Formal Languages and the Theory of Computation

CS381 Fall 2009

Dr. Robert F. Morse

Koch Center 262

Office Hours: TBD

Class web site: http://csserver.evansville.edu/~morse

Course Syllabus

Catalog Description: Models of computation including finite automata, regular grammars, regular expressions, pushdown automata, context-free grammars, Turing machines, computability, and undecidability.

Prerequisites: CS210 - Introduction to Computer Science and MA370 - Combinatorics

Textbook: Introduction to Languages and the Theory of Computation by John C. Martin, McGraw-Hill, Third Edition, 2002 (required).

Grading: The final grade will be based on quizzes, three midterm examinations, and a comprehensive final examination. The quizzes are worth 10% of the final grade, the midterms 60%, and the final 30%.

Homework and Quizzes: Homework assignments and quizzes will be distributed in class with answers either provided in class or posted on the class web site.

Adherence to the University's Honor Code: All students are expected to comply with the University's Honor Code. Some specific guidelines for this course are as follows:

• Graded take home work is to be your own work. You may not discuss your solutions or answers with your classmates until everyone's work is handed in.

• No collaboration with other students is allowed during in-class examinations. Helps or aids (such as a textbook or crib sheet) that are allowed will be announced in class before each examination. In general, expect that all tests will be closed book with one side of an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper allowed for crib notes.

• Homework is for you to gain experience and practice. You may collaborate with your classmates and exchange answers and solutions. However, ultimately you will be required to demonstrate your proficiency of the material on the quizzes and the tests. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you attempt all homework problems on your own.

Midterms: Examinations will be announced two weeks in advance.

Attendance: Regular attendance is essential for proper understanding of the course topics. In general, no grade is directly assigned based upon attendance however poor attendance will ultimately be reflected in your course average and grade. The instructor reserves the right to downwardly adjust a student's grade for chronic absenteeism without an excuse. Attendance will be taken before each class.

If you are absent from class you are responsible for the work missed. An absence is excused if it is authorized by the university (e.g. sporting events). It is at the instructor's prerogative if any other absences are excused and make up work assigned. A general rule of thumb is to let me know you will be missing class a few days ahead of time. Plan now to attend all classes.

Changes: Any changes to this syllabus will be announced in class. Your absence from class does not free you from the responsibility of adapting to any changes. Updates to this syllabus as well as assignments will be posted on the class web site. You should check there often for special announcements, scheduling changes, review sessions, and solutions to the exercises.

Brief Outline: The following is a brief outline of the course. See the class web site for more details.

• Review of Discrete Mathematics

• Regular Languages and Finite Automata

• Midterm I -- TBD

• Context-Free Grammars

• Midterm II -- TBD

• Turing Machines and Their Languages

• Unsolvable Problems and Computable Functions

• Midterm III -- TBD

• Introduction to Computational Complexity