COMP2521

Data Structures & Algorithms

Week 1.1

Introduction

Author: Hayden Smith 2021

Relevance to your program

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?

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

COMP2521

Assessment

The course outline describes the assessment structure for COMP2521

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

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

Made with Slides.com