Assistants: (see Piazza for hours)
GTA: John Atwood (jatwood4)
GTA: Petar Duric (pduric)
GTA: Yong Li (yli69)
UTA: Qasim Shahid
Prerequisites:
CS211 and MATH125 (C or better in both)
Textbook:
Hamburger and Richards,
Logic and Language Models for Computer Science,
Fourth Edition
Other requirements:
A scanner, camera, or digital drawing tool to use to prepare digital uploads of homework
Lectures: Lectures will be held in-person; Supporting videos will be available via Blackboard.
Course resources:
Piazza for questions and discussion. Please note that while Piazza requests donations, it is due to Piazza's business model independent from any input from the university; students should not feel any obligation to provide donations.
Blackboard to view grades and course materials.
GradeScope for exam feedback, quizzes, and homework assignment turn-in/feedback.
Schedule: see below for schedule; subject to change.
Description
This course is an introduction to two kinds of formal systems - languages and logics - with important applications to computer science. The study of formal languages underlies important aspects of compilers and other language processing systems, as well as the theory of computation. Various systems of logic and automatic reasoning are put to use in artificial intelligence, database theory and software engineering. The entire course will give you practice in precise thinking and proof methods that play a role in the analysis of algorithms. The programming assignments provide practical experience with some theoretical topics.
Outcomes
| Grade | A+ | A | A- | B+ | B | B- | C+ | C | C- | D | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| max | ↑ | 97 | 91 | 89 | 87 | 81 | 79 | 77 | 71 | 69 | 59 |
| min | 98 | 92 | 90 | 88 | 82 | 80 | 78 | 72 | 70 | 60 | ↓ |
It is a departmental requirement that all undergraduate Computer Science students taking CS330 must speak with their faculty advisor during the semester and submit an advising form (found here) documenting their visit.
All graded work in this class is individual. Any direct contribution on an exam, quiz, or assignment will be treated as a violation of George Mason's Honor Code and the CS Department Honor Code, and will typically result in failing the class.
The use of AI tools (including but not limited to ChatGPT) to aid in the completion of graded assignments/quizzes/exam, and the use of solutions which are derived directly or indirectly from AI prompts, is considered unauthorized assistance and is prohibited under the honor code.
Some kinds of participation in third-party online study sites violate the GMU Honor code: these include accessing questions for this class which have been uploaded by others; accessing exam or assignment answers for this class; uploading of any of the instructor's materials or exams; and uploading any of your own answers or finished work. It is your resposibility to protect your work, including protecting your computer with a password and avoiding sites which make your work publicly visible. Always consult with the professor before using these sites.
Please respect the importance of upholding the Honor Code, since it affects the meaningfulness of your degree and the degrees of other students. As a practical matter, an understanding of the material presented in this course has a potential to positively impact your ability to acquire computing skills and perform computing skill which will be used in your future careers; you put yourself in the best position to gain that understanding when you rely on your own work.
Privacy statment
All course materials posted to Blackboard or other course site are private to this class; by federal law, any materials that identify specific students (via their name, voice, or image) must not be shared with anyone not enrolled in this class. In the event that any class meetings need to be held synchronously online, those classes will be recorded to provide necessary information for students in this class. Recordings will be stored on Blackboard and will only be accessible to students taking this course during this semester.
Disability accomodations
Disability Services at George Mason University is committed to providing equitable access
to learning opportunities for all students by upholding the laws that ensure equal treatment
of people with disabilities. Students seeking accommodations for this class, please first
visit Disability Services (ods@gmu.edu;
703-993-2474) for detailed information about the
Disability Services registration process. Then please discuss the approved accommodations with
the instructor. The Disability Services office can be found in Student Union Building I (SUB I),
Suite 2500.
Diversity and inclusion
George Mason University promotes a diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist environment, under the belief that a just and equitable learning environment is a strong learning environment. Students are valued as individuals, irrespective of differences in race, ethnicity, national origin, first language, economic status, gender, gender expression and identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or age. As an important member of the GMU community, the Department of Computer Science is integral to the goal of cultivating an environemnt which is committed to inclusion and anti-racism.
Students who prefer to be addressed by a specific name or gender pronouns should share this information with the instructor (he/him). Additionally, name and pronouns can be changed in the GMU records.
Title IX
As a faculty member and designated "Responsible Employee," I am required to report all disclosures of sexual assault, interpersonal violence, and stalking to Mason's Title IX Coordinator, per university policy 1412.
Students who wish to speak with someone confidentially should contact the Student Support and Advocacy Center (ssac@gmu.edu; 703-993-3686) or Counseling and Psychological Services (caps@gmu.edu; 703-993-2380). Assistance may also be sought from GMU's Title IX Coordinator (titleix@gmu.edu; 703-993-8730).
