Instructor Information
| Instructor: | Jon Sorenson |
|---|---|
| Office: | Fairbanks 158 (CSSE Department) |
| Phone/Voicemail: | 940-9765 |
| Home Phone: | 280-1168 (before 9pm please) |
| E-Mail Address: | jsorenso@butler.edu |
| Home Page URL: | http://euclid.butler.edu/~sorenson/ |
| Office Hours: | MWF 11-11:50, TR 1-2:30, or by appointment |
Course Goals
Our purpose in this course is to learn the fundamental concepts of relational database systems. This includes not only how to use such a system, but also some of what goes on "under the hood". Some of the topics include the ER and relational data models, the SQL query language, normalization theory, integrity constraints, data structures and algorithms for indexing, query optimization, transaction processing, and backup and recovery.
Today, relational databases are foundational to most applications. Yet this topic draws from all areas of computer science: theory, algorithms & data structures, systems, hardware, and programming languages.
Toward a Liberal Education
The liberal arts are often defined as learning how to think in structured ways. In this course, we will learn how to think about the structure and interaction of data, or information, and how it can be manipulated to solve problems. Thus, we will learn and apply logic-based mathematical reasoning, which is at the heart of a liberal education.
Course Materials
The required text is Database System Concepts, fifth edition, by Silberschatz, Korth, and Sudarshan, McGraw-Hill, 2005.
I intend to use the slides from the book website in my lectures (sometimes to display, and sometimes merely as a lecture outline), and so you may want to print the slides before class to take notes on.
We will (hopefully) be using Oracle for the semester-long database project. If that falls through, we will use MySQL, an open-source relational database system.
All handouts for this course will be made available through the home page for this course: http://euclid.butler.edu/db.
Grades
Your grade will be based on quizes, the database project, and exams as follows:
| Quizes (5) | 100 points (20 points each) |
| Database Project | 200 points total |
| Midterm Exam | 100 points |
| Final Exam | 100 points |
| Total: | 500 points |
I will post all your grades on Blackboard.
Quizes
We will have at least 7 quizes. Your grade is based on your best 5 quiz scores. Normally we'll have quizes on Fridays, and they will be based directly from homework problems posted on the assignments page.
Late Days
Each weekday that an assignment is late, you are charged one late day. Weekends, breaks, and holidays do not count as late days. You begin the semester with 5 free late days to use (or not use) as you wish. Once you go over this limit, each additional late day costs you 5 points.
Late days are designed to handle normal problems, such as having an exam or major project due in another course, or missing a day or two with a cold, or going to your cousin's wedding. If you have unusual circumstances please talk to me about it as soon as possible.
Partners
You may work in groups on the homework. For the database project, you may work in groups of 2-4. You must work alone on the exams.
Help
If you have questions or are confused, please feel free to come see me. I do not expect you to learn all the material the first time you see it; if you could do that, you wouldn't need me! You are welcome to visit me in my office anytime my door is open (which is most of the time). If you do not come during office hours, and I have work I need to do, I may ask you to come back later if you can. Don't take this personally. I enjoy teaching, and I like helping students, so don't think you are imposing on me by asking for help. This is my job.
Students with Disabilities
It is the policy and practice of Butler University to make reasonable accommodations for students with properly documented disabilities. Written notification from Student Disability Services is required. If you are eligible to receive an accommodation and would like to request it for this course, please discuss it with me and allow one week advance notice. Otherwise, it is not guaranteed that the accommodation can be received on a timely basis. Students who have questions about Student Disability Services or who have, or think they may have, a disability (psychiatric, attentional, learning, vision, hearing, physical, medical, etc.) are invited to contact Student Disability Services for a confidential discussion in Jordan Hall 136 or by phone at extension 9308.
I will be happy to comply with your needs as best as I am able.