General Information

Instructor: Weizhen Mao, McGl 114, 221-3472, wm@cs.

Lectures: TTh 12:30-1:50, McGl 002.

Office hours: TTh 11:00-12:30 and 2:00-2:30, McGl 114.

Textbooks:

Required: M. Sipser, Introduction to the Theory of Computation, 2nd edition, Thomson, 2006.

Recommended: M. R. Garey and D. S. Johnson, Computers and Intractability: A guide to the theory of NP-completeness, Freeman, 1979.

Course description:

The following topics will be covered, either briefly or in detail, in the course: (1) Algorithms: Problems and algorithms, Turing machines, computability; (2) Logic: Boolean logic, first-order logic, undecidability in logic; and (3) P and NP: Relations between complexity classes, reductions and completeness, proving and solving NP-complete problems.

Homework:

A problem set of three or four problems will be assigned every week. There are about 12 such assignments, accounting for 60% of your total grade.

In working on homework assignments, you must think logically, but often creatively. The best way to do well in this course is to attack each problem set as soon as it is handed out. After you consider various approaches to a problem for a while, you might want to put it down and come back to it a day or two later. The right solution might just jump at you. Above all, do not expect to be able to start the night before an assignment is due!

Working on a problem set, you are allowed to discuss problems with your fellow students in the same class. I encourage you to form study groups and meet regularly to discuss challenging homework problems. An empty hand policy must be observed when you meet with your classmates: You are free to discuss any aspect of the homework, but you must leave the meeting without any record (on paper, tape, or other means) of these discussions. This is because the actual writing of the detailed homework answers must be an individual activity, so that each student can receive an individual grade for each homework assignment. Also in your homework write-ups do not forget to list the names of your collaborators for each problem.

In addition to consulting your classmates, you are of course allowed, actually encouraged, to consult other reference material in addition to the textbook and class notes. However, if you used this reference to derive the answer to a problem, you should give it proper credit in the homework write-up. In no case you should copy verbatim from a reference without proper attribution, as this is considered plagiarism.

I do not accept late homework since plenty of time is given for each assignment.

Final exam:

A take-home final exam will be handed out during the final week of class. The exam accounts for 40% of your total grade.

Grading policy:

Your totall grade (in points) will be calculated by the following formula:
(Your homework total / Maximum homework total) * 60 + (Your final exam total / Maximum final exam total) * 40.
Final letter grades will be given based on the standard scale (i.e., 90 or above: A; 80-89: B; 70-79: C; 60-69: D; and below 60: F). However, I reserve the right to lower these standards, which was often the case in the past.

Disability:

If you have a disability that may effect your participation in this course and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible.