Course Description

Artificial Intelligence, or AI for short, is a combination of computer science, physiology, and philosophy. AI is a broad topic, consisting of different fields. The element that the fields of AI have in common is the creation of machines that can "think". This course will cover a broad technical introduction to the techniques that enable computers to behave intelligently: problem solving, representing knowledge, reasoning, learning, perceiving, and interpreting.

Prerequisite

CS310 and CS320

Texts

Stuart Russel & Peter. Norvig, Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, Prentice Hall, 1995.

Additional readings will be available via library reserve and/or web.

Recommended Books

George F. Luger (Editor). Computation & Intelligence: Collected Readings, The AAAI Press, 1995.
Morton Wagman. The Ultimate Objectives of Artificial Intelligence: Theoretical and Research Foundations, Philosophical and Psychological Implications, Praeger Publishers, 1987.

Homework assignments & Exams

There will be two project assignments, a midterm and a final exam.

Grading

Individual Project 20%

Final Group Project 30%
Mid-term Exam 20%
Final Exam 20%
Class participation 10%
Total 100%

Ground Rules

The instructor will ask the students questions about the course materials randomly during the class. The students will be expected to answer the questions. This quality of these interactions will constitute the ‘class participation’ portion of the grade.
There will be NO make up exams.
All project assignments must be submitted by due dates. Late assignments lose 5 points out of 100 per day. Assignments which are submitted 3 or more days later than their due dates will not be accepted.
Obtaining a final grade requires doing all tests and assignments.

Overview of topics

Student Conduct

Students are required to adhere to the University Policy on Academic Standards and Cheating, to the University Statement on Plagiarism and the Documentation of Written Work, and to the Code of Student Conduct as delineated in the catalog of Undergraduate Programs, pp. 44-45, and 48-52. http://www.umb.edu/student_services/student_rights/code_conduct.html

I. Preamble

A. This Code of Student Conduct is applicable to any student enrolled in or accepted for any course or academic program, regardless of credits or competencies carried, at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Students who violate these or other regulations shall be subject to disciplinary action and the procedures described herein. These regulations are set forth to give students general notice of prohibited conduct; they should not be regarded as an exhaustive definition of misconduct or construed as a contract between the student and the University. The University reserves the right to take disciplinary action as set forth in the Code for the conduct of its students off-campus when such conduct constitutes misconduct, as defined in this code, and is serious in nature. The University reserves the right to amend any provision of this Code with appropriate notice to the campus community.

B. This Code is independent of any proceeding in civil or criminal law in which a student may also be held accountable. Disciplinary action at the University should ordinarily proceed despite the pendency of any other civil or criminal proceedings, and shall not be subject to dismissal solely because of the result of any such proceeding.

C. A student charged with misconduct under this Code shall have the rights of appeal provided herein. No sanction imposed under this Code shall be subject to a grievance or appeal under any other University procedure.

II. Academic Dishonesty

The University defines violations of academic honesty to include, but not be limited to, the following:

A. Submitting an author's published or unpublished work, in whole, in part, or in paraphrase, as one's own without fully and properly crediting the author. This includes, but is not limited to, submitting unattributed published work, e.g. material from a journal, newspaper, encyclopedia, etc. without proper acknowledgment.

B. Submitting as one's original work materials obtained from an individual or agency.

C. Submitting as one's own original work material that has been produced through unacknowledged collaboration with others.

D. Using any unauthorized material during an examination, such as notes, tests, calculators, etc.

E. Obtaining answers to examination questions from another person with or without that person's knowledge; furnishing answers to examination questions to another student; using or distributing unauthorized copies of or notes from an examination.

F. Submitting as one's own an examination taken by another person; or taking an examination in another person's place.

G. Gaining or seeking to gain unauthorized access to the computer files of a student or faculty member, or staff member, or altering or destroying those files.

Consequences and procedures therein pertaining to charges of academic dishonesty can be reviewed at the above mentioned web site.

Accommodations

Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 offers guidelines for curriculum modifications and adaptations for students with documented disabilities. If applicable, students may obtain adaptation recommendations from the Ross Center for Disability Services, M-1-401, (617-287-7430). The student must present these recommendations and discuss them with each professor within a reasonable period, preferably by the end of Drop/Add period.

Other administrative matters

You will do all your work on the Department's network of Unix systems. Apply for an account as soon as possible, following the instructions posted in the Unix lab (S-3-158).

When your application for a course account has been approved you will have been added to either cs470 or cs670 mailing list. Mail sent to the class will be archived for reference. You are responsible for its contents.

All material for this course will be kept in both /courses/cs470/f02/public_html & /courses/cs670/f02/public_html, which we will abbreviate as $cs470 and $cs670. It is visible from our Unix network and on the net.