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Department of Computer Science and Mathematics
introduction to the object-oriented paradigm
(abstraction, objects, classes, entity and
application classes, class libraries, methods,
encapsulation, class interaction, aggregation),
inheritance, error types, simple testing
and debugging, 1-D and 2-D arrays, basic
searching, and sorting algorithms.
CSC245 Objects and Data Abstraction
[3-0, 3 cr.]
This course presents further techniques of
object oriented programming and problem
solving, with emphasis on abstraction and
data structures. Topics include: object
oriented concepts, such as, composition,
inheritance, polymorphism, information
hiding, and interfaces; basic program design
and correctness, such as, abstract data
types, preconditions and post conditions,
assertions and loop invariants, testing, basic
exception handling, and the application of
algorithm design techniques. The course
also covers: basic algorithmic analysis, time
and space tradeoffs in algorithms, big-O
notation; fundamental data structures and
applications, such as, collections, single- and
double-linked structures, stacks, queues, and
trees; performance issues for data structures;
recursion, more sorting algorithms.
Prerequisite: CSC 243: Introduction to Object
Oriented Programming.
CSC310 Algorithms and Data Structures
[3-0, 3 cr.]
This course presents the fundamental
computing algorithms and data structures,
with emphasis on design and analysis. Topics
include the asymptotic analysis of upper
and average complexity bounds, the best,
the average, and the worst, case behaviors.
Recurrence relations, sets, hashing and hash
tables, trees and binary trees (properties,
tree traversal algorithms), heaps, priority
queues, and graphs (representation, depthand
breadth-first traversals and applications,
shortest-path algorithms, transitive closure,
network flows, topological sort). The course also
covers the sorting algorithms and performance
analysis which include mergesort, quicksort
and heapsort. As well, the course details the
fundamental algorithmic strategies (divideand-conquer
approach, greedy, dynamic
programming, and backtracking). Introduction
to NP-completeness theory.
Prerequisites: CSC 245: Objects and Data
Abstraction and MTH207: Discrete Structures I.
CSC320 Computer Organization [3-0, 3 cr.]
Overview of the history of the digital computer,
representation of numeric data, introduction
to digital logic, logic expressions and Boolean
functions, logic functions minimization. Processor
and system performance, Amdahl’s law.
Introduction to reconfigurable logic and specialpurpose
processors. Introduction to instruction
set architecture, and microarchitecture. Processor
structures, instruction sequencing, flow-of
control, subroutine call and return mechanism,
structure of machine-level programs, low level
architectural support for high-level languages.
Memory hierarchy, latency and throughput, cache
memories: operating principles, replacement
policies, multilevel cache, and cache coherency.
Register-transfer language to describe internal
operations in a computer, instruction pipelining
and instruction-level parallelism (ILP), overview
of superscalar architectures. Multicore and
multithreaded processors.
Co-requisite: CSC 245: Objects and Data
Abstraction, MTH 207: Discrete Structures I.
CSC322 Computer Organization Lab
[3-0, 1 cr.]
Students gain experience with computer
organization techniques by designing and
implementing actual circuits using a highlevel
language, Verilog HDL and FPGAs.
Course culminates in the design and
simulation of a complete pipelined CPU.
Co-requisite: CSC 320: Computer Organization.
CSC323 Digital Systems Design [3-0, 3 cr.]
The course introduces students to the
organization, and architecture, of computer
systems. Topics include the fundamental
building blocks of digital logic (logic gates, flipflops,
counters, registers), programmable logic
devices, (logic expressions, minimization, sum
of product forms), register transfer notation,
finite state machines, physical considerations,
data representation, numeric data representation
and number bases, representation of
nonnumeric data, digital circuit modeling, HDL
(VHDL, Verilog), simulation of digital circuit
models, synthesis of digital circuits from HDL
models, and the hierarchical and modular
design of digital systems (simple data paths
and hardwired control unit realization) as well
as the introduction to embedded systems.
Prerequisite: CSC243 Introduction to Object
Oriented Programming.
CSC326 Operating Systems [3-0, 3 cr.]
Introduces the fundamentals of operating
systems design and implementation. Topics
ACADEMIC CATALOG [ 2011-2012 ] SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
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