CS 315: Algorithms & Data Structures

Fall 2008: TTh 2:00 - 3:30 in GAR 0.102

TAs:

• Yulin Li , yulinli@cs.utexas.edu           Office Hours: W 11-12 and Th 10-11 at ENS 31NQ Desk 4.
• Dmitry Kit, dkit@cs.utexas.edu           Office Hours: T - 10:00 am, W - 12:00 pm in CSA 1.104
• Thomas Finsterbusch, tfinster@cs.utexas.edu           Office Hours: Monday, 1pm-3pm, Thursday, 1pm-2pm in ENS 31NQ desk #5.

Text:Mark Allen Weiss, Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in Java, 2nd Ed.; Amazon; Barnes & Noble.

Course Notes: Strongly recommended; obtain at WEL 2.228. Online by Contents or Index or PDF      DO NOT print out the slides on CS department printers.

Web Page: http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/novak/cs315.html

Programming assignments will mainly be done in Java, perhaps some in Lisp. Program files may be provided, in the directory /projects/cs315/ or in the FTP directory for Program Files, ftp://ftp.cs.utexas.edu/pub/novak/cs315/ for use with the assignments. The files are described by Program File Descriptions. It is legal to use any of these files as part of your programs.

Prerequisite:

Topics:

• Introduction: why we need clever algorithms and data structures.
• Performance: Big O: how much time and storage are needed as data sizes become large
• Some Lisp: (+ x 3)
• Lists and Recursion; Stacks and Queues
• Trees and Tree Recursion
• Using Library Packages
• Balanced Trees and Maps
• Hashing and randomization; XOR
• Priority Queues
• Sorting, Merge
• Graphs
• Map, Reduce, and MapReduce

Course grades are assigned on the scale A = 90-100, B = 80-90, etc. provided that the Final Exam grade is at least 65; if the Final Exam grade is below 65, a lower course grade may be assigned at the instructor's discretion. Grades are averaged using the following weights:

Attendance	10%
Midterm Exam	20%		Thursday, October 16, in class
Final Exam	30%		Thursday, December 11, 9-12 AM
Programming Assignments	40%

Each student will get 3 free absences; longer absences for things such as serious illness will be granted when documented. There will be a 10% per day late penalty for late programming assignments up to 4 days; no late assignments will be accepted after 4 days.

Programming projects must be your own individual work. Students may discuss concepts or help with specific problems in another student's code. However, sharing code constitutes plagiarism. Students may not work together on program design. The Moss program will sometimes be used to detect duplicated programs.