Ali Erkan

Associate Professor and Chair, Computer Science

Algorithms

Thanks Blake!

  • Ali: What is an expected value? Allison?
  • Allison: It is a value... that is... expected?!?
  • Ali: Oh my... You used to be good.

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  • Ali: [Breaks the class into groups of three or four people] OK, I want each group to discuss the problem and propose a solution. [After a minute of complete silence] I hear nothing. You should be talking now.
  • Alex/Paul/Griffin/Blake: [Mumbling some stuff about something completely unrelated to data structures]
  • Ali: Hey, what are you people talking about?
  • Alex: Lindsay Lohan.
  • Ali: You're supposed to be talking about THE PROBLEM!
  • Paul: Lindsey Lohan is a problem.

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  • Ali: [Trying to better explain the summation variable in the internal path length for binary trees] The i variable determines the sizes of the two trees being merged into one. It does not have to be equal to half the number of nodes. For example, [drawing an imaginary line down the middle of the classroom] if I draw a line like this, I can split my students into those that I like and those that I don't.
  • Someone at the back: Which side is which?
  • Ali: That's not important now. But, just like the i variable could be small, I can draw the line differently [draws the line around Juan]
  • Blake: So Juan is the student you like right?
  • Ali: [Sarcastically] Yeah that's what I must have meant.
  • Juan: It's OK, I have other professors.

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  • Ali: Therefore, when you instantiate an inner class, the resulting object is implicitly connected with an instance of the outer object. Just like that line on the board illustrates.
  • Evan: It's like one of them has a leash on the other.
  • Ali: Yes, but please don't take that analogy any further.
  • Jared: In my mind, I already did.
  • Ali: Why am I not surprised?

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  • Ali: [Talking about some asymptotic complexity stuff]
  • Juan: [All excited] We are doing this same thing in physical chemistry!
  • Ali: [Insincerely] Well isn't that nice...

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  • Allison: [After 6 months of sitting on the same seat, decides to move the other side of the classroom]
  • Someone in the background: She is one of us now. Welcome to the dark side!
  • Matt: The force is strong with this one.
  • Someone else in the background: She does look like a Jedi knight.
  • Ali: You're more messed up than I am!

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  • Ali: So it is, after all, NlgN complexity. Juan, do you agree?
  • Juan: No, I concur.
  • Ali: Man, what's wrong with you? It's like this every semester.

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  • Ali: Does this look balanced to you?
  • Evan: Yes!
  • Ali: The answer was no.
  • Evan: [Shattered]
  • Everyone: [Laughter]

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  • Blake: That's when we were talking about swapping the order of train cars.
  • Ali: Oh yes, I remember that lab. That was when I was frantically putting together stuff before I left for Indiana.
  • Blake: Well, I enjoyed not having class that week.
  • Ali: Well, I enjoyed not going to class.

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  • Blake: Your slides said you pick the first child from the right subtree.
  • Ali: No, that's not what my slides said.
  • Blake: I am positive they did.
  • Ali: Wanna bet?
  • Blake: For what?
  • Ali: $5000.
  • Blake: I don't have $5000!
  • Ali: OK, a candy bar.
  • Corey: How do you go from $5000 to a candy bar?!?
  • Blake: What's your favorite one?
  • Ali: Milkyway!
  • Blake: Mine too!
  • Ali: Good, we can share it.

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  • Ali: [In order to "spice things up", has each person sit on the mirror side of where he/she sits]
  • Class: [Moans, groans]
  • Matt: Now that I have to look the other way, my neck is all messed up.

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  • Ali: If you look at the slides, the trees should look familiar.
  • Matt: [Looking at the Splay Trees slides] I knew this tree looked familiar! Its Treebeard!!!

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  • Ali: B-trees add levels as numbers are added and the tree fills up to capacity.
  • Matt: Oh, that's kind of like what they are doing in Dubai!
  • Ali: [Points at Blake] Are you writing these down!?

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  • Ali: Oh my... So I need to find a good application of calculus to convince you why it matters...
  • Emily: What about physics?
  • Ali: Physics? I am not a "physician"... I mean a "physicist".