Overview
CSCI 140 is an introduction to algorithm design and analysis techniques. The course covers basic techniques used to analyze algorithms, basic techniques used in designing algorithms, and important classical algorithms. The goal is to learn how to apply all of the above to designing solutions to new problems (a skill that you will practice throughout the semester). Grades will be based on assignments, exams, and participation. The prerequisite for this class is CS 62.
Resources
Instructor: Dr. Dave
e-mail: David.last_name@pomona.edu
office hours: Edmunds 224
Tue, Thu - 9:30-11am
Fri - 9 - 10am
and by appointment
Mentor hours:
Thursday: 7-9pm - Emily
Friday: 9-10:50am - David, 1-3pm: Jan
Saturday: 3-5pm - Clair
Sunday: 2-5pm - Alan, Guy
Learning Community Meetings:
TBA
Assignment submission: Gradescope
Discussion/questions: Slack
Textbook: Introduction to Algorithms, 3rd/4th Edition by Cormen, Leiserson, Rivest, and Stein (CLRS). We will have some copies in the Edmunds lab library.
If you need accommodations please contact the Disability Coordinator on your home campus. The process for Pomona students is available here.
Logistics
The basic flow each week will be as follows:
You will be assigned to a small group of approximately 4 students the first week of classes. Your group will work together for the entire semester; your first task will be to find a time when you can all meet for an hour on either Thursday or Friday. The plan is for each group to have an assigned TA who will attend the meetings to answer questions, talk through concepts, etc. Each week there will be a low-stakes assignment to work on during your group meeting; this will be turned in on Friday evening on Gradescope.
In addition, there will be a weekly problem set. The assignments will mostly be done and submitted in pairs and will also be submitted on gradescope. The pairs will be by assignment for the first few weeks and then at your discretion after that. Problems on the assignment will ask you to apply concepts in new ways. As with the practice problems you may discuss the problems with anyone else currently taking cs140 (or with the TAs or myself), but each pair must write up their own solution.
Finally there will be two checkpoints approximately.
The breakdown of grades will be as follows:
Calendar
This is a high-level outline of the planned syllabus. Note that the calendar is subject to change. Unless otherwise specified, the readings are in CLRS.
| Day | Date | Topic | Reading | Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | 1/18 | intro/math basics (ppt) | Assign 0 (.tex) due 1/22 at 8pm | |
| M | 1/23 | big-O (ppt) | ||
| W | 1/25 | recurrences (ppt) | Group 1 due 1/27 at 8pm Assign 1 (.tex) due 1/29 at 8pm |
|
| M | 1/30 | more recurrences (ppt) | ||
| W | 2/1 | sorting concluded (ppt) | Group 2 due 2/3 at 8pm Assign 2 (.tex) due 2/5 at 8pm |
|
| M | 2/6 | order statistics, data structures review (ppt) | ||
| W | 2/8 | binary search trees (ppt) | Group 3 due 2/10 at 8pm Assign 3 (.tex) due 2/12 at 8pm |
|
| M | 2/13 | amortized analysis (ppt) | ||
| W | 2/15 | heaps, binomial heaps (ppt) | Group 4 due 2/17 at 8pm Assign 4 (.tex) due 2/19 at 8pm test files |
|
| M | 2/20 | greedy algorithms (ppt) | ||
| W | 2/22 | review | Group 5 due 2/24 at 8pm Assign 5 (.tex) due due 3/1 at 9pm |
|
| M | 2/27 | checkpoint 1 | sample checkpoint - solutions | |
| W | 3/1 | greedy algorithms (ppt) | Group 6 due 3/3 at 8pm Assign 6 (.tex) due 3/10 at 8pm |
|
| M | 3/6 | hashtables (ppt) | ||
| W | 3/8 | misc (ppt) | No LCs this week | |
| M | 3/13 | Spring Break | ||
| W | 3/15 | Spring Break | ||
| M | 3/20 | dynamic programming (ppt) | ||
| W | 3/22 | dynamic programming (ppt) | Group 7 due 3/24 at 8pm Assign 7 (.tex) due 3/26 at 8pm |
|
| M | 3/27 | dynamic programming (ppt | ||
| W | 3/29 | graph basics (ppt) | Group 8 due 3/31 at 8pm Assign 8 (.tex) due 4/2 at 8pm |
|
| M | 4/3 | more graphs (ppt) | ||
| W | 4/5 | shortest paths (ppt) | Group 9 due 4/7 at 8pm Assign 9 (.tex) due 4/9 at 8pm |
|
| M | 4/10 | shortest paths concluded (ppt) | ||
| W | 4/12 | network flow (ppt) | Group 10 due 4/14 at 8pm Assign 10 (.tex) due 4/23 at 8pm |
|
| M | 4/17 | checkpoint 2 | sample problems - solutions | |
| W | 4/19 | NP completeness (ppt) | Group 10.2 due 4/21 at 8pm | |
| M | 4/24 | NP reductions (ppt) example reduction (.tex) |
||
| W | 4/26 | linear programming (ppt | Group 11 due 4/28 at 8pm Assign 11 (.tex) due 4/30 at 8pm |
|
| M | 5/1 | review (ppt) | ||
| W | 5/3 | office hours |