COVID-19
This class is in person during the current semester. For information regarding the virus and current university policy regarding the virus, consult the Safe Return to Campus page.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Topic | Assignments/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Aug 20-26 | Introduction; Mathematical Preliminaries, Sections 1.1-1.6. Propositional Logic, Sections 2.1-2.7. | |
| Aug 21 | Introduction; Mathematical Preliminaries (003) | ||
| Aug 23 | Propositional Logic (003) | Practice HW 2.4, 2.7a, 2.8, 2.9, 2.11 | |
| Aug 25 | Introduction; Mathematical Preliminaries; Propositional Logic (005) | Practice HW 2.4, 2.7a, 2.8, 2.9, 2.11 | |
| Week 2 | Aug 27-Sep 2 | Proofs by Deduction, Sections 3.1-3.9. | |
| Aug 28 | Propositional Logic review (003) | ||
| Aug 29 | Turn-in HW 1 (Prop Logic) assigned | ||
| Aug 30 | Proof by Deduction (003) | Practice HW 3.7, 3.8, 3.10 (1st-4th) | |
| Sep 1 | Propositional Logic review; Proof by Deduction (005) | Practice HW 3.7, 3.8, 3.10 (1st-4th) | |
| Week 3 | Sep 3-9 | Predicate Logic, Sections 4.1-4.5. | |
| Sep 4 | No Class | Labor Day | |
| Sep 5 | Turn-in HW 1 (Prop Logic) due; Quiz 1 closes (Intro/Prop Logic; opened Saturday) | ||
| Sep 6 | Proof by Deduction review (003) | ||
| Sep 7 | Turn-in HW 2 (Deduction) assigned | ||
| Sep 8 | Proof by Deduction review; Predicate Logic (005) | Practice HW 4.1, 4.3, 4.7, 4.10a,b | |
| Week 4 | Sep 10-16 | Mathematical Induction, Sections 5.1-5.5. | |
| Sep 11 | Predicate Logic (003) | Practice HW 4.1, 4.3, 4.7, 4.10a,b; Turn-in HW 2 (Deduction) due | |
| Sep 12 | Quiz 2 closes (Deduction; opened Saturday) | ||
| Sep 13 | Predicate Logic review (003) | ||
| Sep 14 | Turn-in HW 3 (Pred Logic) assigned | ||
| Sep 15 | Predicate Logic review; Mathematical Induction (005) | Practice HW 5.2-5.4, 5.9 | |
| Week 5 | Sep 17-23 | Program Verification, Sections 6.1-6.4. | |
| Sep 18 | Mathematical Induction (003) | Practice HW 5.2-5.4, 5.9; Turn-in HW 3 (Pred Logic) due | |
| Sep 19 | Quiz 3 closes (Pred Logic; opened Saturday) | ||
| Sep 20 | Mathematical Induction review (003) | ||
| Sep 21 | Turn-in HW 4 (Induction) assigned | ||
| Sep 22 | Mathematical Induction review; Program Verification (005) | Practice HW 6.2-6.4, 6.6, 6.7 | |
| Week 6 | Sep 24-30 | Midterm warm-up. | |
| Sep 25 | Program Verification (003) | Practice HW 6.2-6.4, 6.6, 6.7; Turn-in HW 4 (Induction) due | |
| Sep 26 | Quiz 4 closes (Induction; opened Saturday) | ||
| Sep 27 | Program Verification review (003) | ||
| Sep 28 | Turn-in HW 5 (Prog Verif) assigned | ||
| Sep 29 | Program Verification review; Midterm warm-up (005) | Midterm covers material from chapters 1-6 | |
| Week 7 | Oct 1-7 | Language Basics; Regular Languages, Chapter 7 + Sections 8.1-8.2 | .|
| Oct 2 | Midterm warm-up (003) | Turn-in HW 5 (Prog Verif) due | |
| Oct 3 | Quiz 5 closes (Prog Verif; opened Saturday) | ||
| Oct 4 | Midterm Exam Section 003 | ||
| Oct 6 | Midterm Exam Section 005; Language Basics/Regular Languages | Practice HW 7.4, 7.5, 7.12, 7.15, 8.2, 8.3, 8.6 | |
| Week 8 | Oct 8-14 | Regular Expressions/Regular Grammars, Sections 8.2-8.5 | |
| Oct 9 | No Class | Fall Break | |
| Oct 10 | Language Basics/Regular Languages | Monday classes meet; Practice HW 7.4, 7.5, 7.12, 7.15, 8.2, 8.3, 8.6 | |
| Oct 11 | Language Basics/Regular Languages review (003) | ||
| Oct 12 | Turn-in HW 6 (Langs/RLs) assigned | ||
