CS201, Computer Science I

Class meetings:

Mon, Tue, Thurs:	9:00AM	Room MC 132
Mon:	10:00AM	Room MC 121(lab)

Office Hours

Mon	11AM-1PM
Thurs	10AM-12noon

Required Texts
Stuart Reges and Marty Stepp, Building Java Programs, A Back to Basics Approach, Addison-Wesley, Boston, 2008. ISBN 0-321-38283-8

Other References:
Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, and Clifford Stein, Introduction to algorithms, 2nd ed, The MIT Press, Cambridge, 2001, ISBN 0-262-03293

Course Prerequisites:
Time management ability and basic high school math. Prior programming experience not needed. (That's the reason you're here!)

Grading Criteria

Homework:	30% (bi-weekly, 4.5% for 1~5, 7.5% for 6)
Lab assignment:	10% (binary grading)
Tests (2@15%):	30%
Final Exam (all-inclusive):	30%

Course Description
The focus of the course is on algorithm design, data representation, programming, and application. To convert algorithms to programs, Java is the chosen language to demonstrate a variety of control structures and data structures. Programs of increasing difficulty will be assigned to students to enhance the skill of problem analysis and solution design.

Course Goals
At the completion of this course, students should:

1. understand how data is represented in a computer in its binary format
2. know the essentials of program design and the importance of algorithms in the problem-solving process
3. understand the use of and differences between primitive types and reference types
4. be able to design, implement, test, debug, and document programs
5. understand parameter passing methods
6. be able to write programs that use various control structures
7. know the basic features of the Java programming language
8. understand basic file I/O
9. understand arrays and array processing, and be able to design and implement basic array algorithms

Homework/Laboratory Assignments
Students will be given exercises to complete during the weekly laboratory sessions. The grade is binary (0/1) for each submission. Each laboratory assignment should be completed and handed in within 48 hours. A homework assignment containing five to ten problems will be handed out every two weeks. In all cases, students must submit an algorithm description and a well-documented program in Java for every problem.

Policy on Collaboration

• Homework/Laboratory Assignment: You may discuss approaches to the problems with others, but you must write your own programs and your own reports
• Tests and Final Exam: You must work alone

Policy on Assignments:
Completed assignments must be handed in at the time they are due. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Course Outline:

1. Introduction to algorithmic problem solving
   • Definition of an algorithm
   • Algorithm design issues
   • Sorting algorithms
   • Searching algorithms
   • Procedural decomposition
2. Basic Computing Concepts
   • Hardware
   • Hardware details
   • Layout of a typical computer
   • Software
   • Binary code
   • Programming languages
3. Primitive Data
   • Basic data concepts
   • Java primitive types
   • Arithmetic in Java
   • Variables
4. Loops
   • Logical operators
   • Definite loops-the for statement
   • Indefinite loops-the while statement
5. Interactive Programming
   • Console input
   • Scanner objects
6. Managing Complexity
   • Methods
   • Parameters
   • Return values
   • scope
7. Objects
   • Constructing objects
   • Library objects
   • Object references
8. Conditional Execution
   • The if-else statement
   • The switch statement
   • Text processing
   • Preconditions and postconditions
9. File Processing
   • File basics
   • Scanners for files
   • Specifier
10. Arrays
    • Traversal algorithms
    • Searching
    • Library methods
    • Working with incomplete arrays
    • Multidimensional arrays
11. Searching and Sorting (revisited)
12. Introduction to recursion (maybe)