CSC 396 - Term Project

Assigned Feb 26th


Topic Selection

This project is a group project. You must select a topic for you presentation by March 11th. Your topic should cover a subfield of artificial intelligence that is not covered in the syllabus. Your topic must be approved by me.

Project Proposal and Bibliography

This should be one (1) page, which details your specific project. Possible explorations include a survey paper of the current work in the field, a detailed analyis of current research, an implementation of current research or algorithm, or original work of your own. Sources for ideas can come from the Bibliography section of each chapter in Russell/Norvig or from other online resources. Many current applications of AI can be found on the Demos page, or by searching the web (google and yahoo have good directories). Your particular topic should be recent, i.e. within the last 5 years. You will need at least five (5) references in your bibliography.

Paper Organization

Your paper must contain two parts. The first will be an introduction to the domain of your project, explaining the foundations and motivation of the topic. This should be focused on the basics, approximately 2-3 pages and written for the general class audience. These must be ready, either online or printed, by April 10th, for your classmates to read over the weekend. This will be required reading, and they are fair game for exam questions.

The second part of your paper depends on your approach to the topic. A survey paper should include comparisons and contrasts between the various research approaches you investigate, including their strengths and weaknesses. Analysis and implementation of current research projects should clearly describe the research and your results. For original work, include a section on related work and your contribution to / extention of the field.

Presentation

Finally, a 20 minute in-class presentation will be required. Time and material should be split evenly between all project partners. Your objective in the presentation is to fill us in on the state-of-the-art in your topic. A brief ammout of time (3-4 minutes) should be spent on the basics covered in your introduction, with the remaining time focused on your project. Leave at least one (1) minute for questions at the end of your presentation.

Practice is strongly encouraged prior to your actual presentation. The best way to be comfortable with presenting in front of an audience is to practice. You will be graded on both the organization and the presentation of your talk. The 20 minute time-limit will be strictly enforced to ensure equal time for all presentations.