| Oct 13 | Language Basics/Regular Languages review; Regular Expressions/Regular Grammars (005) | Practice HW 8.8, 8.9, 8.11, 8.12 | |
| Week 9 | Oct 15-21 | Regular Grammar Conversions, Sections 8.5,8.6 | |
| Oct 16 | Regular Expressions/Regular Grammars (003) | Practice HW 8.8, 8.9, 8.11, 8.12; Turn-in HW 6 (Langs/RLs) due | |
| Oct 17 | Quiz 6 closes (Langs/RLs; opened Saturday) | ||
| Oct 18 | Regular Expressions/Regular Grammars review (003) | ||
| Oct 19 | Turn-in HW 7 (REs/RGs) assigned | ||
| Oct 20 | Regular Expressions/Regular Grammars review; Regular Grammar Conversions (005) | Practice HW 8.14, 8.15 | |
| Week 10 | Oct 22-28 | Finite Automata, Sections 9.1-9.4,9.8 | |
| Oct 23 | Regular Grammar Conversion (003) | Practice HW 8.14, 8.15; Turn-in HW 7 (REs/RGs) due | |
| Oct 24 | Quiz 7 closes (REs/RGs; opened Saturday) | ||
| Oct 25 | Regular Grammar Conversion review (003) | ||
| Oct 26 | Turn-in HW 8 (RG Conv) assigned | ||
| Oct 27 | Regular Grammar Conversion review; Finite Automata (005) | Practice HW 9.7, 9.5, 9.16a, 9.17 | |
| Week 11 | Oct 29-Nov 4 | Nondeterministic Finite Automata/Properties of Regular Languages, Sections 9.5-9.7 | |
| Oct 30 | Finite Automata (003) | Practice HW 9.7, 9.5, 9.16a, 9.17; Turn-in HW 8 (RG Conv) due | |
| Oct 31 | Quiz 8 closes (RG Conv; opened Saturday) | ||
| Nov 1 | Finite Automata review (003) | ||
| Nov 2 | Turn-in HW 9 (FA) assigned | ||
| Nov 3 | Finite Automata review; Nondeterministic Finite Automata/Properties of Regular Languages (005) | Practice HW 9.8, 9.9, 9.25 | |
| Week 12 | Nov 5-11 | Context-Free Grammars, Sections 10.1-10.4 | |
| Nov 6 | Nondeterministic Finite Automata/Properties of Regular Languages (003) | Practice HW 9.8, 9.9, 9.25; Turn-in HW 9 (FA) due | |
| Nov 7 | Quiz 9 closes (FA; opened Saturday) | ||
| Nov 8 | Nondeterministic Finite Automata/Properties of Regular Languages review (003) | ||
| Nov 9 | Turn-in HW 10 (NFA/Prop RLs) assigned | ||
| Nov 10 | Nondeterministic Finite Automata/Properties of Regular Languages review; Context-Free Grammars (005) | Practice HW 10.1, 10.2, 10.8 | |
| Week 13 | Nov 12-18 | Pushdown Automata/Turing Machines, Sections 11.1,11.2, 12.2 | |
| Nov 13 | Context-Free Grammars (003) | Practice HW 10.1, 10.2, 10.8; Turn-in HW 10 (NFA/Prop RLs) due | |
| Nov 14 | Quiz 10 closes (NFA/Prop RLs; opened Saturday) | ||
| Nov 15 | Context-Free Grammars review (003) | ||
| Nov 16 | Turn-in HW 11 (CFGs) assigned | ||
| Nov 17 | Context-Free Grammars review; Pushdown Automata/Turing Machines (005) | Practice HW 11.1, 11.4, 11.6, 11.9a (NPDA are allowed) | |
| Week 14 | Nov 19-25 | ||
| Nov 20 | Pushdown Automata/Turing Machines (003) | Practice HW 11.1, 11.4, 11.6, 11.9a (NPDA are allowed); Turn-in HW 11 (CFGs) due | |
| Nov 21 | Quiz 11 closes (CFGs; opened Saturday) | ||
| Nov 22 | No class | Thanksgiving | |
| Nov 23 | No class | Thanksgiving | |
| Nov 24 | No class | Thanksgiving | |
| Week 15 | Nov 26-Dec 2 | Final Exam warm-up | Quiz 11 (PDA/TMs; opened Saturday) closes Sunday Dec 3 |
| Nov 27 | Pushdown Automata/Turing Machines review (003) | ||
| Nov 28 | |||
| Nov 29 | Final Exam warm-up (003) | Final covers material from chapters 7-12 | |
| Nov 30 | |||
| Dec 1 | Pushdown Automata/Turing Machines review; Final Exam warm-up (005) | Final covers material from chapters 7-12 | |
| exam week | Dec 6-13 | Reading Days Dec 4-5 | |
| Dec 6 (Wed) | Final Exam Section 003 | 1:30-4:15pm Sec 003 | |
| Dec 8 (Fri) | Final Exam Section 005 | 10:30am-1:15pm Sec 005 |