CS 5811
Advanced Artificial Intelligence

Course description:

Course topics include current topics in artificial intelligence including agent-based systems, learning, planning, use of uncertainty in problem solving, reasoning, and belief systems.

Prerequisite:

The Michigan Tech undergraduate AI course is a prerequisite for this course. The description of CS4811 can be accessed from here by scrolling down: CS4811 course description

CS4811 is a hard, required prerequisite for both graduate and undergraduate students.

If you haven't taken CS4811 at Michigan Tech: you need to email me and show proof that you have taken an undergraduate artificial intelligence course which includes substantial programming. You should submit your transcript and the course syllabus.

If you haven't taken an approved undergraduate AI course: For students who completed their BSc at Michigan Tech or had at least one semester of graduate work at Michigan Tech, I will consider using one of the following courses as a prerequisite:

• Undergraduate Algorithms course (CS4321)
• Graduate Algorithms course (CS5321)
• Graduate Theory course (CS5311)

Please send me your unofficial transcript and resume along with a convincing argument to show why you are motivated to take CS5811 and why you believe your AI background is satisfactory. Remember that the following are not convincing reasons that show your background:

• "I have to take this course."
• "I'm in the XYZ program."
• "AI is a hot topic, and I want to learn AI for my career."

It is at my discretion as the course's professor to allow you to take the course considering your background.

Instructor

Dr. Nilufer Onder
Office: 309 Rekhi CS Hall
Phone: (906) 487 1641
Office Hours: I conduct office hours over Zoom. To schedule a meeting, please send me an email with your available times.

Textbook

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach Fourth edition by Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig Prentice Hall Series in Artificial Intelligence, 2020

Please check out the book's web site.
I will ask you to read sections from this textbook. I will also be assigning exercises from it. When assigning exercises from the book, I will type the entire question rather than referring to it by its number.
You are welcome to use the previous edition of the book.
I will be handing out extra references as we go into advanced topics.

Grading

Exam 1	20%
Exam 2	20%
Assignments	20%
IAAI paper presentation	15%
AAAI paper presentation	15%
Class attendance and participation	10%

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

Class attendance---information and policy:

You are expected to attend all classes and participate actively. Active participation means joining the discussions, asking questions, and answering questions.

The class attendance and participation score is a total of 100 points, with 50% assigned to attendance and 50% assigned to participation.

If you will be missing a class with a documented reason, you are required to send me an email message ahead of time explaining the reason so that I can excuse you. If you miss more than one class without an acceptable excuse, I will deduct 40% from your score.

For each presentation class that you do not attend without an acceptable excuse, I will deduct 10% off from your score.

Assignments---information and policy:

All the assigments should be submitted on Canvas at or before the due date. Late submissions are not accepted unless you notify me in advance. Even so, late submissions may lose points to maintain fairness of grading.

While discussion with others is permitted and encouraged for homework assignments, the final work should be done individually. You are allowed to build on material supplied in the class. You are not allowed to work in groups for the assignments. The answers, comments, and programs must be your original work. I will be asking for the complete list of references you have used in completing the assignment.

If unauthorized copying, plagiarism, or collaboration is suspected, the case will be turned to the Dean of Students' office with supporting evidence (see the paragraph below on "Academic Integrity").

Exams---information and policy:

The exams will be held in the evening to be able to give more time.

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 let me know and we can work something out.

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 Office of Academic and Community Conduct web pages (this is required reading!). More tips and information can be found at the Dean of Students' page and the MTU Senate page.

Note that we have a departmental policy of reporting the suspected cases to the Department Chair's office.

Affirmative Action and ADA:

Michigan Technological University 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, Chair/Dean of your academic unit or the Affirmative Programs Office, at 487-3310.

Required Background and Programming Language:

To take this course, you should have developed programs that implement AI techniques (see the "prerequisite" section above).

In CS5811, we will be studying the pros and cons of the representations and algorithms for advanced AI topics.

I will assume that you have strong programming and algorithmic analysis skills. However, there will not be programming assignments in this course because there are many tools that implement the systems that we will be studying.