Dr. V.Shtern (Fall 2012)
Course Syllabus
Welcome to MET CS342 Data Structures with Java. The intent of this
course is to familiarize the student with the state-of-the-art concepts
of data structures, data abstraction, evaluation of algorithms,
implementation of data structures and algorithms by Java libraries,
and their use for modular software design with Java.
Today, the object-oriented approach to software design and programming
makes the appropriate choice and implementation of data structures
crucial for program performance and for its future
maintainability. A good understanding of standard data structures
and associated algorithms becomes an indispensable component of
designer's knowledge.
In this course, we will briefly review the basic Java facilities
for software modularization (classes, their components, inheritance,
interfaces). We will use them to implement standard data
structures: stacks, queues, lists, trees, hash tables, sets and maps.
We will also consider algorithms for sorting and searching along with
basic topics on performance evaluation and recursion and the use of
Java generics and its Collections classes.
Upon the completion of this course, you will further develop your
skills of modular approach to producing maintainable, documented
and adequately tested software of realistic size using Java as the
implementation language.
As it is common for any training or college course, you have
to make sure that you are sufficiently prepared to learn the course
material, handle the course homework and participate in course
interactions.
For this course, a working knowledge of Java is required (MET CS232
or equivalent is sufficient). Some degree of mathematical maturity
beyond high-school (e.g., MET CS248) would be useful for understanding
course materials, but it is not mandatory.
This course is a "learn by doing" course. You will have to do
programming homework assignments to help you master the course material.
You are also expected to read the textbook and lecture handouts in
advance to prepare for each lecture. Advance preparation is essential
for your understanding of the course concepts. Before each class, the
instructor will post class notes, homework assignments and additional
announcements on the course Blackboard 8 Web site
(http://blackboard.bu.edu/).
Make sure that you print and read them before the class.
Be active in course interactions, express your opinions, display your
knowledge, and ask your questions. If your understanding is incorrect,
the instructor will provide you with additional explanations and
references. If you do not speak up, your understanding will remain
incorrect. This will negatively affect both effectiveness of the course
for you and your grade.
Class attendance and doing programming homework on time are mandatory.
If you have to skip a class or miss a deadline, do not worry - this
course is designed for busy adults with many responsibilities, and it
is more flexible than a regular day time college course. Still, it is
your job to notify the professor that a professional or personal
emergency has occurred: you should ask for an extension and set the
recovery timetable and priorities mutually agreeable with the professor.
Homework submitted late without prior permission will not be accepted.
J. Lewis, J. Chase. Java Software Structures: Designing and Using
Data Structures. Third Edition, 2010, Addison-Wesley, ISBN 978-0136078586. There will be two exams (midterm and final) that will include analysis
and coding problems, definitions of terms and concepts, and brief
discussions of course concepts and their relationships. The exams are
closed book, but you are allowed to prepare and bring a "cheat sheet."
Grades will be based on your participation in class discussions and
attendance (10%)
and your grades for homework exercises (35%), the midterm exam (25%) and
the final examination (30%). Grading criteria for homework include:
Grading criteria for the exams include your ability to understand
and explain course concepts and their relationships and your skills
in using Java for implementing these concepts.
The course is governed by the Boston University Academic Conduct
Committee policies regarding plagiarism (any attempt to represent the
work of another person as one's own). This includes copying (even with
modifications) of a program or a segment of code or documentation or
letting your work to be copied. Your participation in interactions with
the instructor and your classmates is encouraged, but the work you
submit must be your own. Collaboration is not permitted (for more details,
see
http://www.bu.edu/met/for-students/met-policies-procedures-resources/academic-conduct-code/).
As a Boston University student, you have the right to use the bookstore,
libraries, sport facilities, and parking. The same is true of Boston
University computing facilities. If you wish to use a Boston University
Academic Computer Center account, one will be created for you, and you will
be able to use its Unix operating system and its Java compiler. The Center
office and the terminal room are located at 111 Cummington Street. To open
an account, you have to show a valid BU ID card and choose your user name
and a Kerberos password. System help and information is available at
617-353-2784. You can also use the MET College computing labs that include PCs
running Windows, Linux, or Unix (808 Commonwealth Avenue, 2nd floor).
To enter the lab, you should register your BU ID card with an operator.
To use a PC, you log in using your BU user name and your Kerberos password.
You will also need your Kerberos password to access the course materials
on the Blackboard 8 system.
