Expectations for CMSC420

The following is material we expect you to know beforehand. Different sections of the course use different programming languages (Python, Java, C, lisp), so it would be good to familiarize yourself with what your instructor uses for the projects. Make sure you review these topics as needed before the semester begins.

Algorithms

• big-O notation
• estimating average-/worst-case performance
• recursion

Structures

• BSTs
• Arrays
• Heaps, Queues, and Stacks
• Linked structures, more generally

Technical

• How to use your IDE of choice
• How to compile
• How to write unit tests
• How to use the debugger - exploring array-based and linked structures