CSE 310 - Data Structures

and Algorithms
Instructor: Mr. Mark Fisher
Brief Overview of the Team
● Instructor: Mark Fisher
○ Former computer programmer
○ Former high school math/computer science
teacher
○ First year teaching at ASU
○ First time teaching CSE 310
Brief Overview of the Team
● Instructor: Mark Fisher
○ Office Hours: M 1:00-2:00, W 3:00-4:00
○ Office Hours begin Week 2
Brief Overview of the Team
● TA: Erfan Bank Tavakoli
○ Office Hours: TBA
○ Office Hours begin Week 2
 The Book
● Introduction to Algorithms, 4th Edition by Thomas
Cormen, Charles Leiserson, Ronald Rivest, and
Clifford Stein. (2022)
○ ISBN 978-0262046305
 Brief Overview of the Book
● Book requires about three semesters to cover in
its entirety
 Grading
● Assignments (30%) - 6 programming
● Exams (45%) - 3 exams, given on Weeks 5 (2/6),
10 (3/20), and 14 (4/19)
● Final (25%) - Taken in-class (5/1)
 Rules on Exams
● Exams are through Canvas - closed-book,
closed-note.
● Given full class period to complete.
 Design of the Class
● Programming Assignments
○ Assignments are checks to make sure you can
actually code the material covered in class
 Design of the Class
● Exam questions generally fall into one of two
categories:
○ Questions that test your memorization
○ Questions that require you to really understand
the material, not just the processes
 Score Adjustments
● Adjustments are done because my scoring is too
tough for the default percentages for final grades
at ASU
○ I’m not failing half of the class without a really
good reason
 Score Adjustments
● Scores on assignments are unlikely to be
adjusted
● Scores on exams are likely to be adjusted
○ Adjustment occurs after all appeals are
complete
 Succeeding in This Course
● Do your best
● Don’t give up
● No easy zeroes!!!
○ Attempt all assignments
○ Answer all questions on all exams
● Spend time on this class every day
● Take breaks while studying
○ Allows the brain to process during the break
 Succeeding in This Course
● Use the data structures presented in class in
programs
● Take advantage of the available resources
○ Q&A after lectures
○ Recitation and office hours
○ Email
○ Discussion groups
Succeeding in This Course
○ Other students
■ Be careful when helping with the
assignments
● Sharing higher-level ideas is acceptable
● Sharing individual lines of code is not
○ Reuse of your own code is acceptable, as long
as it was produced for this class this semester
Other Notes About the Course
● Builds on CSE 230 and MAT 243 (prerequisites)
● Course has a significant amount of programming

● Bringing the book to class is optional.

 Absences
● While this course should be a priority for all
students, it may not be the priority so I
understand if one or more absences are required
○ If a lecture day, get the notes from a student
○ I will post copies of the lecture slides in
Canvas
 Absences
● There are valid reasons for missing an exam and
getting to take it after the fact, but these are listed
in the syllabus and require documentation.
 Expected Schedule
Starts on Chapters Covered Notes

Week 1 1/9 2, 3 Partial coverage of chapters

Week 2 1/16 6 Monday off

Week 3 1/23 6, 7

Week 4 1/30 8

Week 5 2/6 9 Exam #1 Monday

Week 6 2/13 9, 11

Week 7 2/20 11, 12

Week 8 2/27 12, 13

 Expected Schedule
Starts on Chapters Covered Notes

N/A 3/6 N/A Spring Break

Week 9 3/13 13, 19

Week 10 3/20 19 Exam #2 Monday

Week 11 3/27 20

Week 12 4/3 21, 22

Week 13 4/10 22, 23

Week 14 4/17 23 Exam #3 Wednesday

Week 15 4/24 14 Partial coverage of chapter

Questions?