COMP2521
Data Structures & Algorithms
Week 1.1
Introduction
Author: Hayden Smith 2021
Relevance to your program
![](https://media.slid.es/uploads/1070815/images/8618945/pasted-from-clipboard.png)
Assumed Knowledge
Assume that you are at least a mediocre C programmer
- Produce a program from a specification
- Use fundamental data structures (char, int, float, arrays, structs, pointers, linkedlists)
Need to revise?
Why should this course be important to you?
![](https://media.slid.es/uploads/1124750/images/6537852/pasted-from-clipboard.png)
Engineering is about scale, and this course is about scale.
COMP2521
We plan to graduate you from a Programmer to a Computer Scientist by having you learn about how to:
- Analyse performance characteristics of an algorithm
- Analyse performance characteristics of a data structure
- Make decisions about appropriate data structures or algorithms
COMP1511 VS COMP2521
COMP1511
![](https://media.slid.es/uploads/1070815/images/8619058/pasted-from-clipboard.png)
![](https://media.slid.es/uploads/1070815/images/8619059/pasted-from-clipboard.png)
COMP2521
Assessment
Teaching Strategies
- Lectures
- Tutorials
- Labs
- Quizzes
- Assignments
- Help Sessions
- Exam
Teaching Strategies | Lectures
- 2 x 2 hours per week
- Schedule listed here, showing live stream links to Youtube (to watch them live)
- Slides for the lectures, and the recordings uploaded later, found on the course work page.
Teaching Strategies | Tutorials & Labs
- Tutorial and lab schedule and meeting links/locations can be found here.
- Tutorial and lab content can be found on the course work page.
Teaching Strategies | Quizzes
- The course consists of 7 multiple choice quizzes.
- First is due at the start of week 3
- Quizzes can be found here.
Teaching Strategies | Assignments
- 2 Assignments:
- Assignment 1 (15%): Released week 4, due week 7
- Assignment 2 (20%): Released week 7, due week 10
- Will be released on this page.
Teaching Strategies | Help Sessions
- Help sessions are online "drop-in" sessions where you or your group can get further assistance outside of class time.
- Begin in week 4
- Schedule listed here
Teaching Strategies | Exam
- Final exam will tentatively be open book and online worth 40%
- There is no hurdle.
- Details about the final exam will be shared here closer toward the end of teaching term
Getting Help
-
Step 1: EdStem forum
- Look for answers before posting
- You were invited "z5555555@unsw.edu.au"
- Step 2: Help Sessions
- Step 3: Emailing Tutor / Assistant Tutor
- Step 4: Hayden & Kevin cs2521@cse.unsw.edu.au
- Step 5: hayden.smith@unsw
- Lecturer: Hayden Smith
- Course admin: Kevin Luxa
- Tutors: A team of 30 awesome people!
Textbook resources
- Algorithms in C, Parts 1-4, Robert Sedgewick
- Algorithms in C, Part 5, Robert Sedgewick
![](https://media.slid.es/uploads/1070815/images/8619020/pasted-from-clipboard.png)
![](https://media.slid.es/uploads/1070815/images/8619021/pasted-from-clipboard.png)
System
- You can use the same setup that you had for COMP1511!
- Vlab or local installs - just compiling and running C programs with GCC
- If you need help, navigate back to your COMP1511 Webcms3 site to view the "Home Computing" tab
Credits
- COMP2521 credit for material goes to:
- John Shepherd (mostly!)
- Aleks Ignjatovic (COMP2011 2005)
- Manuel Chakravarty (COMP1927 08s1)
- Richard Buckland (COMP1927 09s2)
- Gabrielle Keller (COMP1927 12s2)
- Michael Thielscher (COMP9024 17s2)
Feedback
![](https://media.slid.es/uploads/1070815/images/8700265/2521.png)
COMP2521 Data Structures & Algorithms Week 1.1 Introduction Author: Hayden Smith 2021
COMP2521 21T2 - 1.1 - Introduction
By haydensmith
COMP2521 21T2 - 1.1 - Introduction
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