CSE 460/560

Data Models and Query Languages

Lecture times: MTF 12.00-12.50
Location: Cook 121
Credits: 3
Dr. Shamsad Parvin
email: shamsadp@buffalo.edu TAs: Details in Piazza
Office: Davis Hall 351 Office Hours/emails: In piazza
Office Hours: TBA

Course Description: Data Management Systems form the basis of the Big Data Economy we
now live in. A data management system is responsible for storing data, enabling efficient
access to that data, as well as mediating concurrent modifications. This class approaches the
challenges of designing a data management system from a standpoint that is both principled
and practical. Students will be introduced to the fundamental data management issues:
database design, query languages, database file organization, query processing and
optimization, and transaction processing. Course lectures will focus on the conceptual basis
for this system and how they form the foundations for implementing efficient algorithms of
data mining and other data analytic tasks.

Course Prerequisites: Knowledge of fundamental data structures and algorithms,

knowledge of discrete math concepts, basic Java programming skills.

Piazza Sign Up Link: https://piazza.com/buffalo/fall2023/cse460560

Access code: csefall23shamsad

Grading Policy & Other Course Details: The following items are designed to make your life
easier and to give you some flexibility for planning your work:
• Grades are NON-NEGOTIABLE per UB policy.
• Students across ALL backgrounds will be evaluated on the SAME scale.
• The class recordings will be available. However, students are encouraged to join the class
in person.
• We may (not always though) include in-class quizzes, which will be considered for
participation credit.
• We will announce the discussion topic and reference materials for each class session at
least 24 hours before the class. You should go through the materials, and set your questions
to clarify in the class. Meetings during the class hour will be more effective if you come
prepared.
The deadlines are hard and will not be extendable.
• Your written assignments/Homework will need to be clearly written, succinct, and
accurate. We will allow a single submission window, so please be careful and check your
work before submitting.
• You will need to submit your works in Brightspace. Wrong submissions will be awarded 0,
nore-submission will be allowed after the deadline.
• Every week (almost), a small quiz will be available in BrightSpace at/after 500 pm Friday,
which will be associated with our discussion during that week. The quiz will be open in
BrightSpace for the next 24 hours.
• Incomplete homework assignments can be turned in for partial credit.
• Students found involved in Academic Integrity related issues, will be getting 0 in
the course.

Grade Compositions:

Projects 40%
Written assignments /Home Works 10%
Quizzes 10%
Mid-term 20%
Final 20%
Bonus/Extra Credit 5%

Percentage Letter grade Percentage Letter grade

95 - 100 A 70-74 C+
90 - 94 A- 65-69 C
85 - 89 B+ 60-64 C-
80-84 B 55-59 D
75-79 B- 0-54 F
While I will try to make the slides as detailed as possible, there is NO alternative to
a book. I strongly encourage everyone to read the specific chapters in the textbooks,
that will be mentioned in the class as a part of the reading material for a topic. When
required, we will also try to provide some extra study materials.

Textbooks/Reference Books: The softcopies of the books will be available in Piazza. The
reading materials for each topic will be mentioned in the class and also in the lecture slides.
• Avi Silberschatz, Henry F. Korth, S. Sudarshan, Database System Concepts, Seventh Edition,
McGraw-Hill, 2019.
• H. Garcia-Molina, J. D. Ullman, J. Widom, Database Systems: The Complete Book, Second
Edition, Prentice Hall, 2009.
• Raghu Ramakrishnan and Johannes Gehrke, Database Management Systems, Third Edition,
Mcgraw-Hill Cos, 2003.

Rough schedule (each topic will take up 1-3 weeks)

1. Introduction and overview (1 weeks).
2. Relational Model (≈ 4-4.5 weeks): SQL, DDL, DML, Relational Algebra, Integrity
Constraints, Advanced features of SQL etc.
3. Database design (≈ 1.5 weeks): multivalued dependencies, normal forms, design
theory.
4. Indexing (≈ 2-3 weeks): disk storage, buffering, heap files, sorted files, hashed files,
B+ trees, sparse and dense indexes.
5. Transaction processing (≈ 1.5-2 weeks): concurrency control, recovery, distribution.
6. (Optional, based on time availability)Data Mining & Information Retrieval (≈ 1
week)
Accessibility Resources: If you have any disability which requires reasonable
accommodations to enable you to participate in this course, please contact the Office of
Accessibility Resources, 25 Capen Hall, 645-2608, and also to the course TAs (with a copy
to the instructor of this course). The office will provide you with information and review
appropriate arrangements for reasonable accommodations.

Academic Integrity:
(Short) Donʼt cheat! You will be caught and punished. Our department is serious about
graduating ethical and upstanding computer scientists. The policy has recently been updated
and will be enforced.
(Long) All academic work must be your own. Plagiarism, defined as copying or receiving
materials from a source or sources and submitting this material as oneʼs own without
acknowledging the particular debts to the source (quotations, paraphrases, basic ideas), or
otherwise representing the work of another as oneʼs own, is never allowed. Collaboration,
usually evidenced by unjustifiable similarity, is never permitted in individual assignments. Any
submitted academic work may be subject to screening by software programs designed to
detect evidence of plagiarism or collaboration. Also, do not post any of the course material
outside of the Course piazza page. It will be interpreted as an attempt to get non-approved
help.
Classroom Etiquette:
Violations of any of these, will fetch serious consequences.
• Paying attention in class
• Not coming to class late or leaving early
• Not talking with other classmates while the instructor or another student is speaking. If a
student has a question or comment, he or she should raise a hand, NOT starting a
conversation about it with a neighbor
• Turning off electronic devices including cell phones, pagers, and beeper watches
• Focusing on class material during class time. Sleeping, talking to others, doing work for
another class, reading the newspaper, checking email, and exploring the Internet are
unacceptable and can be disruptive
• Not packing book bags or backpacks to leave until the instructor has dismissed class.

Approved Resources:
1. Any material posted in the slides.
2. Material from the text-book (will copy relevant content to slides). Note, the code
solutions from the bookʼs website are NOT approved unless they are explicitly posted on the
piazza page.
3. Sites (one click away) from the approved resources list on the Piazza page. I will add to
them as appropriate for throughout the semester.

Working with others: Please do help each other! This material is fun, but can be challenging.
Discussing it with peers can deepen your understanding. You can talk about the homework
problems and ways of approaching them, however, every person must write up solutions and
code separately. We will compare all submissions with each other AND non-approved
sources. If you can find something online, so we can we.