove theorems by induction,

Textbooks

Recommended:

• Your favorite Java reference book -- here are some of mine


• Java in a Nutshell, 5th Edition by David Flanagan, O'Reilly, 2005, ISBN 0-596-00773-6
• Thinking in Java, edition by Bruce Eckel, Prentice-Hall PTR, 2006, ISBN 0-131-87248-6. Available online at http://www.codeguru.com/java/tij/tij_c.shtml.
• Head First Java, Second Edition by Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates, O'Reilly, 2005, ISBN 0-596-00920-8

• Data structures and algorithms with object-oriented design patterns in Java by Bruno Preiss, Wiley, 1999.
• Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis by Clifford Shaffer, Prentice-Hall, 1996. 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 Java by Sartaj Sahni, McGraw-Hill, 1998.
• Data Structures and Algorithms by Alfred Aho, John Hopcroft, and Jeffrey Ullman, Addison-Wesley, 1983. 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, 2006. Update of another classic.
• Abstract Data Types by Nell Dale and Henry Walker, D.C. Heath and Company, 1996. 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

Grading

It is a very bad idea not to turn in all projects. Even a poorly done project is much better than no project because:

• I will think much more highly of you at grading time
• Zeros on projects really hurt your grade
• But mostly, even if the project is a disaster, you will have learned something from the work you do,

Each programming project is 8% of your grade, each exam is 20% of your grade. Exams are not cumulative, in that they will stress the materials not yet covered by an exam.

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 and project extensions will be given only in event of an emergency. An "emergency" is defined as "an unanticipated event requiring immediate attention". For example, having 3 projects due on the same day is not an emergency, since you (should) know that this convergence is occurring. A reunion concert of the Grateful Dead, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, emceed by Heath Ledger and River Phoenix may be completely unexpected, but it doesn't require you to miss a due date, so it isn't an emergency, either.

I am very anal about these kinds of things, so if you ask for an extension, your reason really better be good.

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

Attendance and Readings

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 may not be covered in lectures. A prime learning requirement is that you contribute to class discussions and raise questions about the course material.
In most cases, the power point slides and readings I use in lecture are available in advance on the course web site. I strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with these materials before the lecture. It would be especially helpful for you to print them before lecture and take your notes on them. That way, you won't spend a lot of time copying notes that you already have, and you will be able to listen to and interact with the lectures, which will help you learn the materials more thoroughly.

Contacting Me or the TAs

• 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 (checking it in via CVS), 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 your UMBC account to send mail. This will remove any ambiguity about who you are (and avoid being eliminated by my spam filter).
• Include a meaningful subject line, something like "CMSC 341 Project 2 question."

Academic Integrity

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

• Dates and topics are subject to change as required by class progress
• MAW = Weiss text "Data Structures & Algorithm Analysis in Java"

Course Web Page

www.cs.umbc.edu/courses/undergraduate/341/spring09/index.shtml