Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, any references to assessment tasks and on-campus delivery may no longer be up-to-date on this page.
Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.
Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students
Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Annabelle McIver
Mark Dras
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
COMP6010 or ITEC625
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit provides a study of algorithms, data structures and programming techniques. The topics covered include: trees; graphs and heaps; advanced sorting techniques; elements of storage management; and complexity. The presentation emphasises the role of data abstraction and correctness proofs.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Assessment details are no longer provided here as a result of changes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.
Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students
The final mark for the unit will be calculated by combining the marks for all assessment tasks according to the percentage weightings shown in the assessment summary.
Late Submission
No extensions will be granted without an approved application for Special Consideration. There will be a deduction of 20% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late. For example, 25 hours late in submission for an assignment worth 10 marks – 40% penalty or 4 marks deducted from the total. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted.
Extension requests
Please note if you cannot submit on time because of illness or other circumstances, please contact the lecturer before the due date. If you experience a disruption to studies, you should notify the university. Please note that this is a centralised process, and resolution can take some time. This may mean, for example, that you are notified that your disruption request has been approved only after any reasonable length extension for an assignment could be granted: for instance, the assignment might have already been handed back. With respect to assignments, you should therefore also notify the lecturer responsible for the assignment, and submit a solution to the assignment via iLearn, at the same time as you lodge your official disruption notification. Failure to do so means that an extension may not be possible, leaving only some other remedy listed under the disruption to study outcomes schedule (e.g. partake in assessment task next available session).
Special Consideration
If you receive special consideration for the final exam, a supplementary exam will be scheduled in the interval between the regular exam period and the start of the next session. By making a special consideration application for the final exam you are declaring yourself available for a resit during the supplementary examination period and will not be eligible for a second special consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments. Please ensure you are familiar with the policy prior to submitting an application. You can check the supplementary exam information page on FSE101 in iLearn (bit.ly/FSESupp) for dates, and approved applicants will receive an individual notification one week prior to the exam with the exact date and time of their supplementary examination.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19.
Please check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status
Each week you should attend 3 hours of lectures and a two-hour mixed classes. For details of days, times and rooms consult the timetables webpage.
You should have selected one two-hour mixed classes session at enrolment. You must attend the session you are enrolled in.
Please note that you are expected to attend most of the mixed classes because that is your opportunity to seek clarification of any parts of the course and exercises you do not understand. Note that the in-class quiz will be strongly based on the weekly exercises. You are therefore strongly advised to complete the set class exercises, and to seek clarification when you are unable to complete a question.
The following texts can be used to supplement the material covered in lectures:
Robert Sedgewick and Kevin Wayne. Algorithms (4th edition) - available online at https://algs4.cs.princeton.edu/home/
Clifford Shaffer. Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis - available online at https://people.cs.vt.edu/shaffer/Book/JAVA3e20130328.pdf
Adam Drozdek [2005]. Data Structures and Algorithms in Java (2nd ed. or 3rd edition). Boston: Thomson Course Technology.
There is also a companion website by the publisher, containing data files for exercises. In addition, Drozdek has Java code from the book available on his webpage. (Note that these are written for Java 1.4.)
The unit will make use of discussions hosted within iLearn. Please post questions there, they will be monitored by the staff on the unit.
COMP6011 is taught via lectures and mixed classes in the laboratory. Lectures are used to introduce new theoretic material, give examples of the use these techniques and put them in a wider context. Mixed classes give you the opportunity to interact with your peers. You will be given problems to solve each week prior to each session; preparing solutions is important because it will allow you to discuss the problems effectively with your tutor thereby making the most of this activity. The aim of the mixed classes is to help you to develop problem-solving skills and teamwork, and you will be expected to work on problems in class. Mixed classes give you an opportunity to practice your programming skills, and to implement many of the ideas discussed in lectures. Each week you will be given a number of problems to work on; it is important that you keep up with these problems as doing so will help you understand the material in the unit and prepare you for the work in assignments and quizzes. Some of the questions are designated priority and they will be the ones that will be discussed in detail and on which the quizzes may be based. Additional questions are provided for extension and general practice.
Lecture notes will be made available each week but these notes are intended as an outline of the lecture only and are not a substitute for your own notes or the textbook.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
The unit schedule/topics and any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19. Please consult iLearn for latest details, and check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status
Week 1 | Review of algorithms and related concepts |
Week 2 | Algorithm Correctness and Efficiency |
Week 3 | Algorithm Design Strategies |
Week 4 | Sorting |
Week 5 | Binary Trees |
Week 6 | Binary Trees (cont.) |
Week 7 |
Priority Queues, Heaps and Heapsort |
13-26 April |
Mid semester break |
Week 8 | Programming with Maps and Hashtables |
Week 9 | Graph Algorithms |
Week 10 | Graph Algorithms (cont.) |
Week 11 | Advanced Trees |
Week 12 | An Introduction to Computability |
Week 13 |
Revision |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
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