| Lecture Time and Place: | Mon/Wed | 2:20pm - 3:40pm, SocBehSci N118 |
| Recitation Time and Place: | Mon | 12:50pm - 1:45pm, SocBehSci N118 |
| Professor: | Radu Grosu (grosu@cs.sunysb.edu), |
| Office hours: | Mon/Wed 12pm-2pm, CS Building room 1425, and by appointment |
| Teaching Assistant: | Giordano Fusco (fusco@cs...), |
| Office hours: | Fri 3:30-4:30, CS Building room 2110 |
An introduction to the abstract notions encountered in machine computation. Topics include finite automata, regular expressions, and formal languages, with emphasis on regular and context-free grammars. Questions relating to what can and cannot be done by machines are covered by considering various models of computation, including Turing machines, recursive functions, universal machines, and probabilistic machines.
The main objectives of this course are as follows:
The best way to learn the material is by solving problems. You are encouraged to work in pairs, because the best way to understand the subtleties of the homework problems is to argue about the answers. However you are supposed to write down your own solution. Please state the name of who you collaborated with.
You should cite all sources you used for your problem sets (both people and publications). Each of you should look at all the problems independently, and not just divide the list in two parts each time. You must write up the problems independently. Unless you learn how to solve problems, I promise that you will get burned on the exams and thus for your final grade.
Your solutions should be very neatly written. If your solution is unclear, sloppy, or if your solution is hard to understand, you will have points deducted even if your solution is correct. One of the best way to make your solutions clear is to include pictures and examples.
Homework assignments will be due at the beginning of class. Late assignments will not be accepted.
It is extremely important that you start homework assignments early. The homeworks are very hard, and if you get behind in your work, you may find it too difficult to catch up. I strongly encourage you to attend the office hours. This will almost certainly improve your performance in the course.
Special Needs
If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact on your ability to carry out assigned course work, you are urged to contact the staff in the Disabled Student Services office (DSS), Room 133 Humanities, 632-6748/TDD. DSS will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation of disability is confidential.
The Importance of Being Earnest
Because a primary goal of the course is to teach professionalism, any academic dishonesty will be viewed as evidence that this goal has not been achieved. Any act of cheating will be treated with utmost seriousness.
You can discuss the course material with other students, but not the homework assignments themselves. In effect, you can discuss the problems but not the solutions. If you help another student with a homework, use examples that do not resemble those in the homework. Remember that there are many different ways to solve the same problem; even solutions with the same central idea can be formulated in many different ways. Therefore, suspiciously similar homework solutions will be considered as evidence of disallowed collaboration or copying.
In case you have any questions about whether an act of collaboration may constitute "cheating", please come and talk to the instructor beforehand to clarify the issue.
Copying an assignment from another student in this class or obtaining a solution from some other source will lead to an automatic F for this course and to a disciplinary action. Allowing another student to copy one's work will be treated as an act of academic dishonesty, leading to the same penalty as copying. You should learn how to protect your data. Failure to do so is also unprofessional and it may expose you to the danger that someone will copy your homework and will submit it as his or her own (see above). In this case, you may be given a score of 0 for the assignment in question (and the other party will get an F).
All cases of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Engineeing College's committee (CASA).