Syllabus

INFS 550-002 (78977): Graduate Introduction to Database Systems

George Mason University

Fall, 2016

 

Course Description:  Introduces database systems, emphasizing the study of database models and languages and practice of database design and programming.  Topics include:  Entity-Relationship model, relational model and its formal query languages, SQL, theory of relational database design, and related special topics.

 

Instructor:  Dr. Ken Smith.  Email: ksmits[AT]gmu[DOT]edu.  Office phone -- (703) 983-6115 (at the MITRE Corporation in McLean, VA), and fax number -- 983-3308 (attn Prof. Smith).   Office email:  kps[AT]mitre[DOT]org.

 

Textbooks.

Required: Database Management Systems 3rd ed., Raghu Ramakrishnan and Johannes Gehrke, McGraw-Hill.

Optional: Oracle 10g Programming: A Primer by Sunderraman, Addison-Wesley, 2008.

 

Prerequisites:  INFS 501 (Discrete mathematics), 515 (Computer architectures/organization), 519 (Program design / Data structures), and SWE  510 (Object-oriented programming in Java) or equivalent.  Or:  CS 310, 330.  You must either have a grade of B or better in each of these courses, or produce evidence (e.g., transcript, acceptance letter) that one or more of these courses have been waived due to prior work.  You must satisfy the course prerequisites to register for and stay in this course.  If you have specific questions, please meet with your academic advisor.

 

Course website: http://cs.gmu.edu/~ksmits/CS550.  The course will be administered via this website. Homework and announcements will appear here. Read it at least once a week.  Some assignments will also be submitted via Blackboard.

 

Other useful websites: Volgenau School of Engineering (Computing Resources)  (click on student FAQs) for VSE computing labs, accounts, and Oracle DBMS information.

 

Lectures: Wednesdays from 7:20 till 10:00 pm in Robinson Hall B203.  Office hours before or after class, or by appointment.

 

Graduate Teaching Assistant:  xxx (xxx[AT]masonlive[DOT]gmu[DOT]edu)

 

Grading Policy: Approximate weights towards the final grades: Homework -- 9% (Assignment 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4, 5: 1.5% each), Project --11%, Midterm Exam -- 35%, Final Exam (comprehensive) -- 45%.  Late submissions are NOT accepted unless agreed by the instructor before the due time. (A submission is considered late if it is not handed in before lecture begins on the due date.)   All Oracle homework assignments must run properly on the GMU Oracle instance running in the labs.

 

Working together vs. individually:  For this class homework & exams require individual work. Study groups are encouraged, however homework solutions and write ups MUST be the result of individual effort.  Similarly, study groups for examinations are encouraged.  However, both exams are individual effort and closed book.   More details at the GMU Honor Code.

 

Tentative Schedule:

Week	Date	Topic	Text	HW assigned	HW due
1	8/31	Introduction	1
2	9/7	The ER Model	2	1a
3	9/14	The Relational Model	3	1b	1a
4	9/21	Relational Algebra	4.1-4.2	2	1b
5	9/28	Relational Calculus	4.3	3	2
6	10/5	Midterm Review		P.1	3
7	10/12	Midterm Examination			P.1
8	10/19	SQL:  Basics	5.1-5.3	P.2
9	10/26	SQL:  Nested Queries	5.4	4
10	11/2	SQL:  Aggregate Queries	5.5
11	11/9	Functional Dependencies	19.1-19.3	5	4
12	11/16	Normalization	19.4-19.6		P.2
13	11/23	(Thanksgiving Break - No Class)
14	11/30	(Extra Topic)			5
15	12/7	Final Review
16	12/14 (7:30-10:15)	Final Examination