CS 3100

Data Structures and Algorithms 2

Announcements, Spring 2026

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Floryan (mrf8t@virginia.edu)
Aaron Bloomfield (aaron@virginia.edu)
@github | ↑ |

 

Travelling Salesman Problem

xkcd # 399

Lecture 27: Tuesday, April 21st

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203
• Assignments
  • PS9 (reductions) is out and due this Wednesday
  • PA5 (reductions) is due this Friday (4/24)
    • Gradescope submission will open soon
• Grades
  • Grades through PS6 and PA2 have been returned; others to be back “soon”
• Final / quiz 5: reservations to open soon
  • No “make-up”, but a curve instead
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• Upcoming schedule
  • Week of Mon, Apr 20 (this week): PS9 (reductions) due Wed (4/22), PA5 (reductions) due Fri (4/24)
  • Week of Mon, Apr 27 (next week): CBTF final over that weekend (Fri, May 1 to Mon, May 4); full details TBA
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with reductions
  • After today, only two more lectures left!

NP-Complete

xkcd # 287

Lecture 26: Thursday, April 16th

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402
    • But mine are 1:30-3:00 today (4/16)
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203
• Assignments
  • No assignments due this week because of quiz 4; see here for details about what is on the quiz
  • PS9 (reductions) is out and due next Wednesday
  • PA5 (reductions) is due next Friday (4/24)
• Grades
  • Grades through PS6 and PA2 have been returned
  • We expect others to be back “soon”
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• Upcoming schedule
  • Week of Mon, Apr 13 (this week): CBTF quiz 4 on Wed - Fri (4/15 - 4/17)
  • Week of Mon, Apr 20 (next week): PS9 (reductions) due Wed (4/22), PA5 (reductions) due Fri (4/24)
  • Week of Mon, Apr 27: CBTF final over that weekend (Fri, May 1 to Mon, May 4); full details TBA
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with reductions
  • After today, only three more lectures left!

Flowcharts

{title=“Whoa, and if you overlay a Fibonacci spiral on a golden spiral it matches up almost perfectly!” style=‘border:10px solid white’ srcset=“https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/flowcharts_2x.png 2x” }

xkcd # 1488

Lecture 25: Tuesday, April 14th (p 1/3)

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, but not today (Thu, 3/19)
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203
• Assignments
  • No assignments due this week
  • PS9 (reductions) is due next Wednesday
  • PA5 (reductions) is due next Friday (4/24)
• Grades
  • Grades through PS6 and PA2 have been returned
  • We expect others to be back “soon”
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• Updated schedule on next slide
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with max flow (part of the reductions module)
  • After today, only four more lectures left!

Upcoming schedule

• Week of Mon, Mar 30: PS7 (DP I) due Wed (4/1)
• Week of Mon, Apr 6: PS8 (DP II) due Wed (4/8), PA4 due Fri (4/10)
• Week of Mon, Apr 13 (this week): CBTF quiz 4 on Wed - Fri (4/15 - 4/17)
  • Sign ups are open!
• Week of Mon, Apr 20 (next week): PS9 (reductions) due Wed (4/22), PA5 (reductions) due Fri (4/24)
• Week of Mon, Apr 27: CBTF final over that weekend (Fri, May 1 to Mon, May 4); exact dates and session time details TBA

Quiz 4 format

Notes:

• The algorithms studied in lecture are: lcs, log cutting, 0/1 knapsack, weighted activity selection, edit distance, coin change, and seam carving (the latter with slightly less detail)

The questions on quiz 4 are:

1. DP design: given a new DP algorithm, reason about it
   • What is the runtime? What type of data structure would it need? That sort of thing.
   • We currently have about almost 100 such algorithms; aiming for many more
2. Log cutting: working through the algorithm described in class
3. Weighted interval scheduling: working through the algorithm described in class
4. DP question categorization: given various properties, which of the algorithms that we’ve studied match those properties? (given type of data structure, given runtime, etc.)
5. Some number (5-10) of true/false questions from a very large question bank
   • Currently 114 DP questions in the question bank, many more expected by tomorrow

