CS 312 Algorithms	Course Overview Instructor Course Schedule Policies and Grading

Prerequisites

The student is expected to be familiar with common data structures as well as the basics of discrete mathematics. The prerequisites are satisfied by Computer Science 211 and Mathematics 232.

Course Structure

There will be a midterm, final and weekly written assignments. All assignments are due by class time of the specified due date.

Class meetings will be a mix of lecture and discussions. My goal is to have an interactive, problem-solving classroom.

Grading

Your final grade is computed as follows:

• 15% based on each of two midterm exams
• 25% based on the final exam
• 40% based on homework
• 5% based on class participation

Readings

This course relies primarily on one textbook:

Jon Kleinberg and Éva Tardos, Algorithm Design, Addison-Wesley, 2006.

Policies

Class participation is essential. Algorithm design is best learned through experience. Seeing an algorithmic solution to a problem is not nearly as valuable as helping to derive the solution. We will spend a great deal of class time creating designs and identifying tradeoffs among competing design solutions. As a result, you are expected to attend class.

Announcements related to issues that arise between class meetings will be made electronically. In particular, clarifications of assignments, changes to due dates, etc. may be reported to you via electronic mail. It is your responsibility to login and check your mail regularly.

In addition to electronic mail, copies of handouts and homework assignments will be available on the course web site. The home page for this course is http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~blerner/cs312/.

Honor Code

Homework assignments are intended to be challenging. I encourage you to meet outside of class to discuss the homework and work together to create solutions. While you may develop solutions together, each student is expected to write up her/his own submission. Sharing of ideas is acceptable; sharing of actual words is not. By doing the write-up individually, you will demonstrate your understanding of the final solution. Submitting work in which you have copied someone else's write-up is considered a violation of the honor code.

The work submitted for exams must be your work alone. Submission of work that is not your own is considered a violation of the honor code.