CSCE 620: Computational Geometry
Fall 2009
Course Information
Class Meeting: TR 9:35am-10:50am, HRBB 126
Instructor: Nancy Amato
office: 425H Harvey R. Bright Bldg
office hours: Tue 2-3 and Thu 11-12, or by appointment
email: amato [at] cs.tamu.edu
url: http://parasol.tamu.edu/~amato
office phone: +1-979-862-2275
Teaching Assistant:
Antal Buss
Office: 419B HRBB
Office Hours: WF 11-1, other times by appointment.
email: abuss [at] cse.tamu.edu
Course homepage:
http://parasol.tamu.edu/~amato/Courses/620
Prerequisite
CSCE 629 or CSCE 311 or CSCE 411 (Analysis of Algorithms),
or instructor's approval.
Reading Material
The required text for the course is:
- Computational Geometry,
M. de Berg, M. van Kreveld, M. Overmars, and O. Schwarzkopf,
Springer-Verlag, third edition (you can probably get by with
the second edition, but you'll have to make sure you get the
exercises right).
The bookstore should have the text.
You can also order it from the web. But shop around, prices vary.
Do check
Amazon (link for our text) - they usually have good prices.
Some recommended texts:
- Computational Geometry: An Introduction F.P. Preparata and
M.I. Shamos, Springer-Verlag, 1985.
- Computational Geometry: An Introduction through Randomized
Algorithms K. Mulmuley, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1994.
In addition, we will study papers from various journals and conferences;
these will be made available electronically.
Course Description
The main goal of the course is teach the fundamental paradigms for
designing efficient algorithms dealing with collections of geometric
objects (such as points, lines, line segments, planes, etc.).
This is a theoretical course:
lectures, assignments, and exams will focus on the design and
analysis of geometric algorithms.
However, an effort will be made to relate the theoretical tools we
study to problems arising in various application domains.
In addition, there will be a programming project involving the
implementation of a geometric algorithm (and potentially
using it to solve some applied problem).
The course topics will include the following:
- Intersection problems, Arrangements and duality
- Convex hulls, Voronoi diagrams, and other geometric structures
- Triangulations and other decompositions
- Geometric searching and point location
- Geometric data structures (e.g., Kd-trees, interval trees, Quadtrees)
- Randomization in geometric algorithms
- Other more advanced topics depending on class interest and time
Assignments
Homework Assignments.
There will be several short homework assignments.
They will typically be assigned during one class and due
at the beginning of the next class.
Generally, they will relate to material covered in class that day/week.
No late assignments will be accepted since we may go over
the solutions in class.
Expect about one assignment a week.
You will be allowed to drop at least one assignment (the number of
drops will depend on how many assignments we have).
Programming Assignment.
There will be at least one programming assignment.
As part of this course, you will be exposed to and learn to use
the CGAL (Computational Geometry Algorithms Library) library,
an open source library providing many computational geometry
algorithms and data structures.
Paper Review Assignment.
There will be one assignment which involves writing a review of a
research paper from a recent conference or journal.
The particular paper will be selected by the student (in
consultation with the instructor).
Guidelines for the paper review are available on the course webpage.
Quizzes and Exams
Quizzes.
There will be several quizzes during the semester.
They will be announced at least one class period in advance.
The purpose of the quizzes is to encourage you to keep up
with the material.
No makeup quizzes will be given since we will go over
the solutions in class.
You will be allowed to drop at least one quiz (the number of
drops will depend on how many quizzes we have).
Exams.
There will be between 0 and 2 exams in the course. How many will depend
upon how well I think you are keeping up with the material based on
the quizzes and homeworks.
Project
The goal of the project is to study in depth some issue related to
computational geometry. Projects may range from an investigation
of an open problem in computational geometry (solution not required
for a good grade...) to experimental studies of known algorithms.
Project topics will be selected by the student (in consultation
with the instructor) by the end of the first month of the course.
Projects may be done with partners (of course, more will be expected
than if the project is done individually).
We will discuss the project in more detail in an upcoming class.
More details regarding the project will be
available on the project assignment
page soon.
Grading
Course grades will (tentatively) be determined as follows:
- 30% assignments (homework, paper review, etc).
- 40% quizzes and exams
- 30% project
Computer Use and Accounts
Handouts for the course will be made available only on the web.
In addition, email will be widely used for announcements regarding
the course - you must read your email regularly.
All students registered for this course should have an account on the
CS UNIX machines - if you do not already have an account you can sign up
for one on the second floor of the Bright building.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course.
As commonly defined, plagiarism consists of passing off as one's own the
ideas, words, writings, etc., which belong to another.
In accordance with this definition, you are committing plagiarism if
you copy the work of another person and turn it in as your own, even
if you should have the permission of that person.
Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins, for the plagiarist
destroys the trust among colleagues without which research cannot
be safely communicated.
If you have any questions regarding plagiarism, please consult the
latest issue of the Texas A&M University Student Rules,
under the section ``Scholastic Dishonesty.''
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