Source: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Duqu1CBYjHpw9JCJdp-scICFqaoIRud0/edit#slide=id.p1
Class Overview
- Introduction to the basic data structures used in computer science:
- Understand each data structure in detail
- Analyze the algorithms that use them
- Know limitations of each data structure
- Practice designing and applying data structures to real world problems through coding.
- Learn some Java as a programming language.
Why Java for Data Science?
- Java is fast
- Great for developing back end of machine learning algos
- Has good selection of libraries:
- For ML
- Understand someone else’s code
- Understand terminology
- Resume looks better
- For this class in particular
In Particular…
Efficiency
- Good algorithms.
- Good data structures.
Programming(efficiently)
- Designing, building, testing, and debugging large programs.
- Use of programming tools.
- git, IntelliJ and JUnit
- Java (not the main focus of this class)
Why Study Algorithms and Data Structures?
- To find a job
- To keep a job
Basic Rules of Java
All code in Java must be part of a class
For code to run you need to have
public static void main(String[] args) We mark the beginning and end of segments of code using { and }
All statements in Java must end in a semi-colon: ;
Before Java variables can be used, they must be declared
Java variable must have a specific type:
- int, String, double, boolean etc
Types can never change
Types are verified before the code even runs - Big difference between Python and Java
Defining Functions - Basic Rules
Functions must be declared as part of a class in Java
- A function that is inside a class is called a “method”
- All functions in Java are methods
To define a function in Java we use “public static” - Other ways are later
All parameters must have a declared type
Return value of the function must have a declared type
Functions in Java return only one value