The only change from last Thursday:

• If the exam is too long, we would shorten it by having each exam choose one of either (2) or (3)

Tree

xkcd # 835

Lecture 24: Thursday, April 9th (p 1/3)

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, but not today (Thu, 3/19)
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203
• Assignments
  • PS8 (DP II) due yesterday – how was it?
  • PA4 (DP) is out, due this Friday (4/10)
    • Gradescope will open up later today
• Grades
  • Grades through PS6 and PA2 have been returned
    • PS6 grades returned today
  • We expect PA3 to be back “soon”
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• Updated schedule on next slide
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with max flow (part of the reductions module)
  • After today, only five more lectures left!

Upcoming schedule

• Week of Mon, Mar 30: PS7 (DP I) due Wed (4/1)
• Week of Mon, Apr 6: (this week): PS8 (DP II) due Wed (4/8), PA4 due Fri (4/10)
• Week of Mon, Apr 13 (next week): CBTF quiz 4 on Wed - Fri (4/15 - 4/17)
  • Sign ups are open!
• Week of Mon, Apr 20: PS9 (reductions) due Wed (4/22), PA5 (reductions) due Fri (4/24)
• Week of Mon, Apr 27: CBTF final over that weekend (Fri, May 1 to Mon, May 4); exact dates and session time details TBA

Quiz 4 format

Notes:

• This is SUBJECT TO CHANGE (but we don’t think it will change much)
• We are providing this now so the Wednesday quiz-takers have sufficient advance notice
• The algorithms studied in lecture are: lcs, log cutting, 0/1 knapsack, weighted activity selection, edit distance, coin change, and seam carving (the latter with slightly less detail)

The questions on quiz 4 are:

1. DP design: given a new DP algorithm, reason about it
   • What is the runtime? What type of data structure would it need? That sort of thing.
   • We currently have about almost 100 such algorithms; aiming for many more
2. Log cutting: working through the algorithm described in class
3. Weighted interval scheduling: working through the algorithm described in class
4. DP question categorization: given various properties, which of the algorithms that we’ve studied match those properties? (given type of data structure, given runtime, etc.)
5. Some number (5-10) of true/false questions from a very large question bank
   • Currently 72 DP questions in the question bank, aiming for at least twice that

Possible changes:

• If the quiz is too long, we’ll remove a question (we’ll know this by Tuesday)

Is It Worth the Time?

xkcd # 1205

Lecture 23: Tuesday, April 7th (p 1/3)

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, but not today (Thu, 3/19)
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203
• Assignments
  • PS8 (DP II) out Thursday, due this Wednesday
  • PA4 (DP) is out, due this Friday (4/10)
    • Gradescope will open up later today
• Grades
  • Grades through PS6 and PA2 have been returned
    • PS6 grades returned today
  • We expect PA3 to be back “soon”
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• Updated schedule on next slide
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will start on max flow (part of the reductions module)

Upcoming schedule

• Week of Mon, Mar 30: PS7 (DP I) due Wed (4/1)
• Week of Mon, Apr 6: (this week): PS8 (DP II) due Wed (4/8), PA4 due Fri (4/10)
• Week of Mon, Apr 13 (next week): CBTF quiz 4 on Wed - Fri (4/15 - 4/17)
  • Sign ups are open!
• Week of Mon, Apr 20: PS9 (reductions) due Wed (4/22), PA5 (reductions) due Fri (4/24)
• Week of Mon, Apr 27: CBTF final over that weekend (Fri, May 1 to Mon, May 4); exact dates and session time details TBA

CBTF Quiz 3 Survey

Please fill out the survey! You can do it now; we’ll wait.

