CS 4811
Artificial Intelligence

Course description:

Fundamental ideas and techniques that are used in the construction of AI problem solvers. Topics include knowledge representation, problem solving, heuristics, search heuristics, inference mechanisms, expert systems, and language understanding.
Prerequisite: CS3311 and junior standing

Instructor

Name and URL: Dr. Nilufer Onder
Office: 309 Rekhi Hall
Phone: (906) 487 1641
Office Hour: My office hours are on Monday and Wednesday between 11:00 - noon.
I understand that the office hour times I list will not fit everybody's schedule. Feel free to stop by or send e-mail for questions. If you'd like you can set up an appointment by sending me an e-mail message. In your message, make sure to list the times that are good for you. When you send an e-mail to me please put the class number (CS4811) in the subject line along with a descriptive subject.

Textbook

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach Third edition by Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig Prentice Hall Series in Artificial Intelligence, 2010

Please check out the book's web site.
This is the latest edition of the book. It came out in 2010.
I will ask you to read sections from this textbook. I will also be assigning exercises from it.
I will also be handing out supplementary material when needed.

Grading

 

Assignments	40%
Midterm exam 1	20%
Midterm exam 2	20%
Final exam	20%

The final grade will be calculated using a sliding scale using the percentages above.

Course topics

The following are the topics that will be covered this semester:

Topic	Sections from the textbook
Introduction	Chapter 1
Intelligent Agents	Chapter 2
Neural Networks	Section 18.7
Solving Problems by Searching	Sections 3.1 - 3.7
Beyond Classical Search	Sections 4.1 - 4.2
Adversarial Search	Sections 5.1 - 5.3
Logical Agents	Chapter 7
First-Order Logic	Chapter 8
Inference in First-Order Logic	Chapter 9
Learning from Observations	Sections 18.1 - 18.6
Knowledge representation	Chapter 12
Quantifying uncertainty	Chapter 13
Making Simple Decisions	Chapter 16
Classical Planning	Chapter 10

Class attendance:

Please send me an e-mail message if you know that you are going to miss a class or if you have missed a class. Please put "[CS4811]" in the subject line. I will give you a quick update on what has been covered and what is due.

Assignments---information and policy:

There will be both programming and written assignments. All the assigments should be handed-in at or before the beginning of class on the due date. If you are going to miss a Wednesday class you may put your assignment in my mailbox with your name and "CS4811" printed on it. Make sure to send me an e-mail message so that I look for it. Late submissions are not accepted because I will distribute the solutions as soon as I collect the homeworks.

Most people prefer to type their assignments using a word processor. However, hand written solutions are fine as long as they are legible. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to decipher bad handwriting and might have to assume that no answer was given. If you desire to write programs to test any of the ideas, you are welcome to do so, but there is no such requirement.

I expect legible program source and documents---free of wrapped lines, neatly organized, and fully commented.

While discussion with others is permitted and encouraged, the final work should be done individually. You are not allowed to work in groups for any of the assignments. If someone asks for help on a question, you are encouraged to discuss the general concepts but you are not allowed to show them your work.

You are allowed to build on material supplied in the class. If you use any other source, you should specify it on your assignment. You may use it by clearly acknowledging the source and its contribution to your work. For instance, "I found an answer to a similar question at http://www.xxx.yyy and used it to write my answer." Copying, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, and the like are not acceptable and will be reported to the Dean of Students' office. Please see the "Academic Integrity" paragraph below.

Exams---information and policy:

The midterm exams will be held on Thursdays between 6:00pm-7:30pm. We will have class before and after the exam days. I will return these exam day classes to you at other times. The midterm exam dates are February 20th (week 6) and March 27th (week 10).

The midterm exams will be a 1.5 hours, in-class, closed books/notes/workstations/neighbors, open minds exam. The final exam's format will be similar, but it will be a two hour exam.

There will be no make-up exams. In the case of very unusual circumstances (e.g., death in the family, severe illness with doctor's written note), please come to see me and we can work something out.

As with the assignments, it is your responsibility to return legible answers. Unfortunately, I do not have the resources to decipher bad handwriting and might have to assume that no answer was given.

Collaboration, dishonesty, and the like during the exams are not acceptable and will be turned in to the Dean of Students' office. Please see the "Academic Integrity" paragraph below.

Academic Integrity:

If copying, plagiarism, or unauthorized collaboration is suspected, the case will be turned to the Dean of Students' office with supporting evidence. After this, the decision is made by the Dean. The procedure is explained in the MTU Academic Integrity Policy (this is required reading!). More tips and information can be found at the Office of Academic and Community Conduct page, and the Dean of Students' page. The Academic Integrity Resource Center shows the values that inpire the student community. Note that we have a departmental policy of reporting the suspected cases to the Department Chair's office.

You are expected to use common sense and the general outlines in the Academic Integrity Policy to make decisions. Some points specific to this course are the following.

If you need help:

Come to see me during my office hour, send your question over e-mail, or send me an e-mail message to set up an appointment. Do not hesitate to ask questions about the basics too. Try to do this early though. While I make every effort to answer last-minute questions before exams or assignment due dates, I might not be able to check my messages some evenings or weekends.

You may ask your friends in the class for clarification, and work over the material I supply together. You are not allowed to look at their answers or programs.

If someone asks you to help on an assignment:

You may answer clarification questions and general questions about the concepts. You are not allowed to show them your work.

If you use any other textbook or anything from the web:

You may use it by clearly acknowledging the source and its contribution to your work. For instance, "I found a program at http://www.xxx.yyy and built my program on top of it."

University policies:

• Affirmative Action ( Michigan Tech Institutional Equity site )
  
  
• Disability Services ( ADA at Michigan Tech )
  
  If you have a disability that could affect your performance in this class or that requires an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please see me as soon as possible so that we can make appropriate arrangements. The Affirmative Action Office has asked that you be made aware of the following:
  Michigan Tech complies with all federal and state laws and regulations regarding discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If you have a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for equal access to education or services at Michigan Tech, please call the Dean of Students Office, at 487-2212. For other concerns about discrimination, you may contact your advisor, department head or the Affirmative Action Office, at 487-3310.
  
  
• Equal Opportunity Statement ( Board of Control Policy )

Required Background

I assume that you can program well using Java, C++, or Python. Your programs should run on the CS Department Linux platforms.

If you think you have gaps in your background, please come and see me.