Description: Design and analysis of basic algorithms and data structures; algorithm analysis methods, searching and sorting algorithms, basic data structures, graphs and concurrency.

For information on prerquisites, corequisites, and the like, please see the UBC calendar entry for CPSC 221.

Texts: See the Readings webpage.

Office hours: See the Schedule webpage.

Note: Office hours are your time. You needn't make an appointment or wait outside the door. Come right in and take part! (If you want to meet privately with one of us, however, please let us know.)

Labs:

Labs are required and marked. Lab write_ups may contain a Pre-Lab section, which must be completed before the lab session. You may also work on labs at home, get help during scheduled Office Hours, or post questions on the course discussion boards. You should aim to finish your work and get it marked within the 2 hour session. However, if necessary, you may continue to work on it over the following week, as long as you have it completed no later than the beginning of your next lab session.

Getting your work marked if you are absent: If you must miss your regular Lab session, an extension (for any work that was due) until your next scheduled session (normally one week) can likely be arranged. You cannot get your work marked in a session later in the week; it can only be marked in your regular session. Email your request to the Lead TA (Lawrence Cahoon at h9m6@ugrad.cs.ubc.ca) in advance, or if the absence is unexpected, within 24 hours of the missed session. Extensions of more than one session are not available.
Getting help with the current lab: You can get help with your work on the current lab at Office Hours, by posting questions on the course discussion boards, or possibly at one of the remaining lab sessions (See the course Calendar at Schedule to determine which Lab sessions remain, and what Office Hours are being held before your next lab session.) If you want to attend one of the remaining Lab sessions, then you can, as long as there is space in that session. Email your request to the Lead TA at the above address.

Labs will introduce C++; however, as 2nd year students, much of the responsibility of learning the new language will fall on you. If you need C++ programming resources, check the textbook section of the website and make use the course discussion boards.

Evaluation:

Your final course mark will be based roughly on the following breakdown. The staff reserves the right to change this scheme (but do not anticipate using that right).

Labs		10%
Theory Assns/Quizzes		15% (all equally weighted)
Programming Projects		15% (all equally weighted)
Midterm Exam		20%
Final Exam		35%
PeerWise		5%
Piazza		2% (Bonus)

Updated on March 26
To give you more incentive to study for the final, we're making the following change to the marking scheme, which provides a great opportunity to improve your final grade! So in the new marking scheme:

Midterm Exam		10%
Midterm or Final Exam (whichever you did best on)		10%

To pass the course, you must obtain a 50% overall mark and, in addition, you must pass the final exam. Students who fail the final exam will receive as their course grade the minimum of their normally computed grade and 45%.

Approximate Topic Schedule:

See Readings on the Schedule webpage.

Communication:

Most electronic communication should go to Piazza. (You are expected to read the Announcements daily!)

Personal questions or those that might violate academic conduct standards if posted should go to your Instructor or to the individual staff member you wish to contact (see the home page for email addresses).

Assignments:

There will be roughly three programming projects and three written assignments during the term.

• Programming Environment: You may use any development environment you wish, but all programming projects must compile and run correctly on the Linux ugrad.cs.ubc.ca servers (such as lulu.ugrad.cs.ubc.ca) using GNU C++. See the computing and programming guideline pages for tips.
• Submission: Programming projects will submitted with the "handin" tool. Check handin's acknowledgment of your submission to see if your submission proceeded correctly. Written assignments will be submitted in the hand-in box for CPSC 221 (location will be announced).
• Schedule: Programming projects will normally be due at 9PM on the due date, and written assignments at 5PM.
• Late Policy: Late work will receive no credit, but we can be flexible if you contact us promptly, well before the due date. So, tell us if you're having trouble!
• Collaboration: See the academic conduct guidelines.

Exams: There will be one midterm and one final exam.

• Scheduling: Dates for the exams are available on the Schedule webpage. The midterm exam will be in the evening at the same time for both sections.
• Resources: Straight memorization is not a core course goal. Exams will be limited open-book/open-notes: During the exam you may bring for your own use up to 3 textbooks (of your choice, although we recommend CS books) and one 3-ring binder of paper or its equivalent (about 3 inches of paper). No calculators, phones, or other electronic equipment is allowed!
• Concession (missing an exam): Do not write an exam (especially the final!) if a medical factor might significantly impair your performance. If you are unable to write a midterm exam due to illness, inform your instructor immediately, detailing the period during which you were ill, but do not present a doctor's note. The instructor will establish and explain accommodation at that time. If you are unable to write the final due to illness, contact your Faculty's advising office (e.g., the Science Undergraduate Advising office) immediately.

Academic Conduct:

Collaboration enhances the learning experience. We encourage collaboration in various ways throughout the course, subject to the rules stated here:

• Programming projects: You may work on programming projects in groups of two, and we encourage you to do so. A group hands in a single submission and gets a single grade. (Specific projects may allow larger groups; any change will be stated in the project handout.) Groups are described below. Your group may also work with any other person or resource subject to rules:
  • The group must spend at least 10 minutes working on each problem independently before collaborating with others.
  • Collaboration with others must be limited to discussion and brainstorming. No record of any sort (e.g., written or electronic material) may be exchanged or leave the brainstorming session.
  • After collaborating, each student must take a half-hour break from the problem. Watching some brainless TV is a recommended activity.
  • Each group must write up their own solution independently, using their own words to prove that they understand the problem on their own.
  • Groups must acknowledge all collaborators or sources of assistance in their submission, although you need only name CPSC 221 course staff, handouts, and required textbooks if you quote or adapt directly from them. You are allowed (and expected!) to record the names of people in brainstorming sessions with you.
• Theory Assignments: Subject to the same conditions as Programming Projects.
• Labs: You are permitted to work on labs in groups of two.
• Groups:
  • Must indicate they are working together in the appropriate venue (on the front page/README for projects, to the lab TA for labs).
  • Must submit only one joint solution to the lab/project.
  • Will receive one grade for the lab/project that applies to every group member (except in extreme circumstances).
  Groups should collaborate rather than, for example, work on individual parts and stitch the result together. For advice on group work, speak with the teaching staff and check out All I Need to Know About Pair Programming I Learned in Kindergarten for a lighthearted but well-researched perspective on pair work in Computer Science.
• Exams will follow the University's Rules Governing Formal Examination, including disallowing any communication by any means with anyone besides the exam's invigilators except where specifically noted in exam instructions.

Violation of any of these rules constitutes academic misconduct and is subject to penalties ranging from a grade of zero on a particular assessment to indefinite suspension from the University. If you are uncertain as to what is or is not reasonable collaboration, please contact the instructor. If you are having problems understanding or keeping up with the material, please contact your instructor or TA to discuss how we can fix the problem. Don't cheat!