Direct link: https://forms.office.com/r/ABmkXknyhw

Scientist Tech Help

xkcd # 2341

Lecture 22: Thursday, April 2nd (p 1/4)

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, but not today (Thu, 3/19)
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203
• Assignments
  • PS7 (DP I) due yesterday: how was it?
  • PS8 (DP II) out Thursday, due next Wednesday
  • PA4 (DP) is out, due next Friday (4/10)
• Grades
  • Grades through PS5 and PA2 have been returned
    • PS5 and PA2 grades returned yesterday
  • We expect PA3 to be back “soon”
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• Updated schedule on next slide
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with dynamic programming

Upcoming schedule

• Week of Mon, Mar 30 (this week): PS7 (DP I) due Wed (4/1)
• Week of Mon, Apr 6: (next week): PS8 (DP II) due Wed (4/8), PA4 due Fri (4/10)
• Week of Mon, Apr 13: CBTF quiz 4 on Wed - Fri (4/15 - 4/17)
• Week of Mon, Apr 20: PS9 (reductions) due Wed (4/22)
• Week of Mon, Apr 27:
  • PA5 (reductions) due Fri (4/24) (NOT the following Tuesday)
  • CBTF final over that weekend (Fri, May 1 to Mon, May 4); exact dates and session time details TBA

CBTF Quiz 3 Debriefing

• Some questions specific to us:
  • Overall comments
  • Did you think the questions were fair?
  • How easy was the test to take?
  • Did you feel the practice quiz prepared you for the process?
  • Did you feel that the description we gave before the quiz was all the information you would have received from somebody who took it?
• Things we are working on:
  • A few questions had problems:
    • Greedy proofs saving issues
    • T/F question issues
  • Some people had submission issues

CBTF Quiz 3 Survey

Please fill out the survey! You can do it now; we’ll wait.

Direct link: https://forms.office.com/r/ABmkXknyhw

Scientist Tech Help

xkcd # 2341

Lecture 21: Tuesday, March 31st (p 1/2)

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, but not today (Thu, 3/19)
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203
• Assignments
  • PS7 (DP I) due tomorrow
  • PS8 (DP II) out Thursday, due next Wednesday
  • PA4 (DP) is out, due next Friday (4/10)
• Grades
  • Grades through PS5 and PA2 have been returned
    • PS5 and PA2 grades returned yesterday
  • We expect PA3 to be back “soon”
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• Updated schedule on next slide
• CBTF for quiz 3: We will have a debriefing on Thursday
• CBTF for quiz 4: Wed, Apr 15 to Fri, Apr 17
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with dynamic programming

Lecture 21: Tuesday, March 31st (p 2/2)

Upcoming schedule

• Week of Mon, Mar 30 (this week): PA7 (DP I) due Wed (4/1)
• Week of Mon, Apr 6: (next week): PA8 (DP II) due Wed (4/8), PA4 due Fri (4/10)
• Week of Mon, Apr 13: CBTF quiz 4 on Wed - Fri (4/15 - 4/17)
• Week of Mon, Apr 20: PS9 (reductions) due Wed (4/22)
• Week of Mon, Apr 27:
  • PA5 (reductions) due Tue (4/28); but this is SUBJECT TO CHANGE (with sufficient notice, of course)
  • CBTF final over that weekend (Fri, May 1 to Mon, May 4); exact dates and session time details TBA

Machine Learning

xkcd # 1838

Lecture 20: Thursday, March 26th

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, but not today (Thu, 3/19)
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203
• Assignments
  • Nothing due this week; PS7 (DP I) and PA4 (DP) will be out later this week
• Grades
  • Grades through PS4 and PA1 have been returned
  • We expect PA2, PA3, and PS5 to be back by next Tuesday
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• CBTF for quiz 3
  • We do not want the early sessions to have a disadvantage, so we are providing more information (see last Tuesday’s slide)
  • We will debrief and get feedback on Tuesday
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with dynamic programming

Genetic Algorithms

xkcd # 534

Lecture 19: Tuesday, March 24th (1/2)

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, but not today (Thu, 3/19)
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203
• Assignments
  • Nothing due this week; PS7 (DP I) and PA4 (DP) will be out later this week
• Grades
  • Grades through PS4 and PA1 have been returned
  • We expect PA2 to be back this week
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• CBTF
  • Most people took the practice quiz
  • Quiz 3 sign-ups are available; see Piazza post @125
  • We do not want the early sessions to have a disadvantage, so we are providing more info on the next slide
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with dynamic programming

