California Science and Technology University

Course Description

This course is designed to teach efficient use of data structures and how to design an algorithm to solve a practical problem. Students will learn the logical relationships between the data structures associated with the real problems and their physical representations. Topics include algorithms and algorithm analysis, data organization and the applications. Practical use of the arrays, stacks, queues, single and double linked lists, trees, graphs, and heaps will be covered in depth. The class-based data models with object-oriented design patterns will also be introduced.

CSTU does not have a student bookstore. Students are required to purchase textbooks required for their courses on the open market. In accordance with the current Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) requirements, CSTU will provide the ISBN and retail price of our texts along with information on various purchasing options and buyback programs. The ISBN and price information are provided in the syllabus. Course materials can be purchased from any source, the CSTU website offers a convenient means of obtaining required course materials. CSTU cautions students about obtaining course materials from overseas sources because of the risk of delivery time and quality of the materials. Purchase decisions should not be based on the purchase price alone.

Measurable Course Objectives

Review the basics of Python programming language.
Highlight the object-oriented programming principles.
Provide in-depth exploration of various data structures and algorithms found in modern programming language libraries.
Demonstrate the usage of algorithms in real applications.

University-wide Student Learning Outcome

The University Student Learning Outcomes assessed and reinforced in this course include but are not limited to the following:

Become familiar with common data structures such as stacks, queues, lists, trees, and maps.
Be able to wisely use existing data structures and algorithms to solve problems.
Be able to analyze algorithmic performance.

Course Topics

Week 1

Introduction
Chapter 1 & 2
Python Primer
Object-Oriented Programming
HW1

Week 2

Chapter 3 & 4
Algorithm Analysis
Recursion
HW 2

Week 3

Chapter 5 & 6
Array-Based Sequences
Stacks, Queues, and Deques
HW3

Week 4

Chapter 7 & 8
Linked Lists
Trees
Mid-term Exam

Week 5

Chapter 9 & 10
Priority Queues
Maps, Hash Tables, and Skip Lists
HW4

Week 6

Chapter 11 & 12
Search Trees
Sorting and Selection
HW5

Week 7

Chapter 13 & 14
Text Processing
Graph Algorithms
HW6

Week 8

Chapter 15
Memory Management
B-Trees
Final Exam

About the Instructor

Jim Lai

Jim Lai is an adjunct professor at Foothill College where he has been teaching Computer Science courses since 2015. In the past he had worked as a principal software engineer at various cutting edge companies focusing on the design and implementation of video conferencing and networking software. He holds a Ph.D. of Electrical and Computer Engineering in Image Processing and Computer Vision.