Course Details
Textbook
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An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata, Fifth Edition by Peter Linz, 2011 ISBN: 9780763737986 Find this book at Amazon |
Overview
Two main questions arise with computational problem solving: can a problem be solved at all, and if so, how efficiently? Topics include computability and complexity theory as related to Turing machines, finite state automata, regular and context-free grammars, and the complexity classes of P and NP.Prerequisites
CSC 207 or permission of instructor.Quizzes and Participation
You are encouraged to attend class and participate in discussions. Active participation in class discussions and short quizzes will comprise 5% of your final grade.Disabilities
Centenary assures students with disabilities equal opportunity to reach the same level of achievement as other students. Strict confidentiality will be maintained on students with disabilities. Services for students with disabilities are available through the Counseling Center, located on the ground floor of Rotary Residence Hall, phone (318) 869-5424.Honor Code
All students are bound by the Honor System. The Honor System is applicable to all academic work. See the Centenary College Handbook for the complete Honor Code.Extensions
Extensions for labs, projects, exams and quizzes are only given when circumstances beyond your control (e.g. being sick, choir or sports travel) prevent you from completing a project on time. You must notify me either by email or phone of your circumstances well in advance of the due date.Syllabus
We will be covering most of the textbook following the format in the table of contents. We will also be using additional supplemental material such as relevant web-pages and background material. Additional readings will be assigned before material will be covered in class. You are expected to review the material and come to class prepared. As readings are assigned, they will be posted here.- August 23: Chapter 1
- Sep 7: Chapter 2
Homework
You will have weekly Homeworks in this course, with problems assigned almost every day, for a total of 50% of your final grade. You are required to present this work in class through a writeup on the board and discussion with other students.
- HW1: Due Aug 26th
Pg 15, Section 1.1 Ex 25, 27, 28, 31, 35
Sample LaTeX File - HW2: Due Sep 2th
Pg 28, Section 1.2 Ex 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
- HW3: Due Sep 13th
Pg 47, Section 2.1 Ex 6, 9, 10, 11, 15, 18, 20 - HW4: Due Sep 16th
Pg 55, Section 2.2 Ex 8, 11, 18
Pg 62, Section 2.3 Ex 3, 7, 8, 11, 12
- HW5: Due Sep 23rd
Pg 69 #2e, 4
Pg 76 #10, 14, 17, 20 - HW6: Due Sep 30th
Pg 28, Section 1.2 Ex 14, 15, 16, 21, 23
Pg 87, Section 3.2 Ex 5, 7, 8, 10
All homeworks must be written using LaTeX and turned in as a PDF on the cs server. There are many resources available for LaTeX on the web, including the LaTeX Math Symbols. Here are a few files that will assist with creating your homework PDFs.
- hwsample.pdf
This PDF is an example of what your homework should look like when properly formatted and compiled with LaTeX.
- hwsample.tex
This file includes the code for the LaTeX file.
- homework.sty, newalg.sty
Two style files with a few definitions for the homework layout.
- jflap.pdf
A figure to include in the homework pdf.
- jflap2dot.py
A utility file to convert the XML output of JFLAP into dot format, which can be transformed into a pdf and then included in the LaTeX file.
Exams
There will be three exams, each worth 15% of your final grade. They will be take-home oral exams and will cover material from the homeworks.- Exam 1: Due October 11th
- Exam 2: Due November 10th
- Final: Exam Week Time
Grading
Your final grade for this course will be based on the Homework, Project, Exams and Participation described above.
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© Mark Goadrich, Centenary College of Louisiana