CSCI 653: introduction

instructor

Professor Virginia Torczon
104 C McGlothlin-Street Hall
(va "at" cs "dot" wm "dot" edu) (757-221-3460)

web page

The web page for the course is updated as needed and contains information on lecture topics, suggested reading, and the homework schedule, as well as other useful information as it becomes available.

lectures

I do not take attendance. I also do not post my lectures, do not circulate electronic versions of my lectures, nor do I make printed copies available, so please do not ask.

course work

You will have eleven written homework assignments (essentially, one per week). These assignments will account for 60% of your final grade. The homework assignments will be handed out in class; they will neither be posted on the web page nor circulated electronically.

There will be no programming assignments for this course.

final exam

You will have an in-class final exam which will account for 40% of your final grade. Do not plan to leave on Winter Break before the conclusion of the scheduled exam time on Thursday, December 10, or you will receive a grade of zero on the final exam.

final grades

Your final grade for the semester will be determined using the following scale. If you get 90% or better you will get an A for the course; 80 up to 90% gets a B; 70 up to 80% gets a C; 60 up to 70% gets a D; any average below 60% earns an F. I reserve the right to lower these standards but I will not raise them.

suggested references

Introduction to Algorithms, Second Edition, Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, and Clifford Stein, 2001.

Officially, the second edition is the textbook for the course as that is what the College of William & Mary Bookstore appears to have ordered. But be advised that the third edition has just been released by MIT Press.

Algorithms, First Edition, Sanjoy Dasgupta, Christos H. Papadimitriou, and Umesh Vazirani, 2006.

This is a short lucid introduction to algorithms. If you have never had a class on algorithms, or it has been a while since you last studied algorithms, I strongly urge you to pick up a copy of this well-written, engaging, short (318 page) book to read.

Data Structures & Algorithm Analysis in C++, Third Edition, Mark Allen Weiss, 2006.

This is the textbook used in the undergraduate algorithms course. Some of the material covered in the graduate algorithm analysis course is also covered in this textbook. You may find the discussion in this book easier to follow. There is a Java version of this book, as well as an original version with no programming language designation. Either of these, as well as the two earlier editions of the C++ version of the book, will serve as suitable references since in this course we will not consider implementation details in any programming language; the emphasis in this course is on algorithm analysis.

Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-Completeness, Michael R. Garey and David S. Johnson, 1979.

Garey & Johnson is the classic reference on NP-completeness, which we cover at the end of the semester. While it is dated—many more problems have been proven to be in NPC in the intervening years—nevertheless, this book does a great job of setting the stage. It is a short (186 page) book, but it includes an extensive list (circa 1979)—with descriptions—of known NP-complete problems.

books available in the computer science library

Several of the books listed here (e.g., several editions of Weiss and the earlier editions of CLRS), as well as several other useful books (e.g., Knuth), are available in the CS Library in MCGL. Keep in mind, though, that the books in the CS Library may not be removed from the room; they are available for consultation only. Resist the urge to "borrow" any of these books from the library; otherwise, you risk having either irate classmates—or your equally-irate instructor—hunting you down.

disabilities

If you have a disability that may affect your participation in this course and wish to discuss academic accommodations, you must contact me as soon as possible.

The Department of Computer Science
The College of William & Mary