CPE360 Computational Data Structures and Algorithms
Fall 2008

Data structures and computer algorithms are the building blocks in computer programming. This course will give students a comprehensive introduction of common data structures, and algorithm design and analysis.

E115 Introduction to Programming
or
Knowledge of C++ programming

Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in C++, Mark Allen Weiss, 3rd Edition, Published by Addison-Wesley, 2006.

• Data Structures, Algorithms, and Applications in C++, 2nd Edition, Sartaj Sahni, Silicon Press.
• Introduction to Algorithms, 2nd Edition. Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest and Clifford Stein, MIT Press.

• Introduction of algorithm analysis: complexity and running time
• Sorting and order statistics: heap sort, merge sort, bubble sort, quick sort, bucket sort
• Elementary data structures: arrays, stacks, queues, linked lists
• Advanced data structures: heaps, trees, hashing
• Searching algorithms: linear and binary search
• Elementary graph algorithms: representations, breath-first search, depth-first search
• Minimum spanning trees: Prim's Algorithm, Kruskal's Algorithm
• Single-source shortest paths and all-pairs shortest paths

• Homework: (25%) There will be regular homework assignments including theory problems and programming assignments.
• Quiz: (15%) There will be two to three in-class quiz to test students. understanding of the current materials. For each quiz, a notice will be given one class ahead to allow students to prepare.
• Midterm: (20%) There will be one midterm exam.
• Final Exam: (35%) There will be a final exam. The final exam is comprehensive.
• Class Attendance: (5%) It is important to attend lectures and provide course evaluation at the end.
• All quiz and exam are close book and close notes.

Students are expected to attend all lectures and perform all reading assignments in the textbook. Students will be evaluated according to their performance on class attendance, homework, quiz, midterm and final exam.

Cheating on homework and exams will not be tolerated. We want to protect the fairness and integrity of the class, so we run code similarity detectors on the homework and scrutinize exams for copying. Both parties in the exchange are liable; e.g. if you give away solutions to friends, you're putting yourself at risk too. If you get caught, it's a nasty process---just don't go there! You're better off dropping the course and trying it again.

That said, we do encourage you to talk to your classmates, provided you follow the Gilligan's Island Rule. After a joint discussion of an assignment or problem, each student should discard all written material and then go do something mind-numbing for half an hour. For example, go watch an episode of Gilligan's Island (or Reality TV in modern terms), and then recreate the solutions. The idea of this policy is to ensure that you fully understand the solutions or ideas that the group came up with.