# Schedule

The schedule below shows the tentative dates for all class topics, readings, and assignments. You should complete all assigned reading before class on the day it is listed. Labs will be available shortly before the assigned lab day. There may be some revisions to the schedule during the semester, but I will make sure to announce these changes in class. If you view this page with JavaScript enabled you can jump to the current week on the schedule, and you should see the next day of class highlighted in the schedule below.

Week 0
F
Aug 31

#### Introduction to Algorithms

We begin the class by exploring the definition of computer science and by trying to write some basic algorithms.

Lab
• No lab
Assigned
Week 1
Su
Sep 2

Due
M
Sep 3

#### Getting Started with Linux and Scheme

We begin to consider the content and structure of the course. We also prepare ourselves to use our laboratory environment (that is, the Linux workstations and the DrRacket Programming Environment).

Lab

W
Sep 5

#### Basic Types

We explore some of the basic types in Scheme and the operations available for those types.

Lab
Assigned

F
Sep 7

#### Introducing Lists

We start to explore Scheme’s list data structure and some ways to use lists to work with collections of data.

Lab
Due
• Quiz 1
Week 2
M
Sep 10

We consider new ways to write your own procedures and why you might do so.

Tu
Sep 11

Due
W
Sep 12

#### Pair Programming

We explore the whys and hows of working with others. We also catch up on any confusing issues from the first few days of class.

Lab
• No lab
Assigned

F
Sep 14

#### Documenting Programs and Procedures

We consider documentation for your programs: Why to write documention, when to write documentation, how to write documentation. We also explore the 6P style of documentation that we use in this course.

Lab
• No lab
Due
• Quiz 2
Week 3
M
Sep 17

We consider testing When, why, and how you might test the procedures and programs that you write.

Tu
Sep 18

Due
W
Sep 19

#### Tables and Compound Data

We consider how to deal with compound data, such as the title, lattitude, longitude, time, and date of an event.

Assigned

F
Sep 21

#### Reading Lists and Tables from Files

We consider a variety of techniques for gathering lists and tables of data from files.

Due
• Quiz 3
Week 4
M
Sep 24

#### Boolean Values, Predicate Procedures, and List Filters

We consider a new type and its use in selecting elements from lists.

Tu
Sep 25

Due
W
Sep 26

#### Local Bindings

We consider how and why to name values within procedures.

F
Sep 28

#### Conditionals

We consider one of the central components of algorithms.

Lab
Due
• Quiz 4
Week 5
M
Oct 1

#### Discussion of Exam 1

We consider your work on exam 1.

Lab
• No lab

W
Oct 3

#### Displaying Data

We explore techniques for displaying simple kinds of data, such as coordinate pairs or counts of categorical data.

Assigned

F
Oct 5

#### Preconditions, revisited

We revisit preconditions. We then consider programming techniques for ensuring that preconditions are met.

Due
• Quiz 5
Week 6
M
Oct 8

#### Recursion Basics

We begin our exploration of recursion, the most general form of repetition available in Scheme. You can use recursion to both build and iterate over different kinds of values.

Lab
• No lab
Tu
Oct 9

Due
W
Oct 10

#### Recursion Basics, continued

We continue our exploration of recursion basics.

Assigned

F
Oct 12

#### Recursion with Helper Procedures

We consider a different form of recursion, one based on the construction of recursive helper procedures that take additional parameters. Along the way, we consider the idea of tail recursion. We also explore how careless design of recursive procedures can inadvertently lead to slow execution.

Due
• Quiz 6
Week 7
M
Oct 15

#### Other Forms of List Recursion

We conclude our initial forays into list recursion by looking for some common patterns in the design of recursive procedures.

W
Oct 17

#### Numeric Recursion

We consider a slightly different kind of recursion, numeric recursion. In this technique, we once again have procedures call themselves. However, the parameter that we “simplify” at every step is a number, rather than a list.

