Instructor
Brian Mitchell
Drexel: (215)895-2668
Daytime: (215)761-6618
e-mail: bmitchel@mcs.drexel.edu
Class Web Page: http://www.mcs.drexel.edu/~bmitchel/course/mcs680-fcs/mcs680-fcs.html
Important Notices
See current class notices for MCS680 - Foundations of Computer Science
Class Goals
The primary goal of MCS680 is to provide a solid background in the theoretical and mathematical aspects of Computer Science.
Class Meeting Times
MCS680 will meet from 6:00 - 9:00 PM on Wednesday evenings in room 250A of the Curtis building. Office hours are by appointment or immediately before class.
Textbooks
The course textbook is:
- Foundations of Computer Science, A.V. Aho, J.D. Ullman, (Computer Science Press)
Additional materials from the class will be derived from:
- Elements of the Theory of Computation, H.R. Lewis, C.H. Papadimitriou (Prentice Hall)
- Introduction to Algorithms, T.H Cormen, C.E. Lieserson & R.I Rivest (McGraw Hill)
Tentative Schedule Of Topics
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction, Summation and Logarithm Review |
| 2 | Ineration, Induction & Recursion |
| 3 | "Big-Oh" Analysis |
| 4 | Running Time |
| 5 | Recurrence Relations |
| 6 | Trees (Mathematical Aspects & Algorithms) |
| 7 | Sets |
| 8 | Graph Theory & Graph Algorithms |
| 9 | Relations |
| 10 | Automata |
| 11 | Regular Expressions |
| 12 | Context-Free Grammars |
| 13 | Propositional Logic |
| 14 | Predicate Logic |
Class Notes
This section has been made available so that you can download a copy of the class notes. All files are in the PowerPoint file format. If you do not own a copy of PowerPoint you may download a free viewer from Microsoft at the following URL:
http://www.microsoft.com/powerpoint/internet/viewer/default.htm
Introduction PowerPoint97 Postscript
Iteration, Induction & Recursion PowerPoint97 Postscript
Running Time & Big-Oh Analysis PowerPoint97 Postscript
Sets PowerPoint97 Postscript
Trees PowerPoint97 Postscript
Graphs PowerPoint97 Postscript
Case Study: Software Modularization PowerPoint97 Postscript
NFA, DFA, Regular Expressions PowerPoint97 Postscript
Homework
Homework sets consisting of 4-5 problems will be regularly assigned (consult web page). Based on difficulty, you will have 1-2 weeks to complete each assignment. Some assignments might require you to write a small program or a program fragment.
For this course you may develop programming solutions using the ‘C’, ‘C++’ or Java programming languages.
Assignments, Programming Problems & Projects
Use the following links to find out about class assignments, homeworks, programming problems and projects. Clicking on the assignment number will provide detailed information.
Grading
Midterm* (After 5-6 weeks): 20%
Final Exam (During finals week): 30%
Homeworks and Programming Projects: 50%* The date of the midterm will be announced in class at least 2 weeks prior to the date of the exam
Policies
All homework and programming assignments are individual efforts, unless specifically stated otherwise in the assignment definition. You may use your colleagues for advice, however, all assignments must be your original work. Late assignments will be penalized 10% per week. Any assignment not submitted within 2 weeks of the deadline will not be accepted unless you work out special arrangements with me.