Course Description - CSCI 570, Fall 2010, TuTh Section

• J. Kleinberg and E. Tardos, Algorithm Design, Addison Wesley, 2005.

• T. Cormen, C. Leiserson, R. Rivest, and C. Stein, Introduction to Algorithms, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2003.
  

• Introduction and representative problems
• Basic algorithm analysis
• Graph algorithms
• Greedy algorithms
• Divide and conquer
• Dynamic programming
• Network flow
• Computational intractability

Please do not ask the following types of questions in your e-mail (although they are appropriate for office hours):

• Here is my understanding of X. Am I right (or is this correct)?
  (You can do this for just about everything and in many different ways. I do not have the bandwidth to deal with too many questions like this.)

• I don't understand X. Could you explain X to me?
  (It's your responsiblity to come to lectures and ask questions during lectures if there is something you do not understand.)

The exams are usually closed book, closed notes, and closed everything (and no "cheat sheet"). Also, no calculators, cell phones, or any electronic gadgets are allowed. There will be assigned seating.

Participation:		3%
Homeworks:		35%
Midterm Exam:		27%
Final Exam:		35%

Pleaes also note the following:

• The above percentages will be used to calculate your total score. Final grades (A,B,C,D,or F) will be determined using a modified curve (i.e., we won't necessarily assign an equal number of failing grades as passing grades) based on this total score. No other methods will be considered. (So, please do not ask the instructor to take how much you have improved since the beginning of the semester into account. You are expected to try your best from the beginning!)

• We will assign grades of C and below to individuals who do not perform satisfactorily in the above areas. (i.e., you should not assume a B- or even C if you perform unsatisfactorily.) However, we hope that everyone will perform well.

• Your assignments are your own work! No group assignments are allowed or will be tolerated. You are free to talk to other students about assignments but no actual material (files, code fragments, etc.) should be shared. We will act harshly at any sign of copying.

• We will not assign incompletes unless it is for a documented medical reason (in accordance with USC policy).

If you are unable to complete a homework assignment due to illness or family emergency, please see the instructor as soon as possible to get an extension. A doctor's note is required as proof of illness or emergency. In general, when you get sick, it's best to see a doctor and get a note just in case you may need it later.

So, if you visit a doctor at the Student Health Center, please make sure you fill out one of these forms, check the "limited discussion with faculty" checkbox, get it stamped, signed, and dated by someone there (a clerk/receptionist would sign at the "witness" line), and bring it back to me. This would satisfy the "note from a doctor" requirement so that you can get an extension.

If you visit a doctor somewhere else, please either bring a "note from the doctor" or a similar authrozation letter so I can contact them.

You are strongly encouraged to come see the instructor if you are stuck with the a programming assignment. Don't wait till the deadline gets close though.

This policy also holds for programming assignments. In this class, we will use sophisticated automated program checkers to detect cheating. Be aware that the program checkers have demonstrated very good results and are widely used within the academic community. Any student caught cheating will be given zero credit and will be disciplined.

It is the students responsibility to submit their assignments in time.

There is no specific prerequisites for this course, but students are expected to be familiar with programming in C/C++ on the UNIX platform. No special assistance or consideration will be offered if your background is inadequate.

You are expected to read all the papers in detail. Not all details will be covered in class.  We will assume knowledge of material covered in EE450 and a C language programming proficiency from CSci402 or its equivalent. If you covered the introductory material at some other school it is YOUR responsibility to fill in any missing background. Feel free to ask me for advice on appropriate introductory readings if you feel your background is insufficient.

We expect you to attend every class meeting. If you do happen to miss a session, you are responsible for finding out what material was covered and if any administrative announcements were made. You must do so BEFORE the next session (e.g., if there is an assignment given during the missed session, you are still responsible for completing it by the next week along with the other students).  You are advised to read the papers for a particular lecture before attending the lecture. This will greatly enhance your understanding of the subject matter.

Programming:

• C Programming (by Steve Holmes at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, England) - includes notes on make, separate compilation, file I/O, etc.
• Makefile tutorial (at Indiana University)
• Steve's Software Trek (by Steve Karg) - includes some useful C/C++ source code for string manipulation, INI file manipulation, etc.
• C Examples - lots and lots of sample C code for basic stuff.
• C/C++ at USC from USC ITSWeb

• cygwin (BSD system with X11R6 on Windows XP)
• UNIX Shell Programming (Chapter 2 of this book gives a good introduction to UNIX)
• UNIXhelp for Users from the University of Edinburgh
• C/C++ Documentation (compiling, linking, additional libraries, include files) from USC ITSWeb
• UNIX Documentation (concepts, commands, X-Windows) from USC ITSWeb
• Emacs Documentation from USC ITSWeb
• Vi Text EditorDocumentation from USC ITSWeb
• General information on operating systems, productivity applications, Internet connectivity, e-mail and web publishing at USC, can be found at the ITS software site