The Algorithms and Data Structures course, taught by Mr. Heidler
and Ms. Dvorsky, begins in earnest a Magnet student's journey into
the Magnet's programming languages curriculum. It is a required two-semester
course completed in the 10th grade. Currently taught in C++, the course
will shift its focus from C++ to Java in the 2002-3 school year, as
starting in Spring 2004 the A.P. Computer Science test will be given
in Java.
The course introduces the basic data structures (ways computer programs
store information) and algorithms (methods of solving problems) used
in computer programming. Topics include, but are certainly not limited
to:
- Programming and Problem Solving
- Elements of C++
- Data Types
- Simply Arithmetic Expressions
- Output Formatting
- Input/Output
- Logical Expressions
- Looping Structures (for loops, while loops, etc.)
- Functions
- Additional Control Structures
- Control Systems
- Structured Types and Data Abstraction
- Classes
- One-Dimensional Arrays
- Two-Dimensional Arrays
- Pointers
- Linked Structures
- Efficiency and Big O
Students who take this course and follow it with the elective Analysis
of Algorithms are prepared to take the A.P. Computer Science test.
