CMSC 341 Data Structures
Spring 2002
Section 0401
Professor Yun Peng
MW  2:00-3:15, BS120

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:

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.

Help Sessions

Help sessions are held throughout the semester at 8:30 PM  every Thursday and 1:00 PM every Friday in room ACIV 014.  Help session topics include Unix, makefiles, compiling with g++, good coding practices and C++  topics such as working with templates, exceptions and class design.  Projects  and exam review questions will also be discussed.  Students  are encouraged to suggest help session topics.

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
Class
Date
Topic
Reading
Mon 28 Jan
Project 1 Assigned
1 Mon 28 Jan Introduction and C++  MAW 1
2 Wed 30 Jan C++ and OOP MAW 1
3 Mon 04 Feb Asymptotic Analysis MAW 2
4 Wed 06 Feb List ADT and Implementations MAW 3
5 Mon 11 Feb List Implementations MAW 3
Wed 13 Feb
Project 1 Due
Wed 13 Feb
Project2 Assigned
6 Wed 13 Feb Stacks, Queues and Deques MAW 3
7 Mon 18 Feb Stacks, Queues and Deques MAW 3
8 Wed 20  Feb Binary Search Trees MAW 4
9 Mon 25 Feb Binary Search Trees MAW 4
Tue 26 Feb
Project 2 Due
10 Wed 27 Feb Balanced Search Trees MAW 4
11 Mon 04 Mar
Exam 1
 Classes 1 thru 9
Wed 06 Mar
Project 3 Assigned
12 Wed 06 Mar Balanced Search Trees MAW 4
13 Mon 11 Mar Balances Search Trees MAW 4
14 Wed 13 Mar Balanced Search Trees MAW 4
15 Mon 18 Mar Hashing MAW 5
Tue 19 Mar
Project 3 Due
16 Wed 20 Mar Hashing MAW 5
Mon 25 Mar
Spring Break
Wed 27 Mar
Spring Break
17 Mon 01 Apr Priority Queues and Heaps MAW  6
18 Wed 03 Apr Priority Queues and Heaps MAW 6
19 Mon 08 Apr
Exam 2
 Classes 12 - 18
Wed 10 Apr
Project 4 Assigned
20 Wed 10 Apr Skip Lists MAW 10 + Notes
21 Mon 15 Apr Skip Lists MAW 10 + notes
22 Wed 17 Apr Graphs MAW 9
23 Mon 22 Apr Graphs MAW 9
Tue 23 Apr
Project 4 Due
24 Wed 24 Apr Graphs  MAW 9
Wed 24 Apr
Project 5 Assigned
25 Mon 29 Apr Disjoint Sets MAW 8
26 Wed 01 May Disjoint Sets MAW 8
28 Mon 06 May B - Trees MAW 4 + notes
Tue 07 May
Project 5 Due
29 Wed 08 May B - Trees MAW 4 + notes
30 Mon 13 May Advanced Topic (tentative)
Wed. May 15
2:00 - 4:00, BS120
Final Exam

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.undergraduate/341/spring02/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 Monday August 20, 2001 by Dennis L. Frey

email: frey@cs.umbc.edu
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