COMP 550.001 - Algorithms and Analysis (Fall 2017)

Announcements

• [8/25/17] The lectures and assignments are on two Google calendars. This also lists the book sections that should correspond to each lecture.


• [12/17/17] Final Exam grades are on Sakai. Course grades will be submitted shortly.

General Information

• Instructor: Tanya Amert, email: tamert at cs dot unc dot edu
• Office Hours: TTh 5:00-7:00 in SN115
• Piazza: https://piazza.com/unc/fall2017/comp550001/home


• Lectures: MWF 10:10-11:00 in FB007
• Syllabus: PDF
• Prerequesites: COMP 410 and either COMP 283 or MATH 381

Topics Covered

• Week 1: Course overview, algorithm analysis techniques
• Weeks 2-3: Divide & Conquer
• Weeks 3-4: Selection & order statistics
• Weeks 4-5: Dynamic Programming
• Weeks 6-7: Randomized analysis, sorting & ordering
• Week 7: Midterm 1


• Weeks 7-8: Hashing
• Weeks 8-9: Searching (BST review, Red-Black Trees)
• Weeks 9-10: Greedy algorithms
• Weeks 10-13: Graph algorithms
• Week 12: Midterm 2


• Weeks 13-14: Linear Programming
• Week 15: NP-Completeness
• Week 15: Clustering algorithms
• Week 16: Optimization problems

Here is the schedule for this semester.

Assignments

Homework assignments will typically be due every other week, and be divided into written and programming parts, with varying proportions.

• Assignment 1: PDF, part B .zip file, part B setup tutorial (part A due Wednesday 8/30, part B due Friday 9/1)
• Assignment 2: PDF, part B .zip file (part A due Wednesday 9/13, part B due Monday 9/18, optional part C due Monday 9/18)
• Assignment 3: PDF, part B .zip file, code coverage tutorial, part C .zip file, seam carving tutorial (part A due Wednesday 9/27, part B due Friday 9/29, optional part C due Friday 9/29)
• Assignment 4: PDF, part B .zip file (part A due Monday 10/16, part B due Monday 10/23)
• Assignment 5: PDF, part B .zip file, part C PDF, part C .zip file (part A due Friday 11/3, part B due Monday 11/6, optional part C due Wednesday 11/15)
• Assignment 6: PDF, part C PDF, part C .zip file (part A due Monday 11/20, no part B, optional part C due Wednesday 11/29)
• Assignment 7: PDF, part B .zip file (part A due Monday 12/4, part B due Wednesday 12/6)

Exams

There will be two in-class midterm exams, and a final exam. The dates of the midterm exams are tentative, and the final is scheduled according to the UNC Final Exam calendar.

• Midterm 1: Monday, October 2nd (in class)
• Midterm 2: Wednesday, November 8th (in class)
• Final Exam: Saturday, December 15th at 8:00 a.m.

In addition, there will be at least eight in-class pop quizzes. These will be used to gauge how well the material is paced and understood, and be either anonymous, or count towards participation.

Last updated: 2018-01-05