In this course, we will cover basic technique for the design and analysis of efficient computer algorithms for solving various kinds of problems. The prerequisites for this course include Data Structures and Discrete Mathematics. Hence, you are assumed to have already familiar with basic data structures like stacks, queues, tress, linked lists etc., and basic concepts of discrete mathematics, such as basic mathematical identities, series summations and recurrences.

The course webpage will contain many materials (for example, assignments) related to the course. Please check the course webpage frequently (for example, at least once in every two days). You will be responsible for missing an assignment posted on the course webpage if you do not check the webpage frequently.

The following information on assignments and gradings are tentative and subject to change depending on the progress in the class. It is expected that there will be 3 assignments, 2 quizzes and 1 final examination. The final exam will be comprehensive. Each assignment will involve solving some excercise problems and/or writing programs implementing some algorithm. Assignments must be handed in class on the date specified. No late assignments will be accepted. Discussions with other students about assigments is allowed, but the work handed in must be the student's own work. Tentative weights of the assignments and exams in the final grading is as follows:

• The course webpage may contain many materials related to the course. Please check the course webpage frequently (for example, at least once in every two days). You will be responsible for not checking the webpage frequently.

• The terms of this syllabus are subject to change by announcements in class, on the course website or by email.

• Incompletes: The UIC Undergraduate catalog states that in addition to needing excellent justification for an incomplete, a student must also have been "making satisfactory progress in the course.

• Statute of limitations: No grading questions or complaints, no matter how justified, will be listened to one week after the item in question has been returned.

• Cheating: Cheating will not be tolerated. All work you submitted must be entirely your own. Any suspicious similarities between students' work (this includes homework and exams) will be recorded and brought to the attention of the Dean. The MINIMUM penalty for any student found cheating will be to receive a 0 for the item in question, and dropping your final course grade one letter. The MAXIMUM penalty will be expulsion from the University.

• Late assignments: Late assignments will not, in general, be accepted. They will never be accepted if the student has not made special arrangements with me at least one day before the assignment is due. If a late assignment is accepted it is subject to a reduction in score as a late penalty.

• Classroom Conduct: Classroom discussions and questions are a valuable part of the learning process and are encouraged. However, students who repeatedly talk among themselves disrupting the class lecture will be asked to leave.

• Some representative problems
• Basics of Algorithm Analysis
• Graphs
• Greedy Algorithms
• Divide and Conquer approach
• Dynamic Programming approach
• Computational Intractability