This course introduces non-computing students to efficient computational problem solving in an accelerated* pace. Students will learn to formulate a computational problem, identify the data required and come up with appropriate data structures to represent them, and apply known strategies to design an algorithm to solve the problem. Students will also learn to quantify the space and time complexity of an algorithm, prove the correctness of an algorithm, and the limits of computation. Topics include common data structures and their algorithms (lists, heap, hash tables, trees, graphs), algorithmic problem solving paradigms (greedy, divide and conquer, dynamic programming), and NP-completeness.
The programming language used for this course is Python 3.
We use very basic object-oriented programming concepts in various data structures implementations, e.g., Stack class inherits LinkedList class.
Note: This introductory message will not be prominent the next time you visit this URL again. This behavior is normal. You can view it again by scrolling to the top of this page.
* Since S1 AY 2024/25, IT5003 is now in full 12-weeks course (6-weeks in the first half + recess + 6-weeks in the second half) instead of the accelerated 8-weeks (week 7-reading week) after students finish IT5001.
This is the going to be the ninth time Prof Halim teaches this 12-weeks IT5003 course for MComp General Track (GT) — the main group of students — (plus a bit of other MSc degree specializations: Digital Financial Technology (DFT) + Biomedical Informatics (BMI) + NEW: Industry 4) and also a few (usually around 30-ish) Graduate Certificates in Computing Foundations (GC-CF). Prof Halim sets IT5003 (in Python) as a 'subset' (obviously, as we only have 12-weeks of 2 hours/week) of his full 13-weeks of 3 hours/week CS2040S Undergraduate version of similar course. The previous iterations were already (very) good. One thing to take note is that Prof Halim's teaching style is flipped classroom that may be quite surprising for some adult learners who are not used to this teaching style in the past.
For S2 AY 2024/25, Prof Halim is expected around ~200+ IT5001 S1 AY 2024/25 students to join IT5003 in S2 AY 2024/25.
Prof Halim prepares for a [175-200]-ish class size.
This information will be refined as and when the information from IT5001 team and/or Graduate Office is available.
Some other facts:
Rating (out of 5.0) |
Jan-May 25 (n≥???/175+) ≥50+% |
Aug-Nov 24 (n≥19/33) ≥58% ▲ |
Mar-May 24 (n=66/122) 54% ▲ |
Oct-Dec 23 (n=82/200) 41% ▼ |
Mar-May 23 (n=61/115) 53% ▼ |
Oct-Dec 22 (n=100/178) 56% ▼ |
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Course feedback (SoC avg lvl 5000 ~4.1) | [4.3..4.4] (tgt) | [4.3..4.4] (tgt) | 4.3 == | 4.3 ▼ | 4.5 ▲ (PB) | 4.4 == |
Course difficulty (SoC avg lvl 5000 ~3.6) | [4.0..4.1] (tgt) | [4.0..4.1] (lower a bit) | 4.2 ▲ (uh oh) | 3.9 == | 3.9 == | 3.9 ▲ |
Prof Halim's teaching (SoC avg lvl 5000 ~4.3) | [4.4..4.5] (tgt) | [4.4..4.5] (tgt) | 4.4 ▲ | 4.3 ▼ | 4.6 == (PB) | 4.6 == (PB) |
TAs: Update on Thu, 21 Nov 2024:
Prof Halim is doing TA hiring from two days ago (19 Nov 2024) until probably early Dec 2024 (will disappear from 06 Dec until near new year).
I still don't have the confirmed list of eligible TAs (those who have formally applied at TMTF system) as of today.
The list below are list of known TA applicants via direct messages/emails to Prof Halim.
Date, Time | Live Session (Venue) (#Stu/#Cap) | No | TA |
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a/Sat, 1000-1200 | COM1-0120 (PL6) — for part-time students (??/22) | B1A | @.myrcella. |
a/Sat, 1000-1200 | COM4-02-03 (WSLab1) — for part-time students (??/22) | B1B | TBC |
a/Sat, 1000-1200 | COM4-02-05 (WSLab2) — for part-time students (??/22) | B1C | TBC |
a/Sat, 1000-1200 | COM4-02-04 (WSLab3) — for part-time students (??/22) | B1D | @prof_halim |
b/Mon, 1400-1600 | COM1-B112 (PL1) — for full-time students (??/22) | B2A | @jeanette |
b/Mon, 1400-1600 | COM1-B109 (PL2) — for full-time students (??/22) | B2B | TBC |
b/Mon, 1600-1800 | COM1-B112 (PL1) — for full-time students (??/22) | B3A | TBC |
b/Mon, 1600-1800 | COM1-0120 (PL6) — for full-time students (??/22) | B2B | TBC |
List of TAs for Jan-May 2025 (two confirmed so far, looking for 6 more part-time TAs):
Part-time TAs applications (will select best 6 among these known applicants, contact @prof_halim if you are interested to TA):
This is what students learn in IT5003 as taught by Prof Halim, compare it with the superset CS2040S version:
If you have any important questions regarding this course, email dcssh at nus dot edu dot sg. Relevant answers will be posted here to reach wider audiences.
