CSC 263: Lecture Schedule

Week Topics Readings Tutorial Notes
1 May 15 Course Introduction
Review of time complexity of algorithms and asymptotic notation
Abstract data types vs. data structures
Ch. 1,2,3 asymptotic bounds Note on bounds (PDF)
2 May 22 Priority queues: heaps, mergeable heaps (binomial heaps)
Ch. 6, 19 heapify and build-heap lecture summary
3 May 29 Dictionaries: binary search trees
Dictionaries: balanced search trees (AVL trees)
12.1-12.3,
AVL notes (PS)
AVL tree delete lecture summary
4 June 5 Augmenting data structures
Hashing: basic definitions
Ch. 14 probability review lecture summary
5 June 12 Hashing: chaining, probabilistic analysis
Probabilistic vs. randomized algorithms: Quicksort
11.1-11.3.2,
Ch. 5, 7
augmenting AVL trees lecture summary
6 June 19 Disjoint sets Ch. 21 disjoint sets lecture summary
7 June 26 Amortized analysis, dynamic tables Ch. 17 amortized analysis lecture summary
8 July 3 Midterm test
Graphs: defintions, data structures
Appendix B.4 no tutorial
9 July 10 Graphs: breadth-first search
Graphs: single-source shortest-path
Ch. 22 Dijkstra's algorithm BFS proof (PDF) (PS)
lecture summary
10 July 17 Graphs: depth-first search Ch. 22 topological sort lecture summary
11 July 24 Graphs: minimum spanning trees
Graphs: approximating solutions
Ch. 23, 35.2 MST algorithms Alternate MST proof (PS)
lecture summary
12 July 31 Lower bounds: decision trees
Lower bound for sorting
8.1 proving lower bounds lecture summary
13 Aug 7 Lower bounds: adversary arguments
Lower bounds for the MIN-MAX problem
9.1 past exam questions lecture summary
-- Final exams -- August 13-17 -- check exam schedule

All readings are from the course textbook, Cormen, Leiserson, Rivest & Stein, Introduction to Algorithms (2nd edition). MIT Press and McGraw-Hill (2001), ISBN: 0-262-03293-7

Some of the notes are in PostScript format only. If you need a PostScript viewer for home, Ghostscript and GSview are free for both Windows and Mac (you'll need to install both programs). On the lab computers, gv should handle PS files automatically.

Lecture schedule is subject to change as the term progresses. Please check back each week to confirm reading assignments.

Note on the course textbook

Though CLRS is thick, heavy and expensive, it contains a LOT of good stuff on algorithms, data structures and algorithmic techniques that you will find useful in later courses and use as a reference once you graduate. Buying it is a good investment. The down-side is that is is at times hard to read and learn from, and they often go overboard with details and lose or obscure the "intuition" of an algorithm.

For more affordable hard-copy options, look on Amazon ($60) or sites that sell the cheaper paperback (overseas/international) version, such as CampusI.com or AbeBooks (site suggested by a past student), but be aware of the shipping cost, currency conversion and time.


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