This
Data Structures & Algorithms course extends beyond linear data
structures in CS1332xI to the nonlinear and hierarchical data structures
here in CS1332xII. A short Java review is presented on topics relevant
to new data structures covered in this course. The course does require
prior knowledge of Java, object-oriented programming and linear data
structures. Time complexity is threaded throughout the course within all
the nonlinear data structures and algorithms.
You will explore the hierarchical data structure of trees. Trees have
important properties such as shape and order which are used to
categorize trees into different groups and define their functionality.
The course begins by explaining Binary Trees and two subgroups: Binary
Search Trees (BSTs) and Binary Heaps. You will program BSTs, their
operations and traversal algorithms. BSTs are an important structure
when wanting to access information quickly. Heaps approach access
differently and prioritize what data is accessed. Heaps also employ the
concept of up-heap and down-heap operations not found in other
structures.
HashMaps and SkipLists are the last data structures discussed in the
course. The HashMap ADT is a collection of key-value pairs. The
key-value pairs are stored in an unordered manner based on hash codes
and compression functions that translate keys into integers. You will
investigate different collision strategies and implement one. SkipLists
are a probabilistic data structures where data is placed in the
structure based on a randomization procedure.
The course design has several components and is built around modules.
A module consists of a series of short (3-5 minute) instructional
videos. In between the videos, there are textual frames with additional
content information for clarification, as well as video errata dropdown
boxes. All modules include an Exploratory Lab that incorporates a
Visualization Tool specifically designed for this course. The lab
includes discovery questions that lead you towards delving deeper into
the efficiency of the data structures and examining the edge cases. This
is followed by a set of comprehension questions on topics covered in
the module that count for 10% of your grade. The modules end with Java
coding assignments which are 60% of your grade. Lastly, you'll complete a
course exam, which counts for the remaining 30% of your grade.
