Description

This course teaches you how to analyze programming problems and design, implement, and test programs that solve them. Design alternatives will be discussed in class, and you will present at least one of your designs to the class.

Objectives

• Sharpen your programming skills instead of letting them atrophy between CS 31/32/33 and upper division software classes.
• Learn more programming language and library features than there was time for in CS 32.
• Present problem analyses and designs orally, much as you would on the job.
• Improve your ability to think quickly, a useful skill for technical job interviews.
• Increase your chances of doing well at the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest, should you compete.

Course Website

The URL for the course website is http://www.cs.ucla.edu/classes/spring06/cs188-1. You should check the site for announcements regularly.

Class meetings and Instructor

The class meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:00 to 3:50 in 5436 Boelter. David Smallberg's office hours are Mondays 12:30-1:30 and Wednesdays 4:00-5:00 in 4532G Boelter.

Weekly Topics

Almost every week will feature discussions of solutions to programming problems, examining design alternatives and choices of algorithms. Here are additional topics:

Assignments and Exams

There will be an in-class midterm the sixth week. The final exam is Tuesday, June 13, from 11:30 - 2:30, presumably in 5436 Boelter.

Grading Basis

Programming assignments: 60%
Oral presentation: 10%
Midterm examination: 10%
Final examination: 20%

Readings

Skiena, S., and Revilla, M., Programming Challenges, Springer Verlag, 2003.