Due

F
Oct 19

#### Naming Local Procedures

We explore how and why one writes local recursive procedures.

Due
• Quiz 7
Fall Break
Week 8
M
Oct 29

#### Debugging

We explore techniques for undersatnding and correcting flaws in our programs.

W
Oct 31

#### Randomness and Simulation

We consider Scheme’s random procedure and how one might use that procedure in writing simple simulations.

Assigned

F
Nov 2

#### Pairs and Pair Structures

We consider pairs, the basic data type used to build lists and other structures in Scheme. We also consider why it is useful to understand about pairs.

Due
• Quiz 8
Week 9
M
Nov 5

#### Vectors

We consider vectors, an alternative to lists for storing collections of data.

Lab
Tu
Nov 6

W
Nov 7

#### Files in Scheme

We revisit files, considering the lower-level operations for working with files, a technique for structuring information that permits the information to persist across invocations of Scheme. Files also let our Scheme programs share information with other programs.

Lab
Assigned
• Assignment 7
Due

F
Nov 9

#### Higher-Order Procedures, revisited

We revisit the topic of higher-order procedures, one of the most important techniques in languages like Scheme. Higher-order procedures are procedures – like map, left-section, or compose – that take other procedures as parameters, return other procedures as values, or both.

Due
• Quiz 9
Week 10
M
Nov 12

#### Trees

We consider trees, structures built from pairs. Trees are somewhat like two-dimensional lists.

Lab
Tu
Nov 13

#### Work Due

Due
• Assignment 7 (by 10:30pm)
W
Nov 14

#### Analyzing Procedures

We explore techniques for analyzing the number of calls made in evaluating procedures, particularly recursive procedures. We consider why such analysis is useful.

Assigned

F
Nov 16

#### Association Lists

We consider association lists, a simple, but useful, technique for organizing tables of information.

Due
• Quiz 10
Week 11
M
Nov 19

#### Project Introduction

We introduce the project.

Lab
• No lab
Assigned
Tu
Nov 20

Due
W
Nov 21

#### Project Work Day 1

We provide time for groups to work on their projects.

Lab
• No lab
F
Nov 23

#### No Class – Thanksgiving Break

Have a great break.

Week 12
M
Nov 26

#### Project Work Day 2

We provide additional time for groups to work on their projects.

Lab
• No lab

W
Nov 28

#### Binary Search

We consider the general problem of searching. We explore binary search, one of the most efficient algorithms for searching.

Due
• Project Proposal (by 10:30pm)

F
Nov 30

#### Introduction to Sorting

We explore the problem of sorting. When you sort a list, vector, or other collection, you put the elements in order. The order of the elements usually corresponds to the type of the elements. We might sort strings alphabetically, grades numerically, colors by brightness, and so on and so forth.

Lab
• No lab
Due
• Quiz 11
Week 13
M
Dec 3

#### Project Work Day 3

We will have some additional time to work on projects before the project deadline.

Lab
• No lab
Tu
Dec 4

#### Work Due

Due
• Class Project (by 10:30pm)
W
Dec 5

#### Insertion Sort

We move from our general exploration of sorting to the implementation of a particular sorting algorithm, insertion sort. We also explore how the running time for that algorithm varies based on the number of values we are sorting.

F
Dec 7

#### Merge Sort

We continue our exploration of sorting by considering the applicability of the divide-and-conquer approach to the problem of sorting. We look at one particular divide-and-conquer algorithm, merge sort. We explore how the running time for that algorithm varies based on the number of values we are sorting.

Lab
Assigned
Week 14
M
Dec 10

#### Pause for Breath

We pause to consider a few final topics.

Lab
• No lab
Due
• Quiz 12

W
Dec 12

#### Project Presentations

We explore some of your projects.

Lab
• No lab
Th
Dec 13

Due
F
Dec 14

#### Wrap Up

We conclude the course by considering the topics we’ve covered, and discuss the concepts you will see in future CS courses.