Fall 2008 CS 589 Principles of Database Systems

This Document is stored at http://www.cs.pdx.edu/~maier/cs589

Announcements (Last update 5 Dec 2008, 8PM):

·        Suggested Answers for Quiz 8 posted

·        Suggested Answers for Homework 4 posted

Weekly Schedule

[This schedule is preliminary and subject to change]

The class is divided into four units, indicated by color Unit 1 (yellow) is just one week long,
Unit 2 (blue) is 2.5 weeks, Unit 3 (pink) is two weeks, and Unit 4 (green) is 2.5 weeks.

Quizzes on (most) Mondays, Assignments due on Wednesdays (except #4)

Class E-mail

The e-mail list for this class is cs589@cs.pdx.edu.  It will be used for announcements from the instructor.  You can also send questions and answers to this mail list.  You can subscribe to the list at https://mailhost.cecs.pdx.edu/mailman/listinfo/cs589.  Please sign up with multiple e-mail addresses, if you use more than one e-mail address for your PSU class work.  (This should make it easier for you to post message to the list from your various accounts.)

Catalog Description

This course covers the foundations of database systems, with a focus on data models and query languages. It will show how formal methods are applied to issues in database design and processing. Topics may include query formalisms and their equivalence, query transformation, semi-structured data models, dependencies and normal forms, logic and deductive databases, data language complexity, treatment of incomplete information, complex-value models, semantic models and classification, and temporal databases.

 

Prerequisite: CS 386 or equivalent

Textbooks

REQUIRED:
A Guided Tour of Relational Databases and Beyond. By Mark Levine and George Loizu, Springer, 1999, ISBN 1-85233-088-2. 

 

NOTE:

You will be asked to read one section for the CS386/586 Textbook, Database Management Systems, 3rd Edition. By Raghu Ramakrishnan and Johannes Gehrke, McGraw Hill, 2000, ISBN 0-07-246563-8.  You may already own the book or be able to borrow it from someone who has taken the class at PSU.

Reading

It is okay to do the reading after the lecture where the material is covered, but you should certainly complete it before the next week’s quiz.

 

Grading
Homework: There are 4 homeworks, worth 41% of your grade. Assignment 1 is worth 6.5% of your grade; Assignments 2, 3, and 4 are each worth 11.5% of your grade.  Assignments are given out on Wednesdays and are due one week later except for the final homework, which is due on Monday after Thanksgiving.  Homeworks can be done individually or in teams of two students.  If you work in a team, then turn in one paper with the names of all team members on it.  Make sure your homework is legible. You may seek help from your partner (if you have one) the instructors and the class mailing list, but otherwise work independently.
Quizzes: There are 7 quizzes, each worth 1.5%.  We drop your lowest quiz grade, so the quizzes are worth 9% of your grade.  A quiz is given once a week; but there will be some weeks that don’t have a quiz.  Each quiz covers material from the preceding week, including both lecture and reading material.  There are NO MAKEUPS FOR QUIZZES.  Quizzes will be closed book; you will NOT be able to use your book or any notes during the quizzes.

Exams: There is a first exam (25%) that covers the 1^st half of the class material, and a second exam (25%) during finals week that covers the 2^nd half of class material.   You will be able to use the textbook and class notes during the exams.

Information

Policies

Students are responsible for anything that transpires during a class.  Therefore if you're not able to attend class, you should get notes from someone else (not the instructor).  

Homework is due at the beginning of the class period. 

Late homework and projects will not be accepted without prior approval.  Please submit your request to turn in homework late from both of the instructors.  Lack of prior approval is an automatic 50% off, or 0% if that assignment has been discussed in class. 

Requests for regrading must be submitted to both instructors in writing within one week of the time the graded assignment was made available for pickup.  You must be specific in saying why you feel your answer deserves additional credit. 

Makeup exams will not be given except in cases of severe medical, family, or other emergencies.  If an emergency arises and you are going to miss an exam, contact both instructors BEFORE the exam to arrange for a special circumstance. 

Students with disabilities who are in need of academic accommodations should contact me as soon as possible to arrange needed supports.  Students are also encouraged to contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) for additional information on support services and available accommodations at 503 725-4150.

Academic Integrity

Student Conduct

433 Smith Memorial Student Union

503-725-4422

conduct@pdx.edu

www.pdx.edu/dos/conduct.html

[Excerpt from the 2008-2009 PSU Catalog, page 29]

The policies of the University governing the rights, freedoms, responsibilities, and conduct of students are set forth in the Portland State University Code of Student Conduct and Responsibility, which has been issued by the president under authority of the Administrative Rules of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education. The code governing academic honesty is part of the Code of Student Conduct and Responsibility. Students may consult these documents in the Office of Student Affairs, 433 Smith Memorial Student Union or by visiting www.pdx.edu/dos/conduct.html.  Observance of these rules, policies, and procedures helps the University to operate in a climate of free inquiry and expression and assists it in protecting its academic environment and educational purpose. 

 

Academic honesty is a cornerstone of any meaningful education and a reflection of each student’s maturity and integrity. The Code of Student Conduct and Responsibility, which applies to all students, prohibits all forms of academic cheating, fraud, and dishonesty. These acts include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, buying and selling of course assignments and research papers, performing   academic assignments (including tests and examinations) for other persons, unauthorized disclosure and receipt of academic information, and other practices commonly understood to be academically dishonest.

Supplementary Readings

The Theory of Relational Databases, David Maier, Computer Science Press, 1983.
(This book is out of print but we have a scanned version on line.)

Relational Database Theory, Paolo Atzeni and Valeria De Anotonellis, Benjamin Cummings, 1993.

Foundations of Databases, Serge Abiteboul, Richard Hull and Victor Vianu, Addison Wesley, 1995.

Database relations with null values, Carlo Zaniolo, SIGMOD, 1982. (Note, you need to be in the PSU domain to download papers from the ACM Portal.)