CS 764

Topics in Database Management Systems

Class Mailing List: compsci764-1-s12@lists.wisc.edu

· Jeff Naughton

  Office:        CS&S4361

  Phone:         262-8737

  E-Mail:        naughton@cs (by far the best way to reach me.)

  Office Hours:  Tuesday 9:00 – 10:30 or by appointment

Lecture

   Time:    TR 11:00 – 12:15

Place:      Engr Hall 1227

·         Midterm: Thursday March 15^th, in class, 11:00 – 12:30

·         Final: Tuesday May 8^th, in class, 11 – 12:30

·         Projects: due Thursday May 17^th, 5:00 p.m. (for those doing a project)

Overview

The first part of the course will concentrate on the basic topics in database systems, e.g., concurrency control, recovery, and query optimization. On each topic, we will have an in-depth discussion of a few representative papers. The second part of the course will emphasize the breadth of additional topics that currently exist in database systems. The readings for the course will be primarily papers available online, supplemented with additional handouts when needed.

Grading

There will be a midterm exam, a final exam, and an optional project. You will need to write a report on the project. The grade is broken as follows:

If you do the project, each exam counts 33 1/3% and the project also counts 33 1/3%. If you don’t do the project, each exam counts 50%.

If you do the project, I will calculate your grade both ways and take the higher of the two, so that doing the project cannot hurt your grade. Each student chooses and defines their own project, and the choice of project is very flexible. This flexibility may be the most difficult aspect of the project! Depending on the scope of the project, students may either work alone or in small teams. I will suggest possible topics for projects early in the semester.