Data structures and algorithms are the foundational abstractions underlying all computer systems. In CSE 373, we will learn to **design, analyze, and critique** data structures and algorithms.
[Husky Maps](https://huskymaps.herokuapp.com/) is a web app for mapping the world, searching for places, and navigating around Seattle. All these features are powered by the sociotechnical infrastructure of **data structures and algorithms**, programming abstractions designed by software engineers to represent data and automate processes.
Although CSE 373 is designed to be taken after [CSE 143](https://courses.cs.washington.edu/courses/cse143/)---we expect familiarity with array lists, linked lists, and search trees---the focus is not on programming but rather the **design, analysis, and critique** of the data structures and algorithms that implement software's social imaginations and designed futures.
1. Design data structures and algorithms by implementing and maintaining invariants.
1. Analyze the runtime and design values of data structures and algorithms.
1. Critique the application of data structures and algorithms toward social problems.
Although this course is designed to be taken after CSE 143 (programming with data structures), programming is not the primary focus. Instead, we'll apply a [comparative data structures](https://kevinl.info/comparative-data-structures/) approach to examine [6 case studies of data structures and algorithms](https://kevinl.info/do-abstractions-have-politics/).
In the first 7 weeks, we'll study 3 interfaces and 6 applications of data structures and algorithms.
1. Autocomplete data structures and algorithms for **search suggestions** and **DNA indexing**.
1. Priority queue data structures for **content moderation** and **shortest paths**.
1. Shortest paths algorithms for **seam carving** and **navigation directions**.
1. Graph data structures and shortest paths for **seam carving** and **navigation directions**.
In the final 2 weeks, we'll apply our learning toward new problems involving technology and society.