Quiz 3 format

The questions on quiz 3 are:

1. Perform Dijkstra’s shortest path
   • Hint: create a table like on slide 14 of the 03-2-DijkstraAndPrim.pdf slide set
2. Find an MST in a graph (either Kruskal’s or Prim’s)
   • A note about scratch paper: copy the NODES only, and the fill in the edges in the MST
3. Proofs:
   • Prove optimal substructure of one of the algorithms we have seen (randomly chosen)
   • Prove the greedy choice property of one of the algorithms we have seen (randomly chosen)
   • This will be by proof blocks (given a number of steps of the proof, including incorrect steps, select the correct ones and assemble them in the correct order)
   • 6 possible algorithms: coin change, Dijkstra’s, MST (both Prim’s and Kruskal’s), activity selection, fractional knapsack
4. Some number (5-10) of true/false questions from a very large question bank

Watson Medical Algorithm

xkcd # 1619

Lecture 18: Thursday, March 19th

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, but not today (Thu, 3/19)
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203
• Assignments
  • PS6 (greedy II) was due yesterday; how did it go?
  • PA3 (greedy) is out, due this Friday (March 20th)
  • No PA7 (DP I) released this week, because next week is quiz 3
  • PA4 (DP) is due in 3 weeks, so will be out next week
• Grades
  • Grades through PS4 and PA1 have been returned
  • We expect PA2 to be back this week
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• CBTF
  • Wednesday’s practice quiz sessions: a complete failure
  • Thursday’s practice quiz sessions: it (almost) worked
  • On Friday we will release, on Piazza, info about next week’s quiz 3
    • We are waiting until the practice quiz finishes
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with dynamic programming

Recipes

xkcd # 720

Lecture 17: Thursday, March 16th

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203
• Assignments
  • PS6 is out, and due tomorrow
  • PA3 is out, due this Friday (March 20th)
• Quizzes 1&2
  • They are graded and returned; see Piazza post @88 about a small curve to make up for the typo
  • Beyond that, we are not expecting to curve the examns
  • Regrades are open for about a week
• Grades
  • Grades through PS4 and PA1 have been returned
  • We expect PA2 to be back this week
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• CBTF: next slide; it’s THIS week
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with greedy algorithms

CBTF Info

• We will be using a Computer-Based Testing Facility (CBTF) for the rest of the exams in this course
• There is a practice exam this week (March 17-19)
  • Everybody has to take it!
  • We are going to “grade” it to practice the auto-grading, but as long as you complete it, you will get full credit (counts as a homework)
    • It is a 50 minute slot, taken in Gilmer 490A
• To register for a slot, see Piazza post @95
  • As of last night, only 20% of the class has registered
  • If you have a legitimate conflict (out of town, etc.), send an email to the course email
  • Otherwise, there will not be a make-up
• The current schedule for the practice quiz is:
  • Tuesday, 3/17 - 4 pm, 5:30 pm
  • Wednesday, 3/18 - 4 pm, 5:30 pm, 7 pm
  • Thursday, 3/19 - 2:30 pm, 4 pm, 5:30 pm, 7 pm
• The real quiz 3 will be next week
  • Wednesday, 3/25 through Friday, 3/27
  • Details to follow later this week

AI Hiring Algorithm

xkcd # 2237

Lecture 16: Thursday, March 16th

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203
• Assignments
  • PS5 was due yesterday – how did it go?
  • PA3 is out, due next Friday (March 20th)
  • PS6 will be out today
• Quizzes 1&2
  • They are graded and returned; see Piazza post @88 about a small curve to make up for the typo
  • Beyond that, we are not expecting to curve the examns
  • Regrades are open for about a week
• Grades
  • Grades through PS2 and PA1 have been returned
  • We expect PS3, PS4, and PA2 to be back this week
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• CBTF: next slide; it’s NEXT week, not this week
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with greedy algorithms

