Meetings: Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:30–10:50 a.m., in Baker Hall 140A. Database plan: students connect to one managed PostgreSQL server using individual credentials and work in assigned databases or schemas.
Quick access
Homework
Each editable QMD and ready-to-read PDF appears automatically on its scheduled release date.
Lectures + homework
Weekly calendar
Slides, source files, checkpoints, assignments, and due dates appear in the week when students need them.
Week 1 · Oct 19–23
Start asking the database
Before Monday: install the tools and connect to the course server. Setup primer
Mon Oct 19: Pipeline motivation; SELECT, WHERE, NULL, and sorting. Slides · Source · Checkpoints
Wed Oct 21: Aggregation, GROUP BY, HAVING, and honest denominators. Slides · Source · Checkpoints
HW1 · opens Sun Oct 25; due Tue Nov 3 at 11:59 p.m.: SQL foundations + schema audit, with one small AI query comparison.
Week 2 · Oct 26–30
Join tables and design the schema
Mon Oct 26: Keys, joins, join grain, row explosion, and missing matches. Slides · Source · Checkpoints
Wed Oct 28: Entities, relationships, normalization, constraints, and ER diagrams. Slides · Source · Checkpoints
HW2 · opens Sun Nov 1; due Thu Nov 12 at 11:59 p.m.: builder query library + handoff readiness, with one small AI documentation check.
Week 4 · Nov 9–13
Make the system transferable
Mon Nov 9: End-to-end flow, idempotency, validation, failure, and monitoring. Slides · Source · Checkpoints
Wed Nov 11: PostgreSQL from Python: parameters, transactions, batching, and failure handling. Slides · Source · Checkpoints
Thu Nov 12 at 11:59 p.m.: HW2 due. Files are available in the homework section.
Fri Nov 13: Formal knowledge handoff. Builders transfer one project; receivers begin a different, only loosely related system. Handoff criteria
HW3 · opens Sun Nov 15; due Tue Nov 24 at 11:59 p.m.: receiver cold start + operations audit.
Week 5 · Nov 16–20
Search and operate inherited data
Mon Nov 16: Patterns, tsvector, ranking, GIN, and relevance audits. Slides · Source · Checkpoints
Wed Nov 18: Managed services, shared responsibility, access, recovery, observability, and cost. Slides · Source · Checkpoints
Week 6 · Nov 23–27
Find the real scaling boundary
Mon Nov 23: Scale-up versus scale-out, partitions, object storage, shuffle, skew, and failure. Slides · Source · Checkpoints
Tue Nov 24 at 11:59 p.m.: HW3 due. Files are available in the homework section.
Wed Nov 25: No class — Thanksgiving break.
HW4 · opens Sun Nov 29; due Tue Dec 8 at 11:59 p.m.: receiver extension + acceptance test.
Week 7 · Nov 30–Dec 4
Package, test, and explain
Mon Nov 30: Modules, src/, pyproject.toml, installable commands, and clean installs. Slides · Source · Checkpoints
Tue Dec 1: Professor McGovern project Parts I and II due.
Wed Dec 2: Receiver acceptance test and project readout rehearsal. Slides · Source · Checkpoints
Tue Dec 8 at 11:59 p.m.: HW4 due. Files are available in the homework section.
Two projects · one formal handoff
Build one system, receive the other
The projects are intentionally distinct and only loosely related. Before November 13, each team builds its assigned client system. After the handoff, the team must connect to, verify, improve, and explain the other system from the receiver’s point of view.
Climate risk and P&C insurance
PostgreSQL
NOAA Storm Events, HURDAT2, GHCN-Daily, and NWS
Weather risk, exposure, and underwriting questions
EV fleet siting and grid context
PostgreSQL or DuckDB
EIA, NREL AFDC, FHWA, eGRID, ACS, and geographic context
Charging gaps, scheduling, and site-priority questions