Overview

Principles of Algorithm Design I  (CSCI 1320) prepares is our first computer science course in the professional sequence. It assumes no pre-requisite knowledge or experience, but the course moves rather quickly and it is essential that you keep up and prepare daily. The course examines problem solving and algorithm design. Among the topics examined will be divide and conquer, sequential searching, binary searching, sorting strategies, recursion, top down design, analysis of algorithms, computer organization, structured programming, and the C++ language.
 

Required Textbook

C++ Program Design (3rd Edition) McGraw Hill
by Cohoon & Davidson 

Bring your book to lecture!
 

Class Web Page

The class web page will contain links to assignments, course outline, sample exam questions, etc.

Home Page For Dr. Thomas E. Hicks

http://carme.cs.trinity.edu/thicks     [Select the Class Link From The Left Menu Bar]

http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~thicks    [Select the Class Link From The Left Menu Bar]

Grade Breakdown

Exams - 600 Points. There will be three exams this semester
 

Exam	Date	Points
Exam I	2/14	200
Exam II	3/28	200
Exam III	5/6	200

Quizzes - ~ 0-150 Points
We shall have a number of announced and unannounced quizzes this semester! Each quiz will contain questions related to lecture, labs, and readings during the previous two weeks. We will often have quizzes on Tuesdays!

Make-up quizzes will be available only to those individuals who can document their necessity to miss lecture while representing the university at a conference, on a team, etc. or those who can document an extended illness.

 I will drop the lowest quiz grade at the end of the semester! I am sure that each of you have a great reasons for missing class; by dropping the lowest quiz score, you will not be penalized. The quiz may be given at the beginning or lecture, at the end, or somewhere in the middle. Quizzes will often be 15 points.

Labs & Projects - 350-500 Points
Laboratory assignments will be assigned regularly throughout the semester.  Computer Science is a "participant sport".  A sizable portion of your grade is related to your usage of computers! In order to do well in this course, most of you should plan on using the computer about eight - nine hours a week.

Attendance & Class Participation
History documents that those students that attend and participate in class discussions do better on exams.  When a student comes to class consistently and participates in the discussions and questions, I can adjusting that 89% average to an A- etc. Come to class and participate!  Students will be dropped from this class for excessive absences.

Grading Scale
 

A     93% - 100%  A-   90% - 92.9%

B+     87% - 89.9%  B       83% - 86.9%  B-     80% - 82.9%

C+     77% - 79.9%  C       73% - 76.9%  C-      70% - 72.9%

D+     67% - 69.9%  D       63% - 66.9%  D-      60% - 62.9%

F     0% - 59.9%

Materials Required

1. 10-12 Floppy disks
2. 3 Letter Size Wire-Band Report Covers
3. 3 Disk Accessory Insert [3-ring binder zipper insert or 3-ring floppy disk pouch] 
4. 12 Notebook dividers (about two packs)

1. New Labs will be assigned almost daily.
2. All labs are due to be completed by the beginning of the next class period, unless the schedule page specifies otherwise.
3. You shall place all assignments in wire-band binder/report covers.
1. No assignments will be accepted unless they are punched and inserted into the wire band report covers. Make sure that all disks are in a plastic pouch; do not tape them in the binder or insert them loose.  Loose disks and loose paper assignments will be discarded!
1. The wire band binder will have a label, with your name, course number, and class time on the outside.
2. The first item on the inside will be the disk accessory insert and any necessary floppy disks; all disks placed in this folder must be labeled. Place your Name on each disk!
3. A notebook divider will be immediately after the disk accessory insert.
4. Each lab must have the lab assignment sheet in the front; these are available on the Internet.!
5. The labs shall be inserted into the wire-band folder in the order that they appear on the schedule!
6. Remove all graded assignments from the report folders and keep the graded assignments until the end of the semester.
7. Some assignments will be team assignments. Most assignments will be individual assignments. You need turn in only one copy of a team assignment.
4. Labs will generally be returned in 1-2 weeks by passing a crate of graded assignments around the class. Do not place your ungraded labs in that crate!
5. Remove graded labs from the folders and reuse the folders.
6. Use your  labs, or  copies of the labs,  to help you study.
7. Keep all labs until the end of the semester.
8. I generally have my student assistant help record most of the homework grades. Last semester, we recorded more than 600 scores; we made two mistakes [of which I know]. Keep a record of your total points. Near the end of the semester, I will provide you my record of your total points for comparison purposes.

