tompa@GEODUCK.CS.WASHINGTON.EDU (Martin Tompa) (07/14/90)
Last February I posted a message to TheoryNet, part of which is reproduced below, in which I promised an assessment of Decker's "Data Structures" text after using it this past quarter. The course I taught from it is a 3rd year undergraduate data structures and algorithms course. The text is o.k., better than any of the alternatives that I've either tried or perused. It does pass both of my tests pretty well, which is what I was after. It's of course not perfect: for example, the formalism used to define abstract data types is unnecessarily heavy-handed, and there are miscellaneous oversights in various parts of the text. But I'd use it again. I have an online list of small corrections that I discovered in the process of teaching from it. I will be happy to send this to anyone who obtains the book and would like to have a copy. ------- Forwarded Message Date: Thu, 15 Feb 90 17:02:10 -0600 From: tompa%geoduck.cs.washington.edu@VM1.NoDak.EDU To: Multiple recipients of list THEORYNT <THEORYNT@NDSUVM1> Subject: summary of replies to Data Structures and Algorithms text request Last week I posted a request for a good undergraduate textbook on data structures and algorithms that would pass 2 tests: 1. It covers most or all of the standard material. 2. It practices (as opposed to preaching) abstract data types. ... c. Clark Thomborson pointed out Decker's "Data Structures" (Prentice-Hall, 1989) as passing both my criteria. It looks to me as though it does, so I'm going to give it a try next quarter. I will post another message in the summer giving my assessment after testing it in class. ... ------- End of Forwarded Message