Comp 430: Introduction to Database Systems

Spring 2008

Instructor

Prof. Moshe Vardi

Email: vardi at cs+rice+edu

Office: DH 3096, x5977.

Office hours: by appointment.

Teaching Assistant

Sumit Nain (Sumit.Nain at at at rice ... edu)

Office hours: 3-4 PM, Tues/Thurs, or by appointment.

Office: DH 3097. ext 5731

Direct questions about the class to the Teaching Assistant.

Class Information

Textbook: Database Management Systems by Raghu Ramakrishnan and Johannes Gehrke

Recommended Book: PostgreSQL:Introduction and Concepts by Bruce Momjian

Recommended Book: Practical PostgreSQL by John Worsley and Joshua Drake

Newsgroup: rice.owlnews.comp430;

General information
Detailed course summary

Background

Database technology is emerging as one of the key technologies in the Global Information Infrastructure. While 15 years ago databases were used mostly for business data processing, databases are today used in a vast array of applications, such as computer-aided design, decision support systems, expert systems, geographical information systems, multimedia, and the like.

COMP 430 provides the student with a thorough introduction to the fundamentals of relational database systems, preparing them to be sophisticated users, applications programmers, and database administrators.

Lectures

Exams

Labs and Homeworks

Tutorials

The not so short introduction to LaTeX.

A sample latex file and the corresponding ps file.

Getting started with psql

How to use scripts in postgresql

How to edit a psql session

How to Use Embedded SQL with PostgreSQL

Useful Links

Introduction to Structured Query Language

PostgreSQL 8.2 Documentation

An Overview of Query Optimization in Relational Systems by Surajit Chaudhuri

1995 SQL Reunion

Using PostgreSQL's COPY function effectively

Honor Code Policy

On the assignments, you may discuss the problems with other students in general terms, such as strategies to approach the problem, and issues regarding clarification and understanding of problems. You may not collaborate with other students in the particular details of a problem's solution or in the actual writing of solutions. Using resources outside of those linked to from the course webpage is not allowed and will be considered plagiarism.

The exams must be entirely your own work.

Special Accomodations

Any student with a disability requiring accomodations in this class is encouraged to contact the instructor. Alternatively, students could contact the Coordinator for Disabled Student Services in the RMC Cloisters.