CBTF Info

• We will be using a Computer-Based Testing Facility (CBTF) for the rest of the exams in this course
• There is a practice exam next week (March 17-19)
  • Everybody has to take it!
  • We are going to “grade” it to practice the auto-grading, but as long as you complete it, you will get full credit (counts as a homework)
    • It is a 50 minute slot, taken in Gilmer 490A
• To register for a slot, see Piazza post @95
• The current schedule for the practice quiz is:
  • Tuesday, 3/17 - 4 pm, 5:30 pm
  • Wednesday, 3/18 - 4 pm, 5:30 pm, 7 pm
  • Thursday, 3/19 - 2:30 pm, 4 pm, 5:30 pm, 7 pm
• The real quiz 3 will be the following week
  • Wednesday, 3/25 through Friday, 3/27

Google Maps

xkcd # 461

Lecture 15: Tuesday, March 10th

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203
• Assignments
  • PS5 is out, due tomorrow (March 11th)
  • PA3 is out, due next Friday (March 20th)
  • PS6 will be out on Thursday
• Quizzes 1&2
  • They are graded and returned
    • See Piazza post @88 about a small curve to make up for the typo
  • Beyond that, we are not expecting to curve the examns
  • A note about regrades, then they will open up for approximately one week
• Grades
  • Grades through PS2 and PA1 have been returned
  • We expect PS3, PS4, and PA2 to be back this week
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• CBTF: next slide; it’s NEXT week, not this week
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with greedy algorithms

CBTF Info

• We will be using a Computer-Based Testing Facility (CBTF) for the rest of the exams in this course
• There is a practice exam the week after spring break
  • Everybody has to take it!
  • We are going to “grade” it to practice the auto-grading, but as long as you complete it, you will get full credit (counts as a homework)
• It is a 50 minute slot, taken in Gilmer 490A
• Login info will be provided right after spring break
• The current schedule is:
  • 3/17 - 4 pm, 5:30 pm
  • 3/18 - 4 pm, 5:30 pm, 7 pm
  • 3/19 - 2:30 pm, 4 pm, 5:30 pm, 7 pm
• You will be given a link to a system to register for ONE of those sections
• Further quizzes in this course will follow a similar pattern
• More information about this will be posted in Piazza in the next few days

Tech Support Cheat Sheet

xkcd # 627

Lecture 14: Thursday, February 26th

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
    • Today: there are OH 5-7, but not 7-9
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, and start this week
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203, and start this week
  • No OH for some of next week due to exam and the upcoming spring break
• Assignments
  • PS5 should be out today, due Wednesday after spring break
  • PA3 will be out within a week, due three weeks from tomorrow (Fri, Mar 20)
• Quizzes 1&2
  • They are graded, but…
  • There was a problem with the second section, and there may be a statistical discrepancy between the grades; we want to get that sorted out before we return the exams
• Grades
  • Grades through PS2 and PA1 have been returned
  • We expect PS3, PS4, and PA2 to be back right after spring break
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• CBTF: next slide
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with greedy algorithms

CBTF Info

• We will be using a Computer-Based Testing Facility (CBTF) for the rest of the exams in this course
• There is a practice exam the week after spring break
  • Everybody has to take it!
  • We are going to “grade” it to practice the auto-grading, but as long as you complete it, you will get full credit (counts as a homework)
• It is a 50 minute slot, taken in Gilmer 490A
• Login info will be provided right after spring break
• The current schedule is:
  • 3/17 - 4 pm, 5:30 pm
  • 3/18 - 4 pm, 5:30 pm, 7 pm
  • 3/19 - 2:30 pm, 4 pm, 5:30 pm, 7 pm
• You will be given a link to a system to register for ONE of those sections
• Further quizzes in this course will follow a similar pattern
• More information about this will be posted in Piazza in the next few days

Good Code

xkcd # 844

Lecture 12: Thursday, February 19th

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, and start this week
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203, and start this week
  • No OH for some of next week due to exam and the upcoming spring break
• Assignments
  • PS4 was due yesterday – how did it go?
  • PA2 is due tomorrow (Friday, Feb 20)
  • PS5 will be out next week, due the week after spring break
• Grades
  • PS0 and PA1 have been returned
  • PS1 and PS2 should be back today – then we are caught up!
  • PA2 can be graded starting next week
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• CBTF: we are expecting our first use the week after spring break
  • It’s to get used to the system – as long as you complete it, you will not get a penalty
• Quizzes 1&2 next Tuesday (Feb 24) in lecture; old quizzes in Canvas’ files
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with greedy algorithms

