This document is subject to change. Check it for updates at least weekly during the semester.

Instructor: Terry Harvey
Office: 408 Smith Hall

Office Hours: Mon 1:00 - 3:00, Fri 8:30 - 10:30

Email: tharvey at udel.edu
Phone: don't phone, email!

TA: Chunbo Song

Email: songcb at udel
Office: 201 Smith Hall
Office hours: Wed 12:30 - 2:30 (subject to change)

Useful Links

Text: Dexter Kozen, Automata and Computability
ISBN-10: 0201657686
ISBN-13: 978-0201657685

This class web page is where you find labs, projects, examples, hints, changes to the schedule, etc. Check here every week, or more frequently. Depending on which browser you use, you may need to hit "reload" or "refresh" to see new material.

Important dates, subject to change:

3/21 Midterm 1
5/2 Midterm 2
? Final Exam

Course Description

Automata theory is a study of the specification and power of different classes of computational systems. We will consider three classes of machines: those with finite memory; those with a stack in addition to the finite memory; and unrestricted machines. Automata theory is important to understanding many other areas of CS, e.g. compiler design, networks, and natural language understanding systems.

This course will provide the student with an understanding of the theoretical foundations of machines and computation. It is not a programming course, but occasional assignments may involve some programming.

After you submit an assignment, I may give detailed answers to questions about the assignment. For this reason, it is important that you submit on time. Late assignments will receive a 25 percent penalty immediately, and an additional ten percent each 24 hours. No exceptions will be made for traffic, dead disks, fried monitors, political protests, etc. Please work on your assignments early and often.

Assignments will be done alone. Do not work with other students, or use any help from outide the class. Assignments will be submitted two ways: submit the assignment on Canvas AND submit a paper copy in the following lecture. The electronic copy and the paper copy must match, or it will be considered a violation of the Academic Honesty policy.

Participation

There will be many opportunities to participate in class. Participation includes asking questions, answering instructor questions, and being an active and constructive party when asked to work with other students in class. Speak up! It's five percent of your grade. If you have remarkable difficulty speaking in class, see me during the first two weeks of class to discuss alternative assignments.

Grading

15% Homeworks

5% Surprise quizzes

35% Two Midterms

40% Cumulative Final

5% Participation

At the end of the semester, all grades will be taken into account by the instructor in determining whether or not to apply a curve of some kind. Historically, there is little or no curve. Under no circumstance will grades be curved "down", but there is no guarantee that grades will be curved up.

To ensure minimal competency in the course material, the course grade may not be higher than one full letter grade above the exam average. For example, if a student has an exam average of F after the final, their course grade may not exceed a D.

Grade Scale

Number

100-93

93-90

90-87

87-83

83-80

80-77

77-73

73-70

70-67

67-63

63-60

<60

Letter

A

A-

B+

B

B-

C+

C

C-

D+

D

D-

F

Homework Assignments

Typically, homework will be graded by the TAs, exams by the instructor. Once an assignment is returned, you have a week to request that your grade on the assignment be re-examined. Submit the assignment to the person who graded it along with a cover sheet explaining where you think you should be credited with additional points and why. If you submit for re-grading to the TA and are not satisfied with the result, you may re-submit to the instructor during office hours, but be forewarned that historically this option has not met with much success.

See the separate document on Assignment Standards.

Academic Honesty

I expect my students to uphold the highest standards of academic honesty, as described in the University Code of Conduct at Http://www.udel.edu/stuguide/13-14/code.html

Any violations will be referred to the Office of Academic Conduct.

NOTES:

Homework and exams are not team activities, and must be written solely by you without assistance of any kind (except from the TAs and the instructor).

If you are ever in doubt about whether some activity is permitted, do not do it until you have asked the professor and received clarification.