Syllabus

CS 1321 (Principles of Algorithm Design II):
Syllabus

Prerequisites

CS 1320, or consent of instructor.

Course description

This course is the second course for computer science majors, following the guidelines established by the Association for Computing Machinery. This course also partially satisfies the requirements for Understanding the World Through Science of the common curriculum. The course content will include defining data types including singly-linked lists, doubly-linked lists, stacks, queues, and trees; recursion; use of libraries; pointers; dynamic memory; type-independent programming; and program implementation strategies.

Course goals and objectives

The objectives of this course include, but are not limited to, the following:

learning fundamental problem-solving methodology
implementing algorithms using a programming language
dealing with complex systems
development and analysis of algorithms
introduction to the basic topics in data structures

Instructor

Instructor:: Dr. Berna Massingill
E-mail:: bmassing@cs.trinity.edu
Web page:: http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~bmassing/
Office:: Halsell 201L
Office hours:: See my Web page.
Office phone:: (210) 999-8138

Textbook

Data Structures and Other Objects Using C++; Michael Main and Walter Savitch; Addison-Wesley; 1997.

Other references

(This list of references graciously provided by Drs. Oldham and Eggen.)

Cormen, Leiserson and Rivest, Introduction to Algorithms, McGraw Hill, 1990. Emphasizes algorithms, not programming.
Cygnus, The ISO/ANSI C++ Draft Standard. If you want to know about some obscure C++ rule and have lots of hours to understand the terminology.
Daniel P. Friedman and Matthias Felleisen, The Little LISPer, MIT Press, 1987, Trade Edition. A good book on recursion.
Daniel P. Friedman and Matthias Felleisen, The Little Schemer, MIT Press, 1995, Fourth Edition. A good book on recursion.
Nicolai M. Josuttis, The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference, Addison Wesley, 1999. A good STL reference book.
Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie, The C Programming Language, Prentice Hall, 1989, Second Edition. The reference for C, written by its creators.
Andrew Koenig and Barbara Moo, Ruminations on C++, Addison Wesley, 1997. A great but advanced book on C++ programming.
Stanley B. Lippman and Josée Lajoie, C++ Primer, Addison Wesley, 1998. A lengthy book introducing C++ language features.
Stanley B. Lippman, Essential C++, Addison Wesley, 2000. A very short, not-yet-published book covering C++ essentials.
P.J. Plauger, Alexander A. Stepanov, and Meng Lee, Standard Template Library: A Definitive Approach to C++ Programming, Prentice Hall, 1996. Presumably authoritative, since one of the authors wrote the STL.
Bjarne Stroustrup, The C++ Programming Language, Addison Wesley, 1997. The creator of the C++ programming language introduces its features.

Grades

The grades in this course will be determined by the results of

three exams, two in class and one during the scheduled final-exam period,
several homework assignments, and
class participation.

Averages will be calculated as a simple percentage, i.e., points earned divided by points possible. Exams will account for approximately 50 percent of the total points (with the two in-class exams equally weighted and the final worth twice that much); homeworks will account for about another 40 percent; class participation will account for the remaining 10 percent (possibly less). Letter grades will be assigned according to the following scale

90-100: A
80-89: B
70-79: C
60-69: D

with plus and minus grades assigned in marginal cases.

Exams

Exams are comprehensive but will emphasize the most recent material. They are scheduled as follows. Please plan accordingly.

Examination 1: February 16, in class
Examination 2: March 22, in class
Final Examination:
- For CS1321-3 (MWF 10:30am): May 9, 2pm
- For CS1321-4 (MWF 11:30am): May 5, 6:30pm

Homeworks

Several homework assignments will be required for successful completion of this class. Each assignment will be due at the beginning of the period on the day assigned.

Most homeworks will be laboratory problems, which will be coded in a suitable programming language. You are encouraged to use the department's network of Unix machines, but unless otherwise specified for individual assignments, you may use any other system that provides a suitable environment. Detailed requirements for problem submission will be provided with each assignment.

Class participation

Class participation points will be assigned on the basis of both attendance and contribution to class discussion.

Attendance

Regular class attendance is strongly encouraged.

Class Web page

Much course-related information (this syllabus, homework assignments and sample solutions, example programs, and so forth) will be made available via the World Wide Web. You can find the home page for the course at http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~bmassing/CS1320_2000spring/info.html. This page is not only a starting point for Web-accessible course material but will also be used for course-related announcements, so you should plan to check it frequently.

Late and missed work

Exams can be made up only in cases of documented conflict with a university-sponsored activity or documented medical emergency. The former requires prior notice.

Homework will normally be accepted up to five days late, at a penalty of 10 percent off per day. More stringent deadlines may be imposed for individual assignments.

Collaboration and academic integrity

Unless otherwise specified, all work submitted for a grade (exams, quizzes, and homeworks) must represent the student's own individual effort. Discussion of homework assignments among students is encouraged, but not to the point where the actual program code is being written collectively. Programs that are identical beyond coincidence are in violation of the Academic Integrity policy of the university and will result in disciplinary action, including, but not limited to, a failing grade on that assignment for all parties involved. You are responsible for the security of your work, both electronic and hard copy.

CS 1321 (Principles of Algorithm Design II): Syllabus