Syllabus — COMP 2450

(Draft — to be filled in with official department language, office hours, academic integrity policies, etc.)

Course description

Data Structures & Algorithms in C++. Students implement and use abstract data types (lists, stacks, queues, trees, heaps, hash tables), analyze algorithmic efficiency (Big-O), and develop recursive and iterative algorithms — all in the context of a semester-long text-based dungeon crawler project.

Prerequisites

Prior experience with C++ covering: data types, conditions/loops, functions, vectors, multi-dimensional arrays, classes, pointers, dynamic memory, and files.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Reason about abstract data types independently of their implementation.
2. Analyze the time and space complexity of algorithms using Big-O, Ω, and Θ notation.
3. Implement common data structures from scratch: arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, BSTs, heaps, hash tables.
4. Use the C++ Standard Library’s containers, iterators, and algorithms effectively.
5. Apply recursion, divide-and-conquer, and iteration to problem-solving.
6. Design and build a multi-module C++ program using templates, memory management, and exceptions.

Required materials

• ZyBook: HARDING COMP 2450. Access required — used for assigned readings and participation/lab activities.
• C++ compiler: g++ (MinGW or via WSL on Windows; native on macOS/Linux) or Microsoft Visual C++.
• Editor: VS Code with C/C++ extension recommended.

Grading (placeholder — adjust to your policy)

Schedule

See the dungeon map for the week-by-week floor plan.

Meeting pattern

MWF, 50 minutes per session.

Policies

(To be filled in: attendance, late work, academic integrity, accommodations, Harding-specific language.)