CSE 396 Introduction to Theory of Computation

Syllabus

Professor-in-charge: Dr. Jinhui Xu

    Office: 212 Bell Hall
    Regular office hours: Tuesday,  Thursday 13:00 - 14:00
    Phone: (716) 645-3180 x 132
    E-mail:   jinhui@cse.buffalo.edu

Lecture: Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30-10:50 AM,  97 Alumni,

Recitations:

R1 - Tue,    3:30 -  4:20 PM,  210 Norton
R2 - Wed,   2:00 -  2:50 PM, 213 Norton 
R3 - Fri,      3:00 -  3:50 PM, 210 Norton
TAs:

        Maurice Jansen  mjjansen@cse.buffalo.edu
        Guang Xu  guangxu@cse.buffalo.edu
     
         Both TAs have previously assisted with this course.
 
Course web site:  http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~jinhui/courses/cse396

Course newsgroups: sunyab.cse.396

Required Text:

Prerequisite: A C- or higher grade in CSE 250. 

Course Description and Objectives:

This course introduces the fundamental mathematical models of computation. We study both the inherent capabilities and limitations of these computational models as well as their relationships with formal languages. Topics to be covered (tentative)  include:  

Grading Policy:

       No extra credit will be given to homeworks. The exams and quizzs are closed-book, and closed-notes. Each component will receive a numerical score. The final grade will be based on the weighted total of all components.

       Class performance will be based on class attendance and homework performance.  

Quizzs:

There will be a total of  six quizzs. Each of them will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Five of them will be counted into your grade. You can drop the lowest quizz. Any missed quizz will count as zero. Thus if you miss more than one quizz, then you can drop one of the missed quizzs, and the others will count as zeros into you grade.  NO MAKE-UP QUIZZ will be given. The dates of the six quizzs are

     Quizz 1      Tuesday, February 1                                   Quizz 2     Tuesday,  February 15
     Quizz 3      Tuesday, March 1                                       Quizz 4     Tuesday, March  22
     Quizz 5      Tuesday, April 5                                         Quizz 6     Tuesday, April 19

Homeworks:  
 
There will be five or six sets of problems as homeworks. You are required to do all the homeworks and  hand in them in time. TAs will randomly pick a subset of the homeworks to grade. Your homeworks will not be counted into your final grade. However, TAs will use the selected subset of homeworks to evaluate your homework performance.  Success on the quizzes and exams depends largely on skill with homework.

Academic Integrity Policy:

No collaboration, cheating, and plagiarism is allowed in homeworks, and exams. Those found violating academic integrity will get an immediate F in the course, and further actions, consistent with the Department's Academic Integrity Policy, will be taken against them.

With regard to homework exercises,  you must work at them and hand in your best effort.  You may work together, but you are not allowed to copy any written solution of someone else's work.  If a  solution to a problem in homework is a result of a group discussion, all participants are required to give the list of the names of the group in the homework (along with the solution to that problem). All of the quizzes and exams that you hand in must be the result of your own independent effort.  Work that you claim to be yours, must be yours.  If one student permits another student to copy, then both are equally guilty.  All instances of academic dishonesty will result in an F in this course.  There are no minor infractions.