CSc 4710/6710 Database Systems
Spring 2008 (CRN: 10600/10609)
10.00 to 11.40 MW, Room: 400 Classroom South

Instructor: Dr. Raj Sunderraman (34 Peachtree Street, Suite 1452, 404-413-5726, raj@cs.gsu.edu, Office hours: 12.00 to 2.00 MW)

Course Objective: To introduce the student to the fundamental concepts and principles that underlie modern-day database systems.

Catalog Description: An introduction to the fundamental concepts and principles that underlie the relational model of data. Topics include: formal query languages such as relational algebra, relational calculus, and Datalog; commercial query language SQL; query optimization; relational database design theory; physical database design, integrity, security, concurrency control, and recovery.

Syllabus: Topics to be covered:

  1. Database concepts and architecture
  2. Relational data model; Database Integrity; Formal query languages such as relational algebra, relational calculus, and Datalog; Commercial query language SQL; JDBC.
  3. Database design techniques; ER Modeling, relational database design theory;
  4. Object Oriented Data Model, ODL, OQL, eyeDB Database System.
  5. XML Data Model and query languages (XPath, XQuery).
  6. Concurrency Control, Recovery.

Pre-requisites: CSc 3410, Data Structures. Basic Unix skills are required. Strong programming skills in Java also required.

Texts:

  1. Elmasri and Navathe, Fundamentals of Database Systems, Fifth Edition, Addison-Wesley, 2007.
  2. R. Sunderraman, Oracle 10g Programming - A Primer, Addison-Wesley, 2008.
    Book Web Page
Grading Policy: The grading for this course will be based upon the following components:
  1. 3 Exams worth 25% each (22% each for 6710 students).
  2. Several homework and programming assignments worth 25% (24% for 6710 students)

Additional Requirement for Csc 6710 students: Project/Paper: 10%

The final letter grade will be determined based on the following criteria:

Withdrawal Date: March 3, 2008 (Monday)

Academic Honesty Policy The academic honesty policy as described in the University Faculty Handbook as well as the Student Handbook will be strictly enforced. Please review the document here.

  1. All assignments are supposed to be individual work and any collaboration or cheating would result in a zero score for the assignment.
  2. A second incident of dishonest work will result in an automatic F grade for the class.
  3. It is also the repsonsibility of each student to protect his or her work including computer files etc from being extracted by others. Computer accounts will be de-activated immediately if the student is found to have been careless in maintaining his or her files (i.e. has kept them open for others to read!). If such carelessness results in another student copying the computer files and submitting them for the assignments all students involved will automatically get a zero for the assignment.

Note: Deviations from this syllabus may be necessary during the semester and changes will be announced in class.


Raj Sunderraman