Undergraduate, Postgraduate - UnitFIT4010 - Advanced topics in algorithms and discrete structures

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate, Postgraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Information Technology
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2014 (Day)

Synopsis

Algorithms are the most fundamental area for all aspects of computer science and software engineering. Discrete structures, such as those treated in graph theory, set theory, combinatorics and symbolic logic form the mathematical underpinning of the study of algorithms. As well-designed algorithms and data structures are essential for the good performance of an information system, an in-depth understanding of the theoretical properties of algorithms is essential for any computer scientist. As importantly, the theoretical investigation of algorithms leads to a deeper understanding of problem structures and classes of problems and the knowledge of a large variety of algorithm types enables the designer to approach a new problem from different angles. Topics for this unit include: Computability and Complexity Automata Theory Advanced Analysis and Design of Algorithms Parallel and Distributed Algorithms Numerical Algorithms Cryptographic algorithms Spatial/geometric algorithms

Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

critically analyse and assess algorithms for use in the chosen specialisation area;
be able to formally analyse algorithms in this specialisation area;
choose and apply algorithms and data structures in the specialisation area;
design and implement modified algorithms in the chosen area to suit particular problem structures.

Assessment

Assignment and Examination, relative weight depending on topic composition. When no exam is given students will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge by solving practical problems and maybe required to give an oral report.

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Kerri Morgan

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for on-campus students:

Two hours of lectures
One 2-hour laboratory or tutorial

(b.) Additional requirements (all students):

A minimum of 2-3 hours of personal study per one hour of contact time in order to satisfy the reading and assignment expectations.

Prerequisites

Completion of the Bachelor of Computer Science or equivalent to the entry requirements for the Honours program. Students must also have enrolment approval from the Honours Coordinator.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4010