Here to Help

xkcd # 1831

Lecture 11: Tuesday, February 17th

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, and start this week
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203, and start this week
  • No OH for some of next week due to exam and the upcoming spring break
• Assignments
  • PS4 is due tomorrow (Feb 18)
  • PA2 is due this Friday (Feb 20)
  • PS5 will be out next week
• Grades
  • PS0 and PA1 have been returned
  • PS1 should be back today
  • PS2 and PS3 should be back next week
  • PA2 can be graded starting later this week
• Regrade concerns?
  • If it’s a PA, then via the dedicated Piazza post
  • If it’s a PS, then submit it through Gradescope within one week
• Quizzes next Tuesday (Feb 24) in lecture; old quizzes in Canvas’ files
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will start on greedy algorithms

Coordinate Plane Closure

xkcd # 2735

Lecture 10: Thursday, February 12th

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, and start this week
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203, and start this week
• Assignments
  • PS3 was due yesterday – how did it go?
  • PA2 is out, due next Friday (Fri, Feb 20th)
  • PS4 will be out today, due next Wednesday
• Midterms (aka quizzes): there was some confusion on our end about when
  • Quizzes 1&2 are Tuesday, February 24th, in lecture (the Tuesday before spring break)
  • Quizzes 3&4: we are expecting to move to a CBTF; details to follow
    • If on paper,then they are Thursday, April 9th, in lecture
  • Final: Saturday, May 2nd, from 7pm - 10pm
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with divide and conquer

Flow Charts

xkcd # 518

Lecture 9: Tuesday, February 10th

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, and start this week
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203, and start this week
• Assignments
  • PA1 was due last Friday – how did it go?
  • PS3 is out, due tomorrow (Wed, Feb 11th)
  • PA2 is out, due next Friday (Fri, Feb 20th)
  • PS4 will be out Thursday, due next Wednesday
• Midterms (aka quizzes): there was some confusion on our end about when
  • Quizzes 1&2 are Tuesday, February 24th, in lecture (the Tuesday before spring break)
  • Quizzes 3&4: we are expecting to move to a CBTF; details to follow
    • If on paper,then they are Thursday, April 9th, in lecture
  • Final: Saturday, May 2nd, from 7pm - 10pm
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with divide and conquer

Linear Sort

xkcd # 3026

Lecture 8: Thursday, February 5th

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, and start this week
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203, and start this week
  • All will be posted on the Canvas landing page
• Assignments
  • PS2 is due tomorrow
  • PA1 is due this Friday
  • Upcoming: PS3 will be released today, PA2 released on Friday
• Midterms (aka quizzes): there was some confusion on our end about when
  • Quizzes 1&2 are Tuesday, February 24th, in lecture (the Tuesday before spring break)
  • Quizzes 3&4: we are expecting to move to a CBTF; details to follow
    • If on paper,then they are Thursday, April 9th, in lecture
  • Final: Saturday, May 2nd, from 7pm - 10pm
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with divide and conquer

Dependencies

xkcd # 754

Lecture 7: Tuesday, February 3rd

• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, and start this week
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203, and start this week
  • All will be posted on the Canvas landing page
• Assignments
  • PS1 was due Friday – how did it go?
  • PS2 is due tomorrow
  • PA1 is due this Friday
  • Upcoming: PS3 will be released Thursday, PA2 released on Friday
• Midterms (aka quizzes): there was some confusion on our end about when
  • Quizzes 1&2 are Tuesday, February 24th, in lecture (the Tuesday before spring break)
  • Quizzes 3&4: we are expecting to move to a CBTF; details to follow
    • If on paper,then they are Thursday, April 9th, in lecture
  • Final: Saturday, May 2nd, from 7pm - 10pm
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with divide and conquer

