CSCE 5043 Artificial Intelligence – Spring 2009

Tentative Syllabus

General Information

  • Class Schedule:  CSCE 5043 - Artificial Intelligence - Time: TR11:00-12:20am - Location:  JBHT 234
  • Prerequisite:  Graduate Standing or Instructor Approval
  • Required Text:  Ben Coppin, Artificial Intelligence Illuminated, Jones/Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, MA, 2004 ISBN 0-7637-3230-3
  • Instructor:  Dr. Craig Thompson, http://csce.uark.edu/~cwt/, phone:  479-575-6519, email:  cwt@uark.edu
  • Office hours:  TR 9:30-11:00, JBHT 516
  • Class Web Site:    http://csce.uark.edu/~cwt/COURSES/2009-01--CSCE-5043--AI/syllabus.html
  • Catalog Description:  In-depth introduction to AI. Topics include: philosophical foundations, cognition, intelligent agents, AI languages, search, genetic algorithms, first order and modal logic, inference, resolution, knowledge representation, ontologies, problem solving, planning, expert systems, uncertainty, probabilistic reasoning, fuzzy logic, machine learning, natural language processing, machine vision, and robotics.
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) is the computational study of intelligent behavior.  AI has connections to several disciplines including Computer Science, Philosophy, Psychology, Linguistics, Game Theory, Engineering, Neurobiology, and Sociology.  You will learn how to tell a person from an android (the Turing Test); how to represent knowledge; how to get computers to reason, see, hear, speak, and answer questions; whether machines have feelings; how teams of autonomous robots can work together; and what the world will be like when "everything is alive."

Schedule

It is recommended that, before class, you read (skim) as much as you can of the indicated sections (C = Coppin).  Generally, with some exceptions, Tuesdays are lectures and Thursdays are project sessions and discussions on term projects.

 

Date

Topic

Reading

Homework

01/13-T

Syllabus, AI History, Foundations, Scope

C1, C2, AI links, SL demos, ant demo, botanicalls

 

01/15-R

Term projects:  SL building and scripting

SL wikipedia, SL website, tutorials, research,

SL building, scripting, scripting, scripting

 

01/20-T

Agents, Pervasive Computing, RFID agent mw

C19, EiA, Soft Controllers, RFIDmw, RFID links

HW #1 due

01/22-R

Term projects: discuss ideas

SL recent progress

 

01/27-T

AI Languages – Prolog, Lisp

Prolog, Lisp1, Lisp2     

 

01/29-R

Term projects

 

HW #2 due

02/03-T

Natural Language Processing 

C20, Kyle’s slides, MBNLI, Spatial

 

02/05-R

Visit RFID Center - map

 

 

02/10-T

Knowledge representation, Ontologies

C3, Protege

Engr Fair 2/9 2-6pm

Bus Fair 2/10 11-3pm

02/12-R

Term projects

 

HW #3 – select project

02/17-T

Search

C4, C5

 

02/19-R

Term projects

 

 

02/24-T

Game Theory

C6

Engr Fair 2/23 2-6pm

02/26-R

Term projects

 

 HW #4 – progress rpt

03/03-T

Exam I review

 

 

03/05-R

Exam I

 

 

03/10-T

Problem Solving, Planning, Reasoning

C15, C16

 

03/12-R

Term projects

 

 

03/17-T

Spring Break

 

 

03/19-R

Spring Break

 

 

03/24-T

Propositional and Predicate Logic

C7

 

03/26-R

Term projects

 

 

03/31-T

Inference, Resolution, Unification

C8

 

04/02-R

Term projects

 

 

04/07-T

Rules, Expert Systems,

C9

 

04/09-R

Machine Vision

C21

 

04/14-T

Fuzzy Reasoning

C18

HW #5 – progress rpt

04/16-R

NO CLASS

 

 

04/21-T

Learning – Neural Networks, Genetic Algorithms

C11, C14

 

04/23-R

Exam II review, hand out take home exam

 

 

04/28-T

Exam II due

 

 

04/30-R

Term Project – demo, final report, deliverables

 

HW #6 – demo

Assignments/Evaluation

The course grade will be based on:

  • Exam I and Exam II – 25% each – The first exam will cover material from the first half of the course; the second exam will cover material from the latter half.  The exams will be open-book, open notes.  No makeup exams are given.  If you believe I have made an error in grading your exam, please bring the matter to my attention as soon as possible.  If you have a question about an exam question, bring this to my attention during the exam.  Study Guides:  Exam I review and Exam II review

Homework is due by email to Dr. Thompson cwt@uark.edu on or before class on the date due – see syllabus

  • HW #1 – 5% – Each student will complete:
    • Survey - Virtual Worlds and Gaming
    • Survey - Getting to know you
    • Resume – send file to cwt@uark.edu - example
    • SL avatar name – login to Second Life (use Acxiom Lab Macs or PCs or your own high-end laptop), choose and remember SL avatar name and pwd, explore newcomer island (learn to walk, fly, edit your avatar, browse your inventory folder, use map, teleport).  Avoid mature content on UARK machines.  Use Search to join group “University of Arkansas Campus Users.”  Send email to Casey Bailey <cdbaile@uark.edu>  and cc Dr. T for access to our SL island.
  • HW #2 – 5%  – Build/Script in SL & List Ideas – Each student will complete:
    • individually build and script something interesting in SL – demo in class on 2/14
    • prioritize 10 project ideas (best first).  One paragraph per idea.  Limit 2 pages.
  • Term Project – 40%

·         HW #3 – Identify and Select Term Project – due 2/12 by email

·         HW #4, 5 – Progress Reports – in class on 2/26, 4/14

·         HW #6 – Term Project due 4/30

    • Deliverables include the in-class demo and a zip file containing a final report and code – enough info so the next student can pick up and build on your system

Course Policies

Course Web Page and Email List

Class announcements will be posted on the course syllabus (this page) and/or the course email list. Watch for frequent updates.

Conduct

Come to class on time as a courtesy to your professor and fellow students. 

Homework and Programming Due Date Policy

Homework (including homework assignments and programming assignments) is due in class on the dates specified in the course schedule. Homework is worth full credit when turned in at the beginning of the class on the due date. A 10% penalty per day will be incurred for late homework.  No submissions will be accepted after the solutions are posted.

Academic Integrity

The work you submit for this class is expected to be the result of your own work in your own words. You are free to discuss course material and general approaches to problems with others but you should never misrepresent someone else's work as your own. It is also your responsibility to protect your work from unauthorized access. If you quote, be sure to use quotation marks.

Accommodation for Disability

If you have a disability that will impact your work in this class, please contact me to discuss your needs.

Inclement Weather Policy

If the University announces closure due to inclement weather (which is announced on http://www.uark.edu), then we will not have class that day.  Even if the University is open:

  • if the instructor (who lives on a hill) cannot make it to class (due to ice), then he will send an email to class members and also post a note on this web page BY 7AM indicating NO CLASS TODAY (<DATE>) and any instructions for assignments.  He will also alert the CSCE Department staff (but that will be after the office opens at 8am)
  • if a student feels it is unsafe to come to class due to inclement weather, then s/he should (at earliest convenience) send an email to the instructor indicating the reason for missing class.
  • In the above cases, any assignments due that day will be due the next class period.