About Late Labs!

1. Labs will be accepted for at least one week after the deadline.
2. It is generally better to complete a lab successfully and completely than to turn it in with errors!
3. Late assignments may be placed in my mail basket [on the table outside Dr. Howland's office]. Do not slide them under the department or office doors. Do not give them to a secretary. Do not give them to Dr. Hicks in the hall or a lab.
4. The penalty for 1 day late shall not exceed 10%. The penalty for two days late shall not exceed 20%. The penalty for three days late shall not exceed 40%. Labs turned in more than a week late will generally receive very  little credit!
5. There will often be several assignments due on the same date. In order to avoid late penalties on all labs, students may submit a portion of the labs, in one binder, on time and submit the remaining late labs in a separate binder later.

What if the Lab is Down For A Period Of Time?

Should university access to computer facilities significantly effect your ability to complete an assignment, due dates will be appropriately adjusted; these dates will not be altered if a lab is down for only part of an evening. It is not necessary to call Dr. Hicks if the network goes down. Labs should be done as scheduled!
 

Things That You Should Do To Maximize Success
 

1. Come to each and every class; students tell me that it generally takes them at least 7-10 hours to figure out what they missed.
2. Read chapters and materials as assigned - Write short sample blocks of code to help solidify concepts!
3. Go over class lecture notes soon after lecture - Write short sample blocks of code to help solidify concepts!
4. Get in a study group early in the semester. Study together for quizzes, exams, etc.
5. Spend 10 hours each week doing reviewing, programming, reading

1. Check your mail!
2. Seek help from study group members.
3. Bring printed copies of information that will help us detect your problems without going on-line!

Can you send me email?

Yes! I try to check my e-mail almost daily M-F but I am sometimes detained by students. I do answer many short questions. I do not debug programs mailed to me!

thicks@trinity.edu

1. bring an informal transcript
2. a letter listing work experiences, awards, scholarships, etc.
3. a placement form to add the recommendation to your file (if applicable)
4. stamped and addressed (typed) envelopes (if applicable)
5. hard copies of significant programming efforts that I have not seen (computer science majors)

Academic Integrity:

Some assignments will be team assignments. Most assignments will be individual assignments. With the exception of fellow team members, working on a team assignment, each student is to complete his/her own work. All exams shall be done individually by each student. It is this professor's feelings that those students who sacrifice their own integrity by falsely representing their work, or who knowingly aide others in doing so, have no place in higher education.

The general policy for cheating is an automatic "F" in the course, a letter submitted to student affairs, and the proper following of Trinity University academic integrity policy.

Take great care to erase all labs from university computers so that others may not submit your work as their own!  Do not loan any lab or project to a fellow student! Do your own work!

Before you resort to turning in someone else's work as your own, let's talk. If you are under undue pressure to aide other students in such a way that your own security is threatened, let's talk. It is not worth failing a three hour course and risking your entire academic future!
 

Office Hours:- Halsell 339B [First Come- First Serve]

Monday                   8:00 - 11:30 AM
Tuesday                   9:45 - 11:00 AM
Wednesday             8:00 - 11:30 AM
Thursday                 9:45 - 11:00 AM

I am almost always in my office or helping a student in a lab during office hours; if I must miss my office hours, I generally post a note on the door and/or send mail to my students and/or notify students in lecture. If  I am not physically in the office, I will have most often gone to one of the Halsell Labs to help one of my students. If  I am not in my office, check the CS Majors Lab [Halsell 329], check the UNIX/Win2000 lab [Halsell 228],  check the  UNIX/Win2000 lab [Halsell 340], the Virtual Reality Lab [Halsell 200] or the University Lab [Halsell 226]. Please let me know that you are waiting to see me.