Instructor:
Prof. Michael S. Branicky
Glennan 517B
Phone/Fax: 368-6430 / 368-6039
mb [æt] case [daat] edu

Office Hours:

M:

3-5pm

Required Text:

• Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. 2nd Ed. Prentice Hall, 2003. ISBN: 0137903952 ($115 new, $86.25 used in bookstore)

Pre-requisites:

Formally: Informally:

ENGR 131 programming and problem solving ability

Brief Syllabus:

Introduction: Problem-Solving: Knowledge and Reasoning, Planning: Uncertain Knowledge and Reasoning: Learning:

2 Weeks 3 Weeks 2 Weeks 3 Weeks 3 Weeks

[ R&N, Chs. 1-2 ] [ R&N, Chs. 3-6 ] [ R&N, Chs. 7, 11-12 ] [ R&N, Chs. 13-14, 16-17 ] [ R&N, Chs. 18-21 ]

A detailed syllabus is posted on the course webpage.

Grading:

	391		491 (same as 391 PLUS)
Problem Sets: Midterm: Final (comprehensive):	30 30 40		Final Project: Extra Problems/Questions:	30 20

A: B: C: D: F:

>= 90% 80-90% 70-80% 60-70% < 60%

Note: cut-offs may sink a little, as determined by the final distribution of grades. For example, the last two times I taught the class, the cut-offs were 90-78-69-60 (90-80-70-60 resp.) resulting in the following percentages of grades for the N=61 (N=28 resp.) taking the final: A³¹B³⁴C²⁵D⁰⁸F⁰² (A¹⁴B²⁹C³²D¹⁸F⁰⁷ resp.)

Reading assignments for each day will be posted on the web as they arise. Problem sets and homeworks are due at the beginning of class; late assignments will be worth 75% (one day late), then not accepted. There will be a problem set due every week (full ones due each Wednesday but for midterm week; mini ones for Monday of the midterm and the last day of class). The problem sets will often include substantial programming assignments. There will be a midterm and a comprehensive final exam. The midterm and final are open book, open notes, with reading and programming questions fair game.

Important dates:

January 21: March 5: March 10-14: April 28: April 30: May 6:

No class/office hours (Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday) Midterm (in class, everyone); 491 Final Project Proposals due No class/office hours (Spring Break) Last day of class 491 Final Project Presentations Final, 8:30-11:30am (everyone); 491 Final Project Papers due

Class Website:
http://dora.case.edu/msb/AI/index.html   (dora/msb/AI)

Mirror: http://vorlon.case.edu/~msb11/AI/index.html   (vorlon/~msb11/AI)

Will contain an Announcements section for corrections in problem sets, changes in due dates, etc. Will also be used to distribute problem sets, solutions, and class notes. Will also be used for reading and homework assignments. Bookmark it. Check it early and often.

Blackboard will be used to post grades. The sites are eecs391-S08 and eecs491-S08, resp.

Teaching Assistant: The TA contact information and office hours will be announced later.

Class Ethics:
Overarchingly, all work that you turn in should be your own. You are encouraged to discuss class material together to help each other on the problem sets and homeworks at the strategic, ``How do I approach this problem?'' level. That is, you may help each other understand the general algorithms and ideas and provide related examples not assigned as demonstrations, but you are not to explicitly reveal answers or even tell someone their answer is right or wrong. (Note: this is also how I will deal with questions in office hours.) Therefore, all your work and your answers should be derived independently. You should also be able to independently verify or convince yourself that you have a correct answer.

To enforce this, ``copyright rules'' apply to all assignments: it is possible to independently have the same general story, but all details must be your own. Note: both copying and letting others copy will be considered infringements. Sanction is failure in the work in question. The foregoing applies to the use of any other materials you may access (previous years' assignments, web resources, solutions manuals, etc.). In those cases where you have general discussions with others or utilize outside materials to complete your assignment, please explicitly record the names of discussants and provide proper attribution to any material that is not your own.

Cheating on the midterm/final will not be tolerated. Sanction is failure in the course.

These rules are designed for your benefit: so that you learn the material. This class is fundamental, with a knowledge of the material necessary for future studies and throughout your career. More immediately, the exams are quite easy if you truly understand the material.

All academic integrity violations will be dealt with according to the University's Academic Integrity Standards: http://www.case.edu/provost/ugstudies/acintegrity.htm

For other CWRU policies, visit http://www.case.edu/provost/ugstudies/instrman/highlights.html

PROBLEM SET #1: Due Wednesday, 23 JAN (posted on web)