Data Structures and Algorithms
2007-2008

Principal lecturer: Dr Frank Stajano
Taken by: Part II (General), Diploma
Syllabus
Past exam questions
Microchallenges (requires Raven authentication)

If you were a student for this course, please comment (anonymously) on my lectures, noting explicitly what you liked and what you didn't.

Timetable

16 lectures on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 12:00 to 13:00 in FW26 Lecture theatre 1 (note new, better venue) starting on Fri 2007-10-05 and ending on Fri 2007-11-09 except that there is no lecture on Fri 2007-10-19 and there is a replacement lecture on Tue 2007-10-23, same time same place.

How to study

If you really want to understand and "own" the material in this course, no other method compares to writing programs that implement the algorithms and data structures that the course introduces. I encourage you to do so: you can have great fun hacking away and feel good thinking your lecturer told you to.

My smartest students (such as those who went on to win prizes and distinctions and earn PhD posts in previous years) take part in the Microchallenges. These optional exercises are reserved to those who do them as the course unfolds: "use it or lose it" and all that kind of stuff. Procrastinators won't have access to them.

Your textbook is a good source of revision exercises. There is also a huge collection of past exam questions but be sure to choose ones that are covered by this year's syllabus.

Microchallenges

At the end of some lectures I shall announce a microchallenge, together with its deadline (usually a couple of days later). You may enter a submission as many times as you wish before the deadline; only the most recent is retained. After the deadline I pick submissions out of the pool at random and test them (usually with an automated script). The first correct one is the winner.

Hall of fame

My smartest students for this course

Taking up the microchallenges is always a smart move. Whether you win or not, the journey is the reward.