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Java API
- Instructor:
Prof. Rahul Simha
- Time/place:
- Class: Tuesdays/Thursdays 11.10 - 12.25pm, Tompkins 411
- Lab: Tuesdays, 6.10 - 7.30, Tompkins 411.
- Office Hours: Tuesdays 3-5pm, Phillips 717.
- TA: Khanh Nguyen (Email: ndkhanh AT gwmail.gwu.edu)
- TA Office Hours: Mon 2-4, Fri 11-1, 725 Phillips.
- Course CRN's: Class (86660), Lab (86661)
- Prerequisites: CS-123 and CS 143 (or equivalents) - see undergraduate curriculum. Working knowledge of Java.
- Course description: In this course, students will learn core concepts in algorithms, data structures, and problem-solving techniques. Students will be exposed to classic problems in computer science (such as searching and sorting), classic data structures (hashing, heaps) and classic optimization problems (such as the Traveling Salesman Problem). Students will be encouraged to write clean, efficient code for their assignments. The course will be conducted lab-style with a mix of lecture, lab assignments and projects.
- Learning outcomes:
By the end of this course, students will:
- Understand algorithmic specification, pseudocode.
- Be able to implement a complex data structure.
- Be able to implement a complex algorithm.
- Be able to analyze the execution time of an algorithm
- Acquire an understanding of standard topics in algorithms: sorting, searching, trees, hashing, graph algorithms, dynamic programming, combinatorial optimization, NP-completeness, heuristic search.
- Textbook:
A fair portion of the course does not need a textbook because
the lecture material is available to you on this site. However,
I recommend one of the following:
- Algorithms. By S.Dasgupta, C.Papadimitriou and U.Vazirani (McGraw-Hill). This is an elegant, small-ish textbook with just the right material for a first course in algorithms. Explanations of algorithmic ideas use excellent examples and proofs are easy to follow. It is not, however, as comprehensive as the one below.
- Introduction to Algorithms. T.H.Cormen, C.E.Leiserson and R.L.Rivest. (McGraw-Hill). This book covers much more material than can be handled in a single-semester course. It's advantages are that it makes a useful desktop reference, algorithms are fleshed out in detail with examples and accurate pseudocode, and the book is up-to-date in most areas. Disadvantages: it's bulky, and can initially be intimidating.
- Foundations of Algorithms. R.Neapolitan and K.Naimpour (Jones and Bartlett). This book is a compromise between the sweeping coverage of the Cormen book and the tight, condensed Dasgupta book. The book covers some topics, such as backtracking and branch-and-bound, that are hard to find in other books. Overall, a nice book with solid coverage of topics that are well-presented.
- Programming load: The course will be fairly programming-intensive, comparable with CS143 or CS154. If you are taking TWO OTHER programming-intensive courses, you could be in for a rough semester. Stop by and discuss the issue with me.
- Java: The course will make strong use of Java, especially in the assignments. See the CS143 homepage for some Java references.
- Coursework and grading:
- 7-8 points: some unannounced quizzes.
- 30 points: five 1-week exercises.
- 48 points: four 2-week assignments.
- 15 points: one in-class exam.
- Assignment submission and late work policy:
- All assignments will be submitted via your Unix accounts. Follow these instructions when submitting work.
- No late submissions will be accepted for the exercises.
- The assignments may be submitted late, but points will be taken off: 20 percent for each 24-hour period after the due-date. These points will not be pro-rated hourly. Thus, if an assignment is due 5pm Oct 19th, a submission at 5.05pm Oct 19th loses 20 percent.
- The submission time will be determined by the file-date of your crypt file. Hardcopy late submissions must be initialled with the submission time by one of the secretarial staff if I am not available.
- If you're seeking an extension because you've been ill and have a letter from a doctor, come by and see me about it.
- Don't forget: you need to pick a crypt-key for the semester and email that to the TA before the first exercise or assignment is due.
- Email policy: You can send email to my GW email address. I will answer most class email during specific times set aside during the week for this purpose - so do not expect an instantaneous response. Since this is an advanced class, you may not perform "debugging by email". That is, do not send me code snippets and ask me to identify the problem. If you want me to look at your code, you have to stop by in person during office hours and bring along hardcopy. Email is typically used for clarification regarding coursework. If there is a TA assigned to the course, you ought to try to email the TA assignment-related questions before emailing me.
- Academic Integrity policy:
- In this course, you will be expected to work on all assigned coursework by yourself, unless otherwise specified by instructions on this page. If you have any questions whatsoever regarding these policies, see me during office hours.
- You may not, without permission from the instructor, exchange course-related code with anyone (including anyone not registered in the course), or download code for use in your coursework, or use material from books other than the textbook. Likewise, you may not look at anyone else's code or show your code to anyone else. Protect your work: for example, be careful not to leave your printouts around.
- If using a tutor, you may not show your CS153-related code to your tutor nor use code shown or written by your tutor. All tutors for CS153 need to first register with me, by meeting me during office hours.
- If you use material in your assignments that are from outside the course material, then you should be prepared to explain that material. The instructor and TA's reserve the right to question you on your use of extraneous material. Failure to answer such questions might be viewed as grounds for an integrity violation.
- The Academic Integrity Code will apply to this course. Please read through the code carefully.
- Penalties for violating the code or the policies described here include failing this course, and are elaborated in the Academic Integrity Code.
- If you have a disability that may effect your participation in this course and wish to discuss academic acommodations, please contact me as soon as possible.
- Coding standards:
- Having completed CS-143, you are expected to submit well-written code:
- Include high-level documentation.
- Comments must be substantive and must follow pseudocode where appropriate (more about this later).
- Select readable variable names and method names.
- Use consistent Java style:
- Consistent indentation (preferred: two or four spaces).
- Variable and method names start lowercase.
- Class names start uppercase.
- Capitalize multi-word names instead of using underscores.
- You will learn to write efficient code in this course, but also need to pay attention to the three golden principles of coding: simplicity, clarity and generality.
- Points may be taken off for "ugly code" even if correct and efficient.