This course, however, is not environment-specific. Those students
who have access to other computer systems that support Java should feel
free to use them. Make sure, however, that these systems run the Java (tm)
2 Platform Standard Edition 6.
If you want to download the latest version of Java to your personal
computer, go to the Sun Microsystems web site. There is no need to go
after the Enterprise Edition (J2EE), Java SE with its JDK is sufficient.
Download the latest update for Java SE Development Kit and its
Documentation from
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html.
Notice that you do not need to learn how to use a debugger or an
IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for this course. Learning these
tools will significantly increase the number of problems you will have to
deal with in this course. Meanwhile, the programming assignments in this
course are simple enough and could be written using a simple text editor.
They should be debugged and tested using your intelligence, not
sophisticated and complex software tools.
The recommended development environment is TextPad from http://www.textpad.com. Its trial version
is free, its user interface is very simple and intuitive, and it is
sufficient for the course work. Make sure that you install Java JDK first
and Textpad next to enable Textpad to find your version of Java.
1. Course Objectives
2. Course Prerequisites
3. Course Policies
4. Textbook
5. Grading Criteria
(a) correctness and clarity of your code and comments,
(b) correct use of Java programming idioms
for implementing required data structures, and, last but not least,
(c) your ability to follow the homework specification and to explain
your design decisions (please take this very seriously). 6. Academic Honesty
7. Computing Facilities
8. Course Instructor
Your primary contact for the course during this semester will be the
course instructor, Prof. Victor Shtern. Prof. Shtern came to the USA
from Russia. He has many years of experience developing process
control systems, database systems, operating systems, and systems
for computer-aided instruction. Currently, he is Associate Professor
at the MET Computer Science department of Boston University, where he
designs and teaches courses on object-oriented technology. He
designed and taught computer-aided and distance education courses for
several high technology companies, Boston University, and National
Technological University.
Prof. Shtern is very enthusiastic about teaching this course and will make every possible effort to help you understand and master the course material in the most effective way. All course materials will be posted on the course Web site ( http://blackboard.bu.edu/).
Learning is more enjoyable and productive when it is interactive. This course provides you with many opportunities to interact with the course instructor and with your classmates. Feel free to ask questions and make comments and suggestions.
Contact Prof. Shtern either in class or send a Blackboard email (a "message" in Blackboard terminology) or telephone (617-358-0003, leave a message if necessary) or regular mail (Boston University, MET Computer Science Department, 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 250, Boston, MA 02215). Use regular e-mail (vshtern@bu.edu) only in case of emergency
Regular office hours will be held on Tuesdays from 5 to 5:50 P.M. at 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 250, Boston, MA 02215. Other times could be arranged by appointment.
To be sure that your Blackboard account is indeed activated and you are able to communicate with the professor, log in to Blackboard (using your BU user name and password) and send Prof. Shtern a "message" (not e-mail).
In the message, specify your name, BU ID and the phone numbers to be used for emergencies. Describe your professional background, your current place of work, position and duties. List operating systems and programming languages you are comfortable with, computer science courses you have taken at BU and elsewhere, your goals in taking this course.
Send this message within two days from the start of the course and login into your Blackboard account regularly.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Metropolitan College
MET CS342 Data Structures with Java
Dr. V.Shtern
MET CS342 CLASS SCHEDULE Fall 2012
Num Date Topic Chapter
1 Sep 04 Course introduction. Discussion of software
quality and algorithm analysis 1,2
2 Sep 11 Overview of object-oriented design and its
support in Java App.A,B
3 Sep 18 Introduction to collections. Stacks and their
array implementations 3
4 Sep 25 Implementing collections using linked lists 4
5 Oct 02 Queues, their implementations and applications 5
Oct 09 No class: Monday schedule of classes
6 Oct 16 General lists, their ordered and unordered
implementations and applications 6
7 Oct 23 Recursion; properties of recursive definitions
and algorithms. Recursive view on data structures. 7
8 Oct 30 Midterm exam.
9 Nov 06 Searching and sorting. Simple algorithms,
efficient algorithms, their implementations 8
10 Nov 13 Trees, their implementations. Tree traversals.
Expession trees. 9
11 Nov 20 Binary search trees. Balanced binary search
trees, their implementations 10
12 Nov 27 Heaps, priority queues. 11
13 Dec 04 B-trees. 12
14 Dec 11 Hashing, sets and maps 14,15
15 Dec 18 Final examination