Note: This course registration section will not be prominent from Week 1 onwards. This behavior is normal. You can view it again by scrolling to the top of this page.
Date | News |
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The 4 units IT5003 syllabus will be delivered over 12 weeks, and we will be back to official exam period for final assessment.
This course is approximately 24/39 ~= 62% of the content of CS2040S (but Prof Halim does not teach CS2040S in S2 AY 2024/25).
The weekly lesson plan of Week X is typically as follows (1+(1+1)+(2+2)+3 = 10 hours/week):
Then, repeat this throughout the semester :).
The S2 AY 2024/25 timetable below is still tentative, especially those that are highlighted with pink color.
Week | Tutorial+Lab Combo | Lecture | Interesting Problem Set |
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Cells with course material that have not been updated are highlighted with pink color, past classes more than one week ago are hidden so that we can focus on the current and future classes, but you can restore them by clicking 'Show Past' button above, future classes are not highlighted | |||
-01, 30 Dec-03 Jan |
Has Not Started |
Has Not Started, but please revise your CS1101S/IT5001/equivalent Prof Halim assumes that all of you have taken or exempted from this course/its variants Register at Kattis (use full name as in Matric card), read Python specific instructions @ Kattis, pick up basic Python by yourself, and solve the selected Online Judge (OJ) Problem Set 0 (PS0) by yourself (CS1101S/IT5001/equivalent level) (solving many 'trivial problems' from this set ---trackable by Prof Halim, indirectly tells him about your CS1101S/IT5001/equivalent rough grade) |
PS0: Easy Coding Challenges (01-15 Jan) Already graded to speed up registration admins Solve any 3 out of 10 trivial tasks for 1% |
00, 06-10 Jan |
Has Not Started |
Has Not Started Continue attempting PS0 (hints in class Discord) |
PS0, continued Remember, solve any 3 for 1% |
01, 13-17 Jan |
Has Not Started |
01a. Course Admin, (Re-)Introduction to Python Setting the tone for a flipped classroom course VisuAlgo + this Private Canvas + Kattis (NUS) + Kattis (open) Basic Python review/new feature introduction Kattis problem(s) discussed today: A few PS0 tasks (just for warm-up) In the middle of 01a: VisuAlgo Online Quiz 0 (1%) There was 1 trivial question during the first lecture Bring your own laptop This one is put here to speed-up admins (don't skip the first lecture) Reminder: Read simple algorithms on unsorted array (Slide 1 to 6-1) before the next lecture Reminder: Read sorting intro, algorithm analysis, and O(N^2) sorting algorithms (Slide 1 to 9-3) before the next lecture |
PS0 (1%) Due: Wed, 15 Jan 25, 07.59pm PS1: Basic Programming Out: Wed, 15 Jan 25, 08.00pm Mentioned at the end of the first lecture IT5003 students do problem A+B |
02, 20-24 Jan |
Saturday sessions start from this Week 02 see T01+L01: tut01.pdf below |
02a. Analysis of Algorithms (Slide 1 to 9-3) Live SpeedTest.cpp | py | java demo (measure runtime, count # of operations, vs asymptotic analysis) Fast review of O(N^2) sorting algorithms Kattis problem(s) discussed today: thanos (analysis: exponential growth, logarithmic steps) mjehuric (bubble sort simulation) height (insertion sort simulation) nothanks (sorting library and linear pass) Last flipped classroom reminder: Read all sorting e-Lecture slides before next lecture |
We defer PS1 end time to before CNY 2025, and PS2 start time to after CNY 2025 |
03, 27-31 Jan |
T01+L01: tut01.pdf Introduction, OOP review (List ADT, ListArray.py | java) Algorithm Analysis, Hands-on, a basic List ADT task, PS1 Debrief (short), PS2 Discussion (algorithmic) |
No class due to Chinese New Year 2025 CNY Eve: 28 Jan 2025 PM (Tue) Day 1: 29 Jan 2025 (Wed) Day 2: 30 Jan 2025 (Thu) |
PS1 (2%) Due: Mon, 27 Jan 25, 11.59pm (a few hours after the first Mon tut01) PS2: Sorting-related Problems Out: Sat, 01 Feb 25, 08.00am (after CNY) |
