Contact Information

My office hours, phone number and e-mail address are available on my home page.

Primary Text

Gray, S. (2007). Data Structures in Java: From Abstract Data Types to the Java Collections Framework. Pearson / Addison Wesley : Boston. ISBN: 0-321-39279-5

Course Description

Topics in this course will include:

• Review of Java and OO Design
• Software Verification (JUnit)
• Algorithm Analysis
  • Asymptotic (Big-O, Big-Theta)
  • Empirical
• Linear Structures for backing stores:
  • Review of Arrays and Singly Linked Lists
  • Doubly Linked Lists
• Abstract Data Types:
  • Design and Implementation Issues
  • Software Patterns (Iterator / Adapter)
  • Interfacing ADTs with the JFC
• Survey of ADT Implementations/Applications/Algorithm's
  • Review of Stack / Queue
  • Trees
  • Priority Queue's / Heaps
  • Binary Search Tree / Balancing
  • Hashing and Maps
  • Graphs

Grade Determination

The breakdown of grade assignment is as follows:

	Homework	25%
	Labs	25%
	Midterm Exam #1	15%
	Midterm Exam #2	15%
	Cumulative Final	20%

All assignments will be graded on an absolute scale. As an example a student scoring an average of 82% on homework, 78% on the Labs, an average of 68% on the midterm exams and a 87% on the final would have a final grade of 78%:

82*0.25 = 20.5 78*0.25 = 19.5 68*0.30 = 20.4 + 87*0.20 = 17.4 -------------------- 77.8%

If at the end of the semester the grades fall below the expected 90% (A), 80% (B), 70% (C) scale, a curve may be applied to any or all grade categories (HW, labs, etc) before determining each individual's final grade. However, in order to receive a passing grade for the course it is necessary to maintain a passing average in each of the components included in the grade. Thus, a student who ends the semester with a failing average (w.r.t. the curve) on the exams (or labs, or homework etc.) may not pass the course.

Reading Assignments

Reading assignments from the text will be given each time that we begin a new topic. You should complete the reading assignment before the subsequent class meeting. Additional readings from on-line sources will also be provided as relevant.

Homework Assignments

There will typically be one homework assignment associated with each topic. The homework for a topic will typically be due at the start of the class on the day that we begin the next topic. All homework assignments will be collected. However, not every homework question will necessarily be graded.

All programming questions must be turned in as printouts. All short answer / essay questions should be typewritten. Diagrams or illustrations may be neatly hand drawn. Answers to homework questions will be graded not only on correctness but also on presentation, including readability, clarity and grammar.

Math/CS Chats

Each member of the class is required to attend two Math/CS chats during the course of the semester. Following each of the chats that you attend, you must send me an e-mail containing a brief summary (< 1 page) explaining, in your own words, what the chat was about. Your attendance at the chats and the summary e-mails will be incorporated into the homework grade for the semester.

Labs

There will typically be one lab assignment per week. The lab assignment will be introduced and distributed at the beginning of the lab period. Lab assignments will typically be due prior to the start of the next lab period.

Exams

All mid-term exams will be timed (120 min.) and given during lab periods. These exams will be closed book. However you will be permitted one 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper containing hand written notes that can be read with the naked eye. The final exam will be given at the time scheduled by the College. The final will also be closed book, but you will be permitted three 8.5" x 11" sheets of paper containing hand written notes that can be read with the naked eye.

Academic Honesty

This class follows the definition of cheating and plagiarism as described in the Dickinson College Community Standards. In addition to that definition I would like to make several clear statements about what is permissible collaboration in this class and what is not.

• You may discuss the homework assignments and your ideas for solving the problems. However, after your discussions you must write your own solutions. Whatever you hand in must be your work and only your work! To be safe I suggest that you do not write anything down while discussing assignments or ideas with others. Then following your discussion sit down by yourself and write up your own solution. If you are unable to reconstruct the idea for yourself then you do not fully understand it!
• If group assignments are given you are expected to fully collaborate with the members of your own group. You may discuss the assignment and your general ideas with other groups. However, under no circumstances may you show members of other groups your work or discuss its details. This includes but is not limited to diagrams, text, descriptions, code or even scratch paper.
• You are also responsible for taking reasonable precautions to ensure that no one copies your work. This includes using the paper shredder in the lab to shred old printouts of your lab and homework solutions. Do not simply discard your old printouts in the recycling bin or the trash.
• You may incorporate any code from previous assignments in this course, code that appears in the text for this course or on our class web site into your solutions. If it is not implicit in the assignment, you must indicate any code that was copied and where it was copied from (page # or URL). Under no circumstances may you use code written by a current or previous student, code from another text, another instructor, a friend, a relative or downloaded from the Internet.

If there is ever any question about whether what you are doing is permitted please ask for clarification before it becomes an issue!

Late Work Policy

Absolutely no late work will be accepted!

However, since I am not a complete tyrant, I am implementing what I call the "NEET" late policy. NEET stands for "No Excuse Extension Time" and you can use it to extend any due dates you choose. The rules of NEET are as follows:

• Each of you will receive 2 days worth of NEET.
• NEET can be used only in full day chunks.
• So if your assignment is 1 hour late you just burnt one full day of NEET.
• NEET may be applied to (almost) any assignment.
  The only assignments that NEET may not be applied to are in class exams, the final exam, in class presentations, and any assignment due on the last day of finals week.
• Using NEET on a group deadline costs each member of the group the same amount of NEET.
  So if your project is a day late every member of your group uses 1 day of NEET. If a member of your group doesn't have any NEET left and the deadline is missed that member will not receive any credit.
• Use your NEET wisely.
  No other extensions will be granted without an act of your respective deity. I recommend saving them for emergency use.

Any assignments handed in late must be given to me in person so that I may account for your NEET.

Accommodations for Disabilities

In compliance with the Dickinson College policy and equal access laws, I am available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that may be recommended for students with disabilities. Requests for academic accommodations are to be made during the first three weeks of the semester (except for unusual circumstances) so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Students are required to register with Academic Resource Services in the Advising Office located on the first floor of Biddle House (contact ext. 1080 or waybranj@dickinson.edu) to verify their eligibility for appropriate accommodations.