Overview

Data is everywhere! It stands to reason that there must be smart ways of storing and retrieving it efficiently. We'll spend time looking at how database sytems are built, how to use them, and fundamental principles behind management of data. The most amazing thing about this class is that it uses ideas involving computer hardware, data structures, algorithms, database theory, new languages, and more. If it makes sense to talk about a course as being "interdisciplinary within computer science," this is the one.

Instructor Information

• Instructor: Dave Musicant
• Office: CMC 326
• E-mail: dmusican
• Office phone: (507)222-4369
• Office hours: check my web page
• Grader: Dan Solow (solowd)

Textbook

• Database System Concepts (6th ed), Silberschatz, Korth, and Sudarshan, McGraw-Hill, 2010.

Your Grade

• Assignments: 50%
• Exam 1: 25%
• Exam 2: 25%

Homework Policy

• The assignments will be a mix of programming in Python, programming in SQL, and some non-programming analysis assignments.
• Each assignment will have a specific time for which it will be due. An assignment turned in late within one day of the due time will be docked 25%. A program turned in later than one day of the due date but within two days will be docked 50%. A programming assignment turned in any time after this until the last day of classes will be docked 75%. Non-programming assignments can not be turned in any later than two days following the due date since we may be discussing answers in class.

Working Together

• Each programming assignment will either be a "team" problem assignment or an "individual" assignment. You are most welcome to pick your own partner, or I will find a partner for you if you like. I might mandate a partner change partway through the term for everyone.
• When working on team problems, you and your partner should engage in the pair programming model, that is both of you should be sitting at a single machine, side by side. One of you is "driving," i.e. actually using the keyboard and mouse. The other is actively engaged following along, stopping bugs, and providing ideas. You should make sure that over the course of an assignment that you spend roughly the same amount of time each "driving." I will also ask you to turn in a form rating the work that your partner does.
• If you are determined to work alone on the team assignments, that's fine. I will expect, however, that you do work of the same amount and quality as those students with partners. You can change whether or not you work alone each "cycle" that I assign new partners.
• I will also be assigning analysis work. On these and on the "individual" programming problems you may collaborate with others in the class for ideas, but all students should turn in individual assignments for these. You should be writing up or programming your own solutions, and not sharing printouts with each other. You may help each other debug.

Collaboration, Plagiarism, and the Difference Between the Two

There are two different kinds of working together: collaborating and plagiarism.

Collaborating

• Collaborating is good.
• You are encouraged to collaborate on ideas and program design.
• Programming is often a social effort, and there is much you can learn by talking out the ideas in this class with each other.
• You can by all means talk to each other, look at each others' programs to help fix problems, and share ideas.

Plagiarism

• Plagiarism is bad. DON'T DO IT!
• Any programs that you turn in should be your work.
• Even if you work with someone else and share ideas, you must still writ your own program.
• If a piece of your program utilizes someone else's idea, you must make sure to give that person credit in program comments.
• Do not hand a printout of your program to other students. I encourage you to work together to help debug your code, but you should do so sitting together.

The following are examples of plagiarism:

• Taking someone else's program, changing comments and variable names, putting your name at the top, and turning it in.
• Finding a similar program on the Internet, changing the variables and comments around, putting your name at the top, and turning it in.
• Finding a similar program in a book, changing the variables and comments around, putting your name at the top, and turning it in.

I am compelled by Carleton policy to submit plagiarism cases that I find to the Dean of Students, who in turns brings the evidence before the Academic Standing Committee. The academic penalty for a finding of responsibility can range from a grade of zero in the specific assignment to a F in the course.