COURSE SYLLABUS 

COT 4420 Theory of Computation

Prerequisites: MAD 3105

Fall Semester 2024


Course Objective:

The goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of basic concepts in the theory of computation. Students will learn about a variety of issues in the mathematical development of computer science theory, particularly finitary representations for languages and machines, as well as gain a more formal understanding of algorithms and procedures. At the end of this course, the student will:

Be able to construct finite state machines and the equivalent regular expressions.

Be able to prove the equivalence of languages described by finite state machines, regular grammars and regular expressions.

Be able to construct pushdown automata and the equivalent context free grammars.

Be able to prove the equivalence of languages described by pushdown automata and context free grammars.

Be able to construct Turing machines.

Be able to define the Chomsky Hierarchy.

Be able to have a basic understanding of the P = NP problem.

Course Description:

Theory of automata and formal languages. Finite state automata, Moore and Mealy machines, regular expressions and languages, deterministic and non-deterministic pushdown automata, context free languages, context sensitive languages, normal forms, Turing machines, recursive and recursively enumerable sets, undecidability, introduction to computability and complexity theory. 

 

Instructor:

Sudhir Aggarwal: 263 LOV

Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.

 

Teaching Assistants:

Tania Taami: 0025A LOV (inside Majors Lab)

Office hours: Monday 9:30 am to 11 am, and Wednesday 3 pm to 4:30 pm.

(could also be via zoom)

Email: taami@cs.fsu.edu Phone: 850-345-1226

Qijin Bao: MCH 104 (certain homework only)

Office hours: Friday 3-3:30 pm

Email: qb24@fsu.edu

 

Dominic Miller: Majors Lab

Office hours: Wednesday 1pm to 2pm.

Email: dgm21@fsu.edu

 

Dion Tryban: Majors Lab

Office hours: Friday 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm

Email: dtryban@fsu.edu

 

 

Required Text:

[Linz] Peter Linz. An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata, Latest Edition, Jones and Bartlett. (Required; however previous editions ok also).

 

Much of the communication will be via this website or information given in class. Canvas will be used to post raw scores of assignments / tests, etc. Most other information related to grades etc. on Canvas may not be correct. Do not email or text anything via Canvas for the class instructor as it may not be answered.

 

Lectures

Tuesdays and Thursdays

9:45 am - 11:00 am

MCH 0201

 

 

Week #

 

Meeting Days

Reading Assignments & Information

Class Notes &

Homework Assignments

1

August 27, 2024

 

 

August 29, 2024

 

Read Chapter 1 in text

Start reading Lecture1

 

Read Chapter 11.1 in text. Finish reading lecture 1.

Watch this video.

 

Supplementary lectures are additional optional readings.

 

 

 

Lecture1-overview

 

 

Notes1

 

How Big is Infinity?

 

Sup1

Sup2

 

Notes2

2

 

 

September 3, 2024

 

September 5, 2024

 

 

 

Finish previous readings

 

Start reading Lecture2

Homework 1: Due Sep.17, 2024

 

Lecture2-finite state machines

 

3

September 10, 2024

 

 

September 12, 2024

 

 

Continue reading Lecture2

 

 

Finish reading Lecture2

 

 

Notes3

 

 

Notes4

Homework 2: Due October 1, 2024

 

4

September 17, 2024

 

 

 

September 19, 2024

 

Review Lecture2. Start reading Lecture3. Read Chapters 2.1 and 3.1 in text.

 

Continue reading Lecture3. Read 2.2 through 2.4 in text

 

Lecture3-Regular Languages

Notes4.1

Sup3

 

 

Sup4

Sup5

 

5

 

September 24, 2024

 

 

 

September 25, 2024

 

 

 

September 26, 2024

 

 

Review Hw1. Read 3.2 and 3.3 in text. Continue reading Lecture 3.

 

Due to Hurricane Due Date Homework 2 changed to October 1, 2024

 

Finish reading Lecture 3 and Chapters 2 and 3 in text.

 

Notes4.5

Sup6

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homework 3: Due TBD

Notes5

Notes6

 

6

October 1, 2024

 

 

October 3, 2024

 

Finish previous readings

 

 

Start reading Chapter 4 in text and Lecture4 except pages 60-65

 

Homework 3: Due October 11, 2024

(see revised Hw3 below)

 

 

Lecture4-Properties of Regular Languages

 

Sup7

Sup8

Sup9

7

October 8, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 10, 2024

 

Cover rest of Lecture 3. Also, Hw2 solutions as time permits

 

Due to hurricanes Helene and Milton, the midterm will only cover through Lecture 3 and Chapter 3 in the text. Hence revised Homework 3 attached removes problems 8 and 9 which will be assigned in a subsequent assignment. Note that the due date for hw3 has been extended and there will be no late homework 3s accepted.

 

 

Review of Homework 2 as time permits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homework3 revised: Due Date October 14, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tostudy-Midterm1

8

October 15, 2024

 

October 17, 2024

 

Review Hw3

 

Midterm 1

 

9

October 22, 2024

 

 

October 24, 2024

 

Read Chapter 4 in text and Lecture4 except pages 60-65.

 

Start reading Lecture 5 and Chapter 5 in text.

Lecture 4 is in week 6 above.

 

 

Lecuture5-cfgs

Sup10

Notes6.5

 

10

October 29, 2024

 

 

 

October 31, 2024

 

Finish reading lecture 5. Read Chapter 6 in text.

 

 

Continue previous readings

Sup11

Homework 4:Due date November 12, 2024

 

Sup12

Notes7

 

11

November 5, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 7, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 9, 2024

 

 

 

Finish previous readings

Start reading Lecture6 until page 102.

Start reading Chapter 7 in text, covering similar material.

 

Continue previous readings

Finish reading Lecture 6.

