CMSC 37000: Algorithms -- Winter 2009


What's new | Course info | Text | Grading, test dates | Policy on collaboration | Homework | Tests | Handouts | Stat |



What's new?

This page is up. Please report any errors, especially bad links and errors in homework problems.

TUTORIAL BEFORE FINAL: Mon, March 16, 3:30pm, Ry 276.

Seventh homework set posted. Due Thu, Mar 12. Click the "Homework" tab on the banner.

Quiz-3 statistics posted, cumulative test statistics updated (March 11). Click "Stat" on the banner.

Midterm statistics posted, HW statistics updated (March 5). Click "Stat" on the banner.

Tutorials are held each Wednesday, 3:30 pm - 4:20 pm, in Ry-276. Tutorials are mandatory unless waived by the instructor. Attendance will count toward the "class participation" component of the grade. The first tutorial will be on Wednesday, Jan 14.

A request to all who attend this class. (By "all," I mean ALL, especially including those whose status is not "regular" for this class. If you sit in this class for any reason, please DO RESPOND.) Please send email to the instructor (Subject: 370 info) with the following information:

Past tests from this class, along with some tests from previous years, are available.

First quiz Thursday, Jan 22. No books, no notes, no scratch paper.

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Course information

Class: TuTh 9:00 - 10:20 Ry 251

Tutorial: We 3:30 - 4:20 Ry 276 (mandatory unless waived by instructor)

Instructor: László Babai     Ryerson 164     e-mail: laci()cs()uchicago()edu.

Office hours: by appointment (please send e-mail)


Teaching assistants:

Duru Turkoglu           Ry 177     e-mail: [firstname]()cs()uchicago()edu.

Office hour: Monday 4:30 - 5:30 pm, Ry 162 ("Theory lounge")


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Text

Your primary text will be your course notes, so please make sure you don't miss classes. If you do, you should copy somebody's class notes and discuss the class with them.

There will also be frequent handouts and web postings. Please always check this website.

Printed text:

Jon Kleinberg - Éva Tardos: "Algorithm Design"

Pearson/Addison-Wesley, Publ. 2005

ISBN 0-321-29535-8

available at the Seminary Co-op Bookstore (5757 S University Avenue)

A large part of the prerequisites is covered in the instructor's Discrete Mathematics Lecture Notes.
For other handouts, click the "Handouts" tab on the banner.

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Grading

Grades are based on class participation (4%), homework (24%), 3 quizzes (6% each), a midterm (18%), and the final exam (36%). The tests are "closed book" (no books or notes). Calculators may be used for basic arithmetic, logarithms and exponentials but not for more complex calculations such as g.c.d's or modular exponentiation.

Test dates

First Quiz: Thursday, Jan 22

Second Quiz: Thursday, Feb 5

Midterm: Thursday, Feb 19

Third Quiz: Tuesday, Mar 10

Last class: Thursday, Mar 12 (attendance mandatory)

Final exam: Tuesday, March 17, 8:00 - 10:00 am

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Rules on HOMEWORK

Unless otherwise stated, homework is always due the next class (before class). Please always check the website for updates. The problems will be posted shortly after class. However, errors may occur, so please check the website, especially if you suspect an error. If you find an error or something that looks suspicious in an assignment, please notify the instructor (by email). If you are the first to point out a serious error, you may receive bonus points. "DO" problems are meant to check your understanding of the concepts. Do them but do not hand them in. If you encounter any difficulties, please check with a TA during office hours. Challenge problems don't have a specific deadline except they cease to be assigned once they have been discussed in class. If you are working on a challenge problem, please send email to the instructor so as to avoid the problem being discussed before you handed in the solution. Solutions to Challenge problems don't earn you credit toward your grade but they do earn you the instructor's respect, in addition to giving you valuable experience.

Policy on collaboration

Studying in groups is strongly encouraged. Collaboration on current homework is discouraged but not prohibited. If you do collaborate, state it at the beginning of your solution (give name of collaborator). DO NOT COPY someone else's solution: after the discussion, throw away any written records. Understand the ideas discussed and give your own rendering. The same applies to other sources such as the Web: give the source (URL), but DO NOT COPY. Understand; then write your own version without looking at the source or your notes.

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