Office and Addresses

Delta 171 Phone 281.283.3805
email: boetticher@uhcl.edu
Secretary: TBD, Delta 164 281.283.3860

Face-to-Face Class Hours

Wednesday 4:00 - 6:50 PM, Delta 241

Office Hours

Wed. 1:00 - 4, Thur. 1 - 4, or by appointment. If the suite door is locked, then call my extension (last 4 digits) using the phone in the hallway.

Teaching Assistant

Kavitha Tegulla (Primary)
Email: kavitha.notes@gmail.com
Office Hours: Monday 12 - 7 (Design Analysis students have priority), Wednesday 12 - 4, 7 -10

Mr. Manikanta "Mani" Rotikadi
Email: m.rotikadi@gmail.com 
Office Hours: Monday 7 -10, Tuesday 2 - 7, Wednesday 1 - 4, Thursday 1 - 4

Required Textbook

M.A. Weiss. Data Structures & Problem Solving Using Java, 4th EDITION. Addison Wesley / Pearson. 2009. (ISBN: 0321541405)

Additional resources:
 
Source Codes for Data Structures and Problem Solving Using Java, Fourth Edition
        The author’s web site: http://users.cis.fiu.edu/~weiss/
 
Java-related:
        Java SE Downloads: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html
        Java Installation Instructions: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/index-137561.html
        Java SE 6 Documentation: http://download.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/
        Java SE 6 API Specification: http://download.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/api/

Course Description

Advanced programming techniques and data structures including tables, linked lists, queues and stacks. Abstract Data Types, Recursion, Searching and Sorting. Binary Trees. Elementary algorithm design and implementation. The traditional undergraduate student load is 5 courses. Be prepared to commit 10 to 15 hours per week to this course!

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to:

• Understand basic software engineering life cycles in the large and in the small.
• Develop a disciplined approach to the design, coding, and testing of programs written in a block structured, high-level language.
• Be able to apply different data abstractions such as linked lists, stacks, queues and binary trees.
• Provide an understanding of different implementations of these data structures.
  Describe and apply different internal sort routines (bubble, insertion, selection and quick sort).
• Write a recursive function or procedure.
• Understand different search algorithms.
• Understand the complexity of algorithms (Big Oh notation).
• Understand implications of unethical conduct.

Prerequisites

CSCI 3133, CSCI 3234 and Java, or equivalent.

Note: Although the Data Structures concepts will be taught in a language independent manner in this class, example programs in Java are used to demonstrate the concepts. Students are expected to be fluent with the Java programming language.

Methodology

Lectures are combined with discussions and, if applicable, student presentations and discussions of advanced topics. Students are expected to be active participants, by studying the relevant chapters and/or research papers, and participating at in-class discussions.
 

Appraisal

Grading Scale

93+ = A; 90 = A-; 87+ = B+; 83+ = B; 80+ = B-; 77+ = C+;
73+ = C; 70 = C-; 67+ = D+; 63+ = D; 60+ = D-; 0+ = F

My motto:

Foster disciplined, altruistic passion.

Schedule

Jan 16 – Course Overview, Index Cards, Syllabus, Software Life Cycle (Large, Small), What is a data structure?

Assign Project 1A

FOR THIS WEEK (IF NOT SOONER)  

·   Read:  Syllabus, Chapters 1 and 2

Jan 23 – Pointers, Arrays

Assign Project 1B

FOR Next WEEK (IF NOT SOONER)

·   Read:  Chapter 6 (Pay attention to 6.5)

·   Read Chapter 17

Jan 30 – Linked Lists (Single, Double)

Assign Project 1C

FOR Next WEEK (IF NOT SOONER)

·   Read Chapter 6 (Pay attention to 6.6)

·   Read Chapter 16: Stacks and Queues

·   Read Chapter 11: Stacks and Compilers

Feb 6 – Stacks and Queues, infix, prefix, postfix notation 

FOR NEXT WEEK (IF NOT SOONER)

·   Read Chapter 7: Recursion

Feb 13 – Recursion

Assign Project 2

FOR Next WEEK (IF NOT SOONER)

·   Read Chapter 7: Recursion

Feb 20 – Recursion continued: GCD, Towers of Hanoi

FOR Next WEEK (IF NOT SOONER)

·   Read Chapter 9: Randomization

·   Read Chapter 13: Simulations

Feb 27 – Random number generators, simulations, Review

FOR Next WEEK (IF NOT SOONER)

·   Submit:  Midterm questions by Tuesday, March 5^th, 7 PM.

·   Study!

Mar 06 – Midterm

FOR Next WEEK (IF NOT SOONER)

·   Read:  Chapters 18, 19

Mar 13 – Spring Break - No Class

Mar 20 – Binary and AVL Trees

Mar 27 – Binary and AVL Trees - Review Exercises

Assign Project 3

FOR Next WEEK (IF NOT SOONER)

·   Read Chapter 20

Apr 03 – Hashing, Hash Tables

FOR Next WEEK (IF NOT SOONER)

·   Read Chapter 8

******** April 8 – Last day to withdraw ********

Apr 10 – Internal Sorts: Bubble, Exchange, Quicksort, Shell, Internal Sorts: Heap

Assign Project 4

FOR Next WEEK (IF NOT SOONER)

·   Read Chapter 5

Apr 17 – Algorithm Analysis, Big O notation

FOR Next WEEK (IF NOT SOONER)

·   Read TBD

Apr 24 – Ethics, Review

FOR Next WEEK (IF NOT SOONER)

·   Submit:  Final exam questions by Tuesday, April 30^th, 7 PM.

·   Study!

