CMSC-641 Algorithms: Course Policy (fall 95)
Text
The required text is
- Cormen, Thomas H.;
Charles E. Leiserson; and
Ronald L. Rivest,
Introduction to Algorithms,
MIT Press and McGraw-Hill (1990).
From this book, we will study the following chapters:
- Dynamic programming: Chapter 16
- Amortized analysis: Chapters 17 and 22 (including Section 22.4)
- Binomial and Fibonacci heaps: Chapters 20-21
- Average-case analysis and probabilistic algorithms: Section 13.4,
and Section 2.3 from Brassard's Algorithmics: Theory and Practice.
- Matroids and greedy algorithms: Sections 17.4-17.5
- Network flow: Chapter 27 (including sections 27.4-27.5)
- Topics: Chapters 28-30
- NP-completeness: Chapters 36-37, and Section 3.2 from
Garey and Johnson's Computer and Intractiability:
A Guide to the Theory of NP-Completeness.
In addition, students are responsible for all core material
assumed from the prerequisite undergraduate class
CMSC-441.
See the supplemental reading list for
additional useful sources.
Accompanying CD ROM of Animated Algorithms
Gloor, Peter; Scott Dynes; and Irene Lee,
Animated Algorithms: A Hypermedia Learning Environment
for Introduction to Algorithms,
CD-ROM GLOADM 0-262-57096-3,
The MIT Press (Cambridge, MA, 1993),
Available in PC and Mac formats.
Required Work
Required work for this course consists of the following activities:
- Aggressively solving, writing up, and handing in
24 assigned homework problems.
To learn the material properly, each student should also solve many
additional problems (at least one a day) of his or her own choice
without handing them in.
- Actively participating in all class meetings. Each student
should come to each class meeting with a thoughtful question.
- Taking exams I, II, and the final exam.
- Carrying out an experimental project assessing the practicality
of applying Fibonacci heaps. Each student must hand in a
written project report summarizing his or her findings.
Grading Policy
Semester grades will be weighted as follows:
- 20%: Written homework
- 20%: Exam I
- 20%: Exam II
- 20%: Final Exam
- 18%: Project
- 2%: class participation
In addition, the following rules apply:
- To pass, the student must make a serious attempt
at doing the homework, the project, and all exams.
- Any student who hands in less than
60% of the required homework problems
(less than 15 out of the 24 individual problems) will not pass.
- To earn an A, it is necessary (but not sufficient)
to make a serious attempt at solving every assigned homework problem.
- Late work is not accepted.
Computer Facilities
Students have access to UMBC's computer systems,
including SGI Indy and Crimson Workstations, Sun SparcStations, a
20-processor SGI Challenge machine, and a CRAY~YMP-EL.
Collaborative Work on Homework
Students are encouraged to study and to work on homework problems
together. Each student, however, must write up each homework solution
entirely independently. When writing up any homework solution, you
should be entirely alone. You should never look at anyone else's
solution before handing in your solution, and you should never allow
anyone to look at any of your solutions before they have handed in
theirs.
Academic Misconduct
Each student is expected to be familiar with all University and
Department policies on academic misconduct. An egregious type of
academic misconduct is plagiarism, which in each of its many forms
involves representing somebody else's work as your own.
Violations of academic honesty will be dealt with severely.
ATS
11/6/95