Data Structures and Algorithms
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Data Structures and Algorithms is a Computer Science course in the CTY program. Its course code is DATA, and it is offered only at Lancaster and only first session.
Course Description
DATA focuses on different ways of storing and retrieving information on a computer.
Course History
DATA was first offered in 1992, when it boasted a grand total of seven students (six of them nomores) who spent the whole session in the Martin Library basement using the terrifically powerful MicroVax 3000 minicomputer trying to get a simple heap-based priority queue working. Or, just as often, being locked out of the basement lab (the librarians having never been told that a course was using it) and playing whist for hours on end. The textbooks were Aho-Hopcroft-Ullman and Cormen-Leiserson-Rivest, two books guaranteed to be of lifelong value to the budding CS student, or to anyone requiring a heavy blunt instrument for bludgeoning.
In 2014 the instructor was Jon, who had been teaching the class since 2011, and the TA was known as Wizard. The class spent a good deal of its time dealing with sorting algorithms, which were often demonstrated to the class through a program known as 'The Sound of Sorting' or 'the demon music'. While first exposure to the demon music led to shock, horror, and the covering of ears, in the end it was rather well liked and students begged to hear various sorts with strange names. Sorts and searches were also performed with the students themselves using class count-off numbers or names; this yielded many duck quacks and the occasional moo. Jon was esteemed among the returners in the class for his love of tradition, such his dedication to Dr. Mario, teaching it to the class and leading it during the dance even when the wrong version of Dr. Mario was played. At the end of session, a frog was added to Wizard's hat in honor of the frogorithm frogsort. ("Frog you!") It originated frog one of the many hilarious study hall worksheets which caused a linguistic revolution; this being attempting to confrog one of the students on their return frog quarantine the next morning.