May 01 – Final Exam

Other Policies

Homework, Projects, Research Paper

• Homework and projects are due exactly at the prescribed time (usually the beginning of class). As soon as a homework or project is collected, then all others are considered 1 day late (even if it only 3 minutes). In the event you might be running late, you might want to email the assignment. Also, when preparing your assignment, be mindful of possible backlogs at the printer, jammed printer, printer out of toner, etc.

• Late homework/projects are accepted with a penalty of 10% deduction per 24-hour period after the due date. No late project will be accepted one week after the due date. The last homework/project cannot be late.

• There will be no extra-credit homework or projects in this course.

• All homework and projects must be typed not hand-written.

• A cover page is expected for all homework and projects. A sample of this cover page is included in the first assignment.

• VERY IMPORTANT! In certain classes students are encouraged to work in groups. For this class you are expected to work on all homework and projects individually. Students may not discuss, use, email, show, give, buy, sell, borrow, trade, steal, download from the Internet, etc. in whole or part, any of the homework or projects in any manner not prescribed by the instructor. This condition applies even after you complete this course! Penalty for cheating will be extremely severe and will result at least a one letter grade reduction in your final grade. It could result in an F for this course.

• Handing in an assignment for another student is considered cheating. Penalty for cheating will be extremely severe and may result in an F for this course.

• VERY IMPORTANT! Failing to report to the instructor any incident in which a student witnesses an alleged violation of the Academic Honesty Code is considered a violation of the academic honesty code. Please see me to discuss any incidents.

• VERY IMPORTANT! Purchasing, or otherwise acquiring and submitting as one's own work any research paper or any other writing assignment prepared by others constitutes cheating. Penalty for cheating will be extremely severe and may result in an F for this course.

• Standard academic honesty procedure will be followed. See the following link for additional information. Here is another good article about plagiarism. Please review the following links regarding plagiarism very carefully: http://www.indiana.edu/%7Ewts/wts/plagiarism.html              http://www.hamilton.edu/writing/style/plagiarism/plagiarism.html                 http://ollie.dcccd.edu/library/Module4/M4-VII/plagar.htm                                                 http://www.realisticdiplomas.com/A-Guide-To-Plagiarism.aspx

• Standard academic honesty procedure will be followed. See the following link for additional information: http://b3308-adm.cl.uh.edu/PolicyProcedures/Policy.html

Tests and Quizzes

• There are no make-up tests except in verified medical emergencies and with immediate notification.

Face-to-face: Rescheduling a final exam in order to catch a plane flight in order to go back home is unacceptable.

Make up exams are harder and different from the original exams.

Pure Web-based: Will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Make up exams are harder and different from the original exams.

• There are no make-up quizzes. Allow plenty of additional time in the event that Blackboard crashes.

• You are responsible for all the readings assigned throughout the semester.

• Students are to work on test and quizzes individually.  Students may not discuss, show, give, sell, borrow, trade, share, etc. their tests or quizzes. Penalty on cheating will be extremely severe. Standard academic honesty procedure will be followed.

• VERY IMPORTANT! Providing answers for any assigned work or examination when not specifically authorized by the instructor to do so. Or, informing any person or persons of the contents of any examination prior to the time the examination is given is considered cheating. Penalty for cheating will be extremely severe and may result in an F for this course.

• VERY IMPORTANT! Failing to report to the instructor any incident in which a student witnesses an alleged violation of the Academic Honesty Code is considered a violation of the academic honesty code. Please see me to discuss any incidents.

Miscellaneous

• Any person with a disability who requires a special accommodation should inform me and contact the Disability services office or call 281 283 2627 as soon as possible.

• 6 Drop Rule: Students who entered college for the first time in Fall 2007 or later should be aware of the course drop limitation imposed by the Texas Legislature.  Dropping this or any other course between the first day of class and the census date for the semester/session does not affect your 6 drop rule count.   Dropping a course between the census date and the last day to drop a class for the semester/session will count as one of your 6 permitted drops.  You should take this into consideration before dropping this or any other course. Visit www.uhcl.edu/records for more information on the 6 drop rule and the census date information for the semester/session.

• Incomplete grades or administrative withdrawals occur only under extremely rare situations.

• The ringing, beeping, buzzing of cell phones, watches, and/or pagers during class time is extremely rude and disruptive to your fellow students and to the class flow. Please turn off all cell phones, watches, and pagers prior to the start of class.

• Attendance Policy:

Face-to-face: You are expected to attend every class. If you miss more than 1 class, then your course grade will be reduced by 2 points for each lecture missed. Coming late to class on a regular basis will impact your course participation grade.

Pure Web-based: You do not need to attend any lectures on campus. Also, you do not need to show up in  person to take the exams. However, you may attend any/all of the face-to-face lectures and/or exams. However, it is my experience that those students who do attend class on a regular basis do better on tests than those that don't. If you will be off-campus during the exams, please make the necessary arrangements with me as soon as possible.

• I am willing to provide letters of recommendation/references only if you have attained an 'A' in one of my classes, or two 'A-' in two of my classes.

• I highly recommend that you seek out your advisor and complete you Candidate Plan of Study (CPS) as soon as possible. I am normally not available for advising during the summer months.

• Pay very careful attention to your email correspondence. It reflects on your communication skills. Below is a compilation of email errors I have received during the past year.

dear sir.

r u available to meet with to go over the homework bcoz i have a doubt about the third problem

Some student

Common problems:

   *   bcoz instead of because

   *   r instead of are

   *   u instead of you

   *   lowecase i instead of I

   *   starting a sentence with a lowercase letter

   *   doubt instead of question

• I immediately discard anonymous emails.

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2700 Bay Area Boulevard
Delta Building. Office 164
Houston, Texas 77058
Voice: 281-283-3805
Fax: 281-283-3869
boetticher@uhcl.edu

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