Data Structures and Algorithms
2006-07

Feedback
Anonymous user feedback was collected halfway through the course on paper forms. All participants are warmly encouraged to submit further anonymous feedback at the end of the course, noting good points that they think should be preserved and bad points that they think should change. A summary of feedback so far received is available (from .cam.ac.uk).

Microchallenges (requires Raven authentication)

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.

Date	Name	Claim to fame
2006-10-09	Microchallenge 1: Boolean logic
	Robert Hoff	Participant
	Iain Parris	Participant
	Edward Drake	Winner
	jk350	Participant
	David Proctor	Participant
	Carl Forsell	Participant
	Mark Batty	Participant
	Tim Bellis	Participant
	sas	Participant
	cvr25	Participant
	xl259	Participant
	LangJie Deng	Participant
	Hemant Kumar Choudhary	Participant
2006-10-16	Microchallenge 2: Hanoi
	Robert Hoff	Participant
	Joe Kearney	Participant
	Tim Bellis	Winner
	Richard Moore	Participant
	Xin Li	Participant
	Chris Roberts	Participant
	sas	Participant
	Langjie Deng	Participant
2006-10-23	Microchallenge 3: Mergesort
	sas	Participant
	Robert Hoff	Participant
	Xin Li	Participant
2006-10-23	Microchallenge 4: Quicksort
	Robert Hoff	Participant
	ram52	Participant
	Xin Li	Winner
	sas	Participant
2006-10-30	Microchallenge 5: Priority Queue
	Tim Bellis	Winner
	Robert Hoff	Participant
	Xin Li	Participant
	Carl Forsell	Participant
	Langjie Deng	Participant
	Anna Biney	Participant
2006-11-06	Microchallenge 6: Building a 2-3-4 Tree
	Ed Drake	Participant
	Anna Biney	Winner
	Xin Li	Participant
	Joe Kearney	Participant
	Robert Hoff	Participant
	Olga Skripnikova	Participant

FAQ: Can I please see the text of past microchallenges?

Answer: No. I already explained why during the lecture of 2006-10-20, so I assume you didn't come to that either. Pity.

Microchallenges are optional. I hold in high esteem those who attempt them because they do so as we progress through the syllabus. Microchallenges are not provided as random programming exercises: they are instead an incentive to work on (and understand) the topics of the course as we go along. For this reason they are a privilege reserved to those smart ones who take the challenge while it's open. Timing is everything. Use it or lose it. This is true in general.

It is a misunderstanding of the spirit in which microchallenges are offered to want to solve one past its Best-Before date. Instead of that, I recommend writing another program about the bits of the course that seem most difficult. Even better would be to attempt the next available microchallenge.

Having said that, if any latecomers are still keen to catch up on expired microchallenges, they could always ask for the assistance of the people listed on the hall of fame, who were smart enough to take the microchallenge when it made sense: the hall-of-famers might still have a copy of the text and might be willing to share it and discuss it. Such serendipitous cooperation might yield unexpected benefits, whether technical or social.