Department of Computer Science
CS 210 - Data Structures

Fall 1997 Syllabus

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Solving complex algorithmic problems requires the use of appropriate data structures, such as stacks, priority queues, search trees, dictionaries, hash tables, and graphs. It also requires the ability to measure the efficiency, or "complexity" of operations like sorting and searching, in order to make effective choices among alternative solutions. This course is a study of data structures -- their design, implementatin, and effective use in solving complex computational problems. Laboratory exercises in Java will provide an opportunity to study the characteristics of these data structures directly.

TEXTS (required):

Duane Bailey, Java Structures, draft text,
David Flanagan, Java in a Nutshell 2nd edition, O'Reilly, 1997, and
On-line Java Documentation

INSTRUCTOR:

Allen Tucker, 211 Adams Hall
Email address: allen@polar.bowdoin.edu
Web address: http://www.bowdoin.edu/~allen
Office Hours: MTTh 3:30-5:00, or by arrangement

MEETING TIMES:

Class meeting: TTh 2:00 - 3:30 Adams 106
Lab meeting: W 2:00-3:15 Adams 208

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week of	Topics	Readings	Work Due
Aug 25	Transition to Java: classes and objects	Chapters 0, 1, handout
Sept 1	Formal comments; preconditions and postconditions	Chapter 2	Lab 1
Sept 8	The Vector class, analysis, implementation	Chapter 3	Lab 2
Sept 15	Formal methods: O notation, induction and recursion, sorting	Chapters 4, 5	Lab 3
Sept 22	Linked lists; design, implementation, and performance	Chapter 6	Lab 4
Sept 29	*** test 1 ***
Oct 6	Design concepts	Chapter 7	Lab 5
Oct 13	Stacks and queues	Chapter 8
Oct 20 (1/2 week)	Iterators, ordering	Chapters 9, 10	Lab 6
Oct 27	Trees, traversal	Chapter 11	Lab 7
Nov 3	*** test #2 ***
Nov 10	Priority queues; complexity issues, applications	Chapter 12	Lab 8
Nov 17	Binary search trees, balancing, splay trees	Chapter 13	Lab 9
Nov 24 (1/2 week)	Dictionaries and hash tables	Chapter 14	Lab 10
Dec 1	Overview of graphs	Chapter 15
Dec 8	*** Final Exam Period (test #3) ***

WORK FOR THE COURSE: The work for this course includes class participation, readings, three tests, and 10 weekly lab assignments. All lab assignments can be downloaded directly from this Web page on the Monday of the week when it is assigned. All work will be graded and will contribute to your course grade. Attendance is required for all scheduled class and lab meetings. Lab work may be done either individually or in teams of two (your choice), but written lab exercises should be completed individually. Each lab assignment should be turned in on the Monday following the week it is assigned. Students are expected to follow Bowdoin's Computer Use Policy as well as its Academic Honor Code.