Handouts and Notes:

• Syllabus

Teaching Assistant: Creidieki M. Crouch

Class Meeting Times:

Tu-Th 11:15 -- 12:30, LGRC-A 201

Discussion Meeting Times:

Th 2:30 -- 3:20, LGRC-A 201

What is this course about?

This course presents an introduction to the design and analysis of computer algorithms. You will learn how to write fast algorithms for many kinds of problems; and, you will learn to estimate how long they will take even before you run them. We will study some interesting algorithms and data structures. You will also learn some design techniques for inventing new, efficient algorithms. You will develop your analytic skills to let you look at an algorithm and decide where the bottleneck is -- which part of the algorithm deserves the design effort in order to speed the whole thing up.

Required Text:

Algorithms by Sanjoy Dasgupta, Christos Papadimitiriou, and Umesh Vazirani, paperback, McGraw Hill, ISBN: 0073523402 or 978-0073523408. This is available at the Jeffery Amherst College Bookstore in downtown Amherst. Please buy the book right away and read Chapter 0.

Prerequisites:

CS 187 and CS 250 are important prerequisites. These provide familiarity with basic data structures, and with mathematical reasoning, respectively.

Requirements:

There will be reading assignments to be completed before each class and problem sets almost every week. There will be two evening tests and a final.

Grading:

Your final average will be computed using essentially the following percentages: Problem Sets (40%), Participation (5%), Tests (15% each), Final (25%). The Participation grade is based on your attendance and participation in class plus the weekly Discussion Sections. If I find that attendance and/or effort is lacking then I reserve the right to give you a few pop quizes, Included in effort is doing the required reading on time and starting to work on the problems well in advance of when they are do,

Tests:

The two evening tests will be: October 7 and November 12, from 7:15 to 8:45 pm. The final, on Dec. 17 at 4 pm, will be comprehensive. All three tests will be closed books and notes, with no calculators or computers allowed.

Late Submission Policy:

The problem sets are relevant to the current course material and so it is important that they be completed and handed in on or before their deadlines. If you submit your work up to one week late, 20% will be deducted from that grade. However, I will permit one free late assignments per student, i.e., no more than one week late, without points deducted and with no questions asked. Material over one week late will not be accepted unless there is a valid medical reason, signed by a doctor, etc.

Collaboration Policy:

Students are encouraged to discuss the course work and homeworks. Working together and helping each other helps you learn. However, all work that you submit must be written up on your own . Any assignments handed in that have nearly identical parts may be taken as evidence of cheating and will result in serious consequences, including likely failure of the course. If you get an important idea for the solution of a problem or program from someone else, or something you read on or off-line then be sure to acknowledge your source, e.g. I was working with so and so and they helped me on this problem. Not doing so is plagiarism and could have serious consequences. However, even if you acknowledge your source, your solution must be in your own words, not copied nor nearly identical to what you read or were shown. I know this may seem subtle: i.e., plagiarism will be punished severely, yet, acknowledged collaboration is encouraged up to a point. I will talk about this some in class and discussion section. Please feel free to ask early and often until you are confident that you understand this policy.

CS 311 Web page:

All handouts, plus other notes will appear on the syllabus webpage. Please check this webpage at least every week!

Important Tips for Success in this Course:

• Attend all lectures and discussion sections.

• Do the required weekly readings on time. This will help you understand the lectures.

• Work and think about the weekly problems. Look at the problems the day you get them. Make sure that you understand all of them and ask questions early about any that are not clear. You will find that when you go to write the problems up later you will have already made progress on many of them. This really works and is one of the important features of the parallel nature of our minds.

• Interact with me, the TA, and other members of the class. Learning can be an enjoyable and cooperative experience.

• Use your time well: our weekly schedule will involve the following:
  • problems sets: handed out on Tuesdays and due in class the following Tuesday;
  • weekly reading assignments: mostly from the text. Please note that even though you will only be asked to read an average of 25 pages per week, this reading is very intense: you must go over the material carefully, working examples and problems and making sure that you solidly understand what you read;
  • lectures: introducing new material, Tuesday and Thursday mornings;
  • discussion section: this will be a combination problem session and office hour, Thursday afternoons. To get the most out of the course, do the readings carefully and on time, i.e., before the relevant class. Note any questions you may have. These will make good questions for the class on the relevant material. Take careful notes in class and go over your notes afterwards, making sure you understand all material covered and identifying any questions you may have. Similarly, read the problems carefully when they are assigned and identify any questions you may have about them. Then it is your opportunity and obligation during the discussion section to raise any and all questions that you may have. If you do this, you will help yourself and your classmates understand the current material and prepare yourself to solve the homework problems, maximizing learning and minimizing frustration.