UMBC CMSC651, Automata Theory & Formal Languages, Spring 2000

Course Description

Time & Place

Tuesday & Thursday, 4:00pm - 5:15pm, SS208.

Textbook

Required: Introduction to the Theory of Computation, M. Sipser, PWS Publishing, 1997.
Optional: Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation, J. Hopcroft and D. Ullman, Addison-Wesley, 1979

Note: There are two versions of Sipser's book, both of which are "first edition" and have copyright date 1997. You can tell the two "printings" apart by examining the copyright page. If numbers under "Printed and bound in the United States of America" end with "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" then you have the first printing. In the second printing, the numbers end with "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2" The main difference is that several typographical errors in the first printing are fixed in the second printing.

Prerequisites

The undergraduate automata theory course (CMSC 451) is formally a prerequisite for this class. Where possible, this class will be self contained --- i.e., students are not required to know many theorems that are not covered in class. However, it is important for the students in this class to be prepared to read and write mathematical proofs at a level that is consistent with having taken CMSC 451 or an equivalent course.

Objectives

To understand some fundamental theorems in theoretical computer science.
To develop the ability to write clear and convincing proofs.
To build the background necessary for further studies in theoretical computer science.

Assignments and Grading

Your grade in this course will be based on 9 regular homework assignments and 3 review assignments. Each regular assignment is worth 7 points and each review assignment is worth 12 points. There are no in-class exams.

The difference between a regular assignment and a review assignment is as follows. You are allowed to consult your classmates and others for the regular assignments (but you must write up the assignment yourself). In contrast, you must work on the review assignments on your own using only your textbook and your notes. In general, regular assignments should be submitted when they are due, but reasonable allowances will be made for turning in regular assignments late. However, the due dates for the review assignments will be firm.

Last Modified: 28 Jan 2000 19:39:35 EST by Richard Chang, chang@umbc.edu