Ineffective Sorts

xkcd # 1185

Lecture 6: Thursday, January 29th

• PS1 is out and now due this Friday (Jan 30) by midnight
• PS2 will be out today, and due next Wednesday (Feb 4) by midnight
  • Gradescope submission opens up 72 hours before the due date
• PA1 is out, due Fri, Feb 6
  • Gradescope submissions are open
• Midterms (aka quizzes): there was some confusion on our end about when
  • Quizzes 1&2 are Tuesday, February 24th, in lecture (the Tuesday before spring break)
  • Quizzes 3&4 are Thursday, April 9th, in lecture
  • Final: Saturday, May 2nd, from 7pm - 10pm
  • If we use a CBTF, quizzes 3&4 and/or the final may have a different format, time, and location
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, and start this week
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203, and start this week
  • All will be posted on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with graphs

Lecture 5: Tuesday, January 27th

Snow day!

Weird Unicode Math Symbols

xkcd # 2606

Lecture 4: Thursday, January 22nd

• PS0 was due yesterday – how did it go?
• PS1 is out and due next Wednesday (Jan 28) by midnight
  • Gradescope submission opens up 72 hours before the due date
  • If you don’t see the course, we need to re-sync the roster; email the course email about this
• PA1 will be out this Friday, due two weeks later (Feb 6)
• Midterms (aka quizzes): there was some confusion on our end about when
  • Quizzes 1&2 are Tuesday, February 24th, in lecture (the Tuesday before spring break)
  • Quizzes 3&4 are Thursday, April 9th, in lecture
  • Final: Saturday, May 2nd, from 7pm - 10pm
  • If we use a CBTF, quizzes 3&4 and/or the final may have a different format, time, and location
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, and start this week
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203, and start this week
  • All will be posted on the Canvas landing page
• Today we will continue with graphs

Complexity Analysis

xkcd # 2939

Lecture 3: Tuesday, January 20th

• PS0 is out in Canvas’ Assignments, and due tomorrow (Wed, Jan 21) by 11:59 pm
  • Gradescope submission opens up 72 hours before the due date
  • If you don’t see the course, we need to re-sync the roster; email the course email about this
• PS1 will be out Thursday afternoon, due next Wednesday (Jan 28)
• PA1 will be out this Friday, due two weeks later (Feb 6)
• Midterms (aka quizzes): there was some confusion on our end about when
  • Quizzes 1&2 are Tuesday, February 24th, in lecture (the Tuesday before spring break)
  • Quizzes 3&4 are Thursday, April 9th, in lecture
  • Final: Saturday, May 2nd, from 7pm - 10pm
  • If we use a CBTF, quizzes 3&4 and/or the final may have a different format, time, and location
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Office hours
  • TA office hours are Mon through Thu, from 5-9 in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours Mon 10:30-12 and Thu 12:30-2, in Rice 402, and start this week
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are Mon 1-2, Tue 9-10, and Wed 12-1 in Rice 203, and start this week
  • All will be posted on the Canvas landing page

Algorithms

xkcd # 1667

Lecture 2: Thursday, January 15th

• PS0 is out in Canvas’ Assignments, and due next Wednesday (Jan 21) by 11:59 pm
  • Gradescope submission opens up 72 hours before the due date
• PS1 will be out next week, due the following Wednesday (1/28)
• Midterms (aka quizzes): there was some confusion on our end about when
  • Quizzes 1&2 are Tuesday, February 24th, in lecture (the Tuesday before spring break)
  • Quizzes 3&4 are Thursday, April 9th, in lecture
  • Final: Saturday, May 2nd, from 7pm - 10pm
  • If we use a CBTF, quizzes 3&4 and/or the final may have a different format, time, and location
• Course textbook link is on the Canvas landing page
• Office hours
  • TA office hours coming soon, and will start next week (we are targeting Mon-Thu, 5pm-9pm); likely in Rice 442
  • Prof. Bloomfield’s office hours TBA, in Rice 402, and start next week
  • Prof. Floryan’s office hours are TBA, in Rice 203, and start next week
  • All will be posted on the Canvas landing page