04, 03-07 Feb |
No tutorial this week Due to CNY 2025 |
03a. Sorting (Slide 10 to 13-2) O(N log N) Merge Sort algorithm (Java Collections.sort; Python list.sort) Expected O(N log N) (Rand) Quick Sort algorithm (C++ sort; Java Arrays.sort (primitives)) See the details at SortingDemo.cpp | py | java Python list, list.sort(), or sorted(list) Sorting Online Quiz (medium) Kattis problem(s) discussed today: sortofsorting (custom comparator, stable sorting library) |
PS2, continued |
05, 10-14 Feb |
T02+L02: tut02.pdf Sorting Application(s), Sorting, mini experiment, QuickSelect, ADT/List ADT, VA OQ demo (sorting), Hands-on, sorting applications, PS2 Discussion (algorithmic) |
04a. List ADT: SLL/Stack/Queue/DLL/Deque (all slides) Introducing List ADT, (resizeable) array versus SLLDemo.cpp | py | java implementation Introducing Stack ADT and MyStack implementation (extension of SLLDemo) Stack, but using (resize-able) Array implementation, i.e., Python list as stack Introducing Queue ADT and MyQueue implementation (another extension of SLLDemo) DLL and Deque ADT (Fixed-size) Python list as queue, circular list, versus Python deque as queue Linked List Online Quiz (medium) A few other LL technicalities |
PS2 (2%) Due: Sat, 15 Feb 25, 07.59am PS3: List+PQ Problems Out: Sat, 15 Feb 25, 08.00am |
06, 17-21 Feb |
T03+L03: tut03.pdf Linked List, mini experiment, Applications: Reversing/Sorting a List, Application: Stack-related, PS2 Debrief (short), Python list/deque, VA OQ demo (list), Hands-on, a list application, PS3 Discussion (algorithmic) PS: Sat sessions run tut03.pdf on Sat, 22 Feb 25 |
05a. Priority Queue (PQ) ADT: Binary Heap (Slide 1 to 8-2) Introducing PQ ADT Introducing basic Binary Heap structure and its Insert+ExtractMax operations Discussing CreateHeap (two versions) and HeapSort operations BinaryHeapDemo.cpp | py | java Python heapq; see priority_queue.cpp | py | java at GitHub repo of CPbook website Last 20m of 05a: VisuAlgo Online Quiz 1 (11%) Bring your own laptop that can run at least 20 minutes on battery power. (we do not provide any spare laptop). Material: /array (4 Qs), /sorting (4 Qs), /list (4 Qs), and 4 'new' questions especially on asymptotics. |
PS3, continued |
Recess Week, 22 Feb - 02 Mar 2025 You can take a break this week :) Prof Halim will be super busy hosting ICPC Asia Pacific Championship 2025 |
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07, 03-08 Mar |
T04+L04: tut04.pdf Binary Heap, Max-Min conversion, Additional ADT PQ Operations, Python heapq, VA OQ demo (heap), Hands-on, a simple problem involving PQ, PS3 last Discussion (algorithmic) |
06a. Table ADT part 1: Hash Table (slide 1 to 10-5) Table ADT and DAT Basic Hashing Concepts Easiest Collision Resolution Technique: CA (SC) Another Collision Resolution Technique: OA (LP) More Collision Resolution Techniques: OA (QP and DH) Comparing CA: SC with OA: DH Other technicalities of Hash Table Hash Table Online Quiz (easy; a bit too tedious on medium/hard settings) |
PS3 (2%) Due: Mon, 03 Mar 25, 11.59pm (a few hours after Mon tut04) PS4: Hash Table Problems Out: Tue, 04 Mar 25, 08.00am |
08, 10-14 Mar |
T05+L05: tut05.pdf Table ADT 1 - unordered, Basic hashing concepts, Hash Table issues, Python set, dict, defaultdict, Counter PS3 Debrief (short), VA OQ demo (hashtable), For IT5003: Hands-on, a hash table application, PS4 Discussion (algorithmic) |
07a. Table ADT part 2: BST (Slide 1 to 12-1) BST concepts and the various BST operations The multiset idea BST (only) Online Quiz (medium) BSTDemo.cpp | py | java Randomly built BST and a preview of balanced BST, e.g., AVL Tree |
PS4 (2%) Due: Sat, 15 Mar 24, 07.59am PS5: Combo DS Problems Out: Sat, 15 Mar 24, 08.00am |
09, 17-21 Mar |
T06+L06: tut06.pdf Table ADT 2 - ordered, (balanced) BST advanced stuffs: Select and Rank, PQ ADT alternative implementation, Comparison with Table ADT 1: unordered vs ordered, The issue of no equivalent Python standard library, PS4 Debrief (short), VA OQ demo (bst) Hands-on, a combo DS task, PS5 Discussion (algorithmic) |