 

Start reading Lecture 7 and Chapter 8 in the text. You need not cover the proof for the pumping lemma.

 

Homework 5 will be due November 18, 2024, with no late credit for that homework.

 

Lecture6-pdas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lecture7-properties-CFLs

 

 

 

 

Homework 5: Due November 18, 2024

 

 

 

12

November 12, 2024

 

 

November 14, 2024

 

 

 

13

November 19, 2024

 

 

November 21, 2024

 

Review Homework 4 and 5.

 

 

Midterm 2

Tostudy-Midterm2

14

November 26, 2024

 

 

 

November 28, 2024

 

November 30, 2024

 

 

 

Start reading Lecture 8 through page 128, and Chapters 9 and 10 in text.

 

Thanksgiving - No Class

 

Finish reading Lecture8 through page 128 and Chapters 9 and 10 in text.

 

There will be a short Quiz as an Assessment in class (about 20-30 minutes) on December 3, covering the course material. The assessment is voluntary. Bonus points for taking the assessment (max 30 pts) will be added to your total homework points.

 

Lecture8-TuringMachines

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting Video P=NP?

15

December 3, 2024

 

 

December 5, 2024

 

 

December 8, 2024

 

Assessment

Finish all previous readings.

 

Review of Midterm2 and overall course material

 

I will have extra office hours on Monday, December 9th, from 1 to 2 pm and 3 to 5 pm. You can also pick up your midterms at that time if you wish.

 

 

EXAM

WEEK

December 9-13, 2024

FINAL EXAM: MCH201 Tuesday December 10, 2024, 7:30 am - 9:30 am

 

 

 

 


 

Grading Policy

There will be an Assessment for this course (half-hour) sometime during the last weeks of class. It is used for various purposes in support of various accreditations including ABET. It will be announced later in the semester. The points scored on the assessment will be added as a bonus to your homework scores. So please plan on doing the Assessment.

There will be two Midterm tests (30% each); and a Final test (20%) during final exam week, in class.

The midterm dates will be announced in class. Students must take the midterms at the announced times unless there is a university sanctioned reason to miss the test (see Attendance Policy below). Issues of missing a midterm will be handled on an individual basis. The second midterm may include material from the first midterm. The Final will cover material chosen from the entire course.

There will be several graded problem sets during the semester (20% total). Late policy does not apply to Hw3. The late homework policy is as follows with an example:

1.   Each homework assignment has a due date. That homework is due (by uploading to Canvas) on that due date at 11:59 pm.

2.   Example: Homework X has due date September 26. It is due with no penalty if submitted by 11:59 pm on September 26.

3.   Homework X is submitted any time on September 27. Considered a day late with a penalty of 5 points off from the assignment.

4.   Homework X is submitted any time on September 28. Considered two days late with a penalty of 15 points off from the assignment.

5.   Homework X is submitted any time on September 29. Considered three days late with a penalty of 30 points off from the assignment.

6.   Homework X is submitted any time on September 30 or after. It will not be accepted, and the penalty is a score of zero for that assignment. All times in the example are US Eastern Time.

 

It is very important to complete all problem sets and do them by yourself. You are not to work in groups. You may talk to me or the teaching assistant to help you get started on a problem, but you must do the problems by yourself. You should also check the Academic Honor Policy below which is applicable in all your academic work including in this course and is to be followed by all students.

Grading will be on a curve. The initial curve for the class is specified below. The curve may be changed after each midterm test. Students can always choose to stay with the initial curve.

Initial Course Curve COT4420 Fall 2024

Average Score

Grade

80

A

75

A-

70

B+

65

B

60

B-

55

C+

50

C

45

C-

Below 45

D+, D, D-, F

 

 

 

Modified Grade Curve as of 11/30/2024 COT4420 Fall 2024

Average Score

Grade

70

A

65

A-

60

B+

55

B

50

B-

45

C+

40

C

35

C-

Below 35

D+, D, D-, F

 

 

University Attendance Policy

Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid written excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness.

 

Academic Honor Policy

The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the University`s expectations for the integrity of students` academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their pledge be honest and truthful and [to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University.` (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, found at: http://fda.fsu.edu/Academics/Academic-Honor-Policy

 

Academic Success

Your academic success is a top priority for Florida State University. University resources to help you succeed include tutoring centers, computer labs, counseling and health services, and services for designated groups, such as veterans and students with disabilities. The following information is not exhaustive, so please check with your advisor or the Department of Student Support and Transitions to learn more.

 

Americans With Disabilities Act

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should: (1) register with and provide documentation to the Office of Accessibility Services; and (2) request a letter from the Office of Accessibility Services to be sent to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type; and (3) meet (in person, via phone, email, skype, zoom, etc...) with each instructor to whom a letter of accommodation was sent to review approved accommodations. This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request. For the latest version of this statement and more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the Office of Accessibility Services

874 Traditions Way

108 Student Services Building

Florida State University Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167

(850) 644-9566 (voice)

(850) 644-8504 (TDD)

oas@fsu.edu

https://dsst.fsu.edu/oas

 

Confidential campus resources

Various centers and programs are available to assist students with navigating stressors that might impact academic success. These include the following:

 

Victim Advocate Program

University Center A,

Room 4100, (850) 644-7161,

Available 24/7/365,

Office Hours: M-F 8-5 https://dsst.fsu.edu/vap

Counseling & Psychological Services

Askew Student Life Center,

2ndFloor,

942 Learning Way (850) 644-8255

https://counseling.fsu.edu/

University Health Services

Health and Wellness Center

(850) 644-6230 https://uhs.fsu.edu/

 

FS Approved: 10/21/2020; Counseling Center name updated 5/3/2021; Dean of Students name change 11/3/2021;