CSI 5310 (Introduction to Computation Theory) and
CSI 4330 (Foundations of Computing) — Fall 2024

This course is an introduction to the theory and foundations of computation. It covers formal models of computation, computability, complexity, and related topics. This course forms a foundation for much of the subsequent work/research you will do in computer science. As you'll see, computation theory is fascinating because there are problems which we can describe simply which have not yet been solved.

Objectives and Topics

The primary objectives in this course are that students will:

The basic topics covered in this course are:

As this semester the course combines both CSI 5310 and CSI 4330, some topics will be covered in different levels of depth by the two courses. But the overall flow of the courses will be similar.

This is a difficult course. Be prepared to invest the time necessary to understand the concepts, and to do the assignments. My best advice is to pay attention during the lectures, ask questions, and start assignments early.

Practical information

Besides this page, most of the course information is available in Canvas. Please see that site for the course schedule, readings, lectures, assignments, discussions, etc.

We will use the scheduled class meeting times to discuss course material. Before each meeting, you should have viewed the lectures for the week, and come prepared to discuss the material, driven by your questions.

My office location and office hours are listed on my home page. I am glad to talk to students during and outside of office hours.

Schedule

Please see Canvas for a schedule of the course.

Textbooks & resources

Required text: we will be using Michael Sipser's textbook Introduction to the Theory of Computation (3rd Edition). Please note: using another edition will probably be fine, but it may have different numbering of problems and exercises. I have seen students lose credit for using "international" versions that are mostly the same, except for the problems and exercises. Make sure you are doing the problems as assigned.

Further online resources:

Grading

Grades will be assigned based on this breakdown:

Final letter grades will be assigned at the discretion of the instructor, but here is a minimum guideline for letter grades:
F < 60 ≤ D- < 62 ≤ D < 67 ≤ D+ < 70 ≤ C- < 72 ≤ C < 78 ≤ C+ < 72 ≤ C < 78 ≤ C+ < 80 ≤ B- < 82 ≤ B < 88 ≤ B+ < 90 ≤ A- < 92 ≤ A

Some homeworks may be worth more than others. All exams are closed-book. The final will be comprehensive.

Homeworks should be written up in (nice-looking) LaTeX. Some homeworks may have a day or two of "grace period" where they may be turned in late, but with a 20% penalty. These due dates and grace periods are specified on Canvas.

Graduate / Undergraduate Course Content

This semester, thiss course is being offered concurrently for both graduate credit (CSI 5310) and undergraduate credit (CSI 4330). The graduate course will have additional topics, and the two courses will have some differences in their assignments and exams.

Policies

Academic honesty

Plagiarism or any form of cheating involves a breach of student-teacher trust. This means that any work submitted under your name is expected to be your own, neither composed by anyone else as a whole or in part, nor handed over to another person for complete or partial revision. Be sure to document all ideas that are not your own. Instances of plagiarism or any other act of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Honor Council and may result in failure of the course. Not understanding plagiarism is not an excuse. I expect you as a Baylor student to be intimately familiar with all aspects of the Honor Code.

I take academic honesty very seriously. Many studies, including one by Sheilah Maramark and Mindi Barth Maline have suggested that "some students cheat because of ignorance, uncertainty, or confusion regarding what behaviors constitute dishonesty" (Maramark and Maline, Issues in Education: Academic Dishonesty Among College Students, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Research, August 1993, page 5). In an effort to reduce misunderstandings in this course, a minimal list of activities that will be considered cheating have been listed below.

With regard to use of AI tools, all assignments should be your original work and should not be produced in part or in total with the assistance of artificial intelligence (for example, ChatGPT, Grammarly, Gemini, or some other resource). Use of artificial intelligence without my explicit permission constitutes a violation of the Honor Code at Baylor University.

Title IX Office

Baylor University does not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender in any of its education or employment programs and activities, and it does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex or gender. This policy prohibits sexual and gender-based harassment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, stalking, intimate partner violence, and retaliation (collectively referred to as prohibited conduct). For more information on how to report, or to learn more about our policy and process, please visit www.baylor.edu/titleix. You may also contact the Title IX office directly by phone, (254) 710-8454, or email, TitleIX_Coordinator@baylor.edu.


Copyright © Greg Hamerly, with some content taken from a syllabus by Jeff Donahoo.
Computer Science Department
Baylor University

This page was last updated January 15, 2025 at 2:36 (UTC)

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