Fall 2019: Formal Methods and Models [CS330]

Professor: Carlotta Domeniconi, Rm 4424 ENG, carlotta\AT\cs.gmu.edu
Teaching Assistant: Bahman Pedrood
Prerequisites: CS211 and Math125 (C or better in both).
Exposure to Discrete Mathematics (as in MATH125) is important for success in this course.
Location and Time: We meet in Sandbridge Hall 107, TR 3:00pm - 4:15pm
Textbook: H. Hamburger and D. Richards, Logic and Language Models for Computer Science, Third Edition, 2017.
Course Web Page

General Description and Preliminary List of Topics

This course is an introduction to two kinds of formal systems—languages and logics—that are crucial to large numbers of areas in computer science. The study of formal languages underlies important aspects of compilers and other language processing systems, software engineering, agents and multiagent systems, game development, robotics, and networking. Formal logics and automatic reasoning are put to use in artificial intelligence, database theory, and software engineering. The course gives students practice in precise thinking and proof methods that play a role in the analysis of algorithms.

Topics include: Propositional Logic and Proofs; Predicate Logic and Proofs; Program Verification; Finite Automata, Regular Expressions; Context-Free Grammars; Turing Machines and Solvability.

Outcomes

Students will understand the concepts and relevance of logic, formal languages and automata theory, and computability.
Students will be able to do mechanical formal proofs, program correctness proofs and solve problems in first-order logic.
Students will be able to solve problems in elementary machine models: designing finite-state, pushdown and turing machines.
Students will be able to solve problems in formal languages: writing regular expressions, regular grammars, and context-free grammars.

Grading

Quizzes: 25%
Assignments: 15%
Midterm + Final: 60% (highest score counts 35%; lowest score counts 25%)

Quizzes and exams are closed book. We'll have weekly quizzes and assignments. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped. No make-up quizzes will be offered.
Assignments must be performed individually. No extensions will be granted for assignments as we will discuss the solutions in class. Group work is NOT allowed.
Any deviation from this policy will be considered a violation of the GMU Honor Code. The CS Department has specific CS Honor Code Policies.
Please, no laptops in class!

In order to receive a passing grade in this class, each student will also meet at least once with their academic advisor during the semester. The form that must be turned in is here:

Academic Year Check List