08a. Graph DS (all slides) + DFS Traversal (Slide 1 to 5-8) Implementations of graph DS and its applications Graph DS Online Quiz (medium), No built-in C++ STL container | Python standard library | Java API, See graph_ds.cpp | py | java at GitHub repo of CPbook website, Early discussion of the basic forms of Graph Traversal algorithms: DFS first See dfs_cc.cpp | py | java Last 20m of 08a: VisuAlgo Online Quiz 2 (11%) Material: /heap (4 Qs), /hashtable (4 Qs), /bst (4 Qs) and 4 'new' questions. |
PS5, continued |
10, 24-28 Mar |
T07+L07: tut07.pdf Graph DS Review, Some Graph Properties Discussion, Graph DS Conversion Exercise, DFS Review, Custom graph DS implementation review, VA OQ demo (graphds,dfsbfs), Hands-on, a simple Graph DS task, PS5 Discussion (algorithmic) |
09a. Graph Traversal Applications (Slide 6 to 7-11) Review DFS and introducing BFS Focus on a few more basic DFS/BFS applications (we skip slide 8-12, out of CS2040/C/S and IT5003 scope) DFS/BFS Online Quiz (medium) No built-in C++ STL algorithm | Python standard library | Java API, See UVa00469.cpp | py | java, and bfs.cpp | bfs.py | java at GitHub repo of CPbook website, Kattis problem(s) discussed today: reachableroads (AL; count #CC; DFS vs BFS way) builddeps (AL of Strings + postorder DFS toposort demo) NUS Online Teaching Feedback opens this Fri But this timing is too early for our course... You can wait until you have completed the course NUS Well-Being Day is Fri, 28 Mar 2025 |
PS5 (2%) Due: Thu, 27 Mar 25, 11.59pm Before Well-Being Day |
11, 31 Mar-04 Apr |
As Sat, 29 Mar 2025 is part of NUS long well-being weekend We move our last two downwards |
10a. SSSP Problem (Slide 1 to 8-5) Review of basic SSSP problem Preview of O(VE) / O(kE) Bellman-Ford algorithm QnA on BFS algorithm for unweighted SSSP SSSP Online Quiz (medium) QnA on Dijkstra's algorithm (original Dijkstra's first for CS2040S; but modified Dijkstra's first for IT5003) See dijkstra.cpp | py | java at GitHub repo of CPbook website Kattis problem(s) discussed today: modulosolitaire (SSSP; directed unweighted implicit graph; BFS) shortestpath1 (basic Dijkstra's; focus on implemetation) |
PS6: Graph Problems Out: Mon, 31 Mar 25, 08.00am After Well-Being weekend |
12, 07-11 Apr |
T08+L08: tut08.pdf BFS Review DFS/BFS advanced stuffs: Cycle Detection, Toposort++, Floodfill/CC, Modeling exercise, PS5 Debrief (short), VA OQ demo (dfsbfs), Hands-on, a Graph Traversal task, PS6 Discussion (algorithmic) |
11a. SSSP, NP-completeness, and Course Wrap-Up QnA on other special cases of SSSP problem Showing the limit of computation: Introduction to the theory of NP-completeness Course wrap-up Last 20m of 12a: VisuAlgo Online Quiz 3 (11%) Material: /graphds (4 Qs), /dfsbfs (4 Qs), /sssp (4 Qs), and 4 'new' questions. |
PS6, continued |
13, 14-18 Apr |
T09+L09: tut09.pdf BFS/Dijkstra's review Modeling exercises (continued), VA OQ demo (sssp), Hands-on, an SSSP task, PS6 Discussion (algorithmic) Tut+Lab participation marks given (3%) |
No more lecture But make-up slot for VA OQ 1 (? pax), OQ 2 (? pax), and OQ 3 (? pax) Date and Time: Wed, 16 Apr 2025, 6.30-6.50pm; 6.55-7.15pm, or 7.20-7.40pm Venue: Our own LT8 |
PS6 (2%) Due: Sat, 19 Apr 25, 07.59am |
Study Week, 19-25 Apr 2054 Final Assessment Discussions at Class Discord Final Assessment Past Papers (recent 3 AYs only): AY 2022/23: S1-final.pdf, S2-final.pdf, AY 2023/24: S1-final.pdf, S2-final.pdf, AY 2024/25: S1-final.pdf, (to be our paper). |
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Final Assessment (50%) Date and Time: ???, ?? Apr 2025, likely night (back to exam period) Venue: TBC Open book Non-programmable calculator is allowed (as with Online Quiz), but won't be that useful 40% MCQs (extremely tricky); I use my own OCR form 2 short questions (10% --- do not lose too many marks here), and 3 essay questions, the harder ones (40%) |