Theory of Automata

MATH4805/5605, Fall 2008
School of Mathematics and Statistics, Carleton University


Instructor:
Prof. Brett Stevens,
Herzberg Physics, Office #4374
Tel: (613) 520 2600 (Ext. 2125)
Email:stevens@math.carleton.ca
http://mathstat.math.carleton.ca/~brett/

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

My Exam Office Hours:

I have fixed the errors in homework 2 in both questions 6 and 8.

You DO NOT HAVE TO DO question 6 from homework 2.


General Information

Textbook:
Finite Automata by Mark V. Lawson. I have ordered this book at Haven Books . Additionally I have put four books on reserve at the library. They are

Prerequisites:
MATH3805, MATH3106, MATH3158, MATH3100 or equivalent.
Students who have not passed the prerequisite course may be automatically de-registered during the term.

Classes:
Tuesday 14:35-15:55, Thursday 14:35-15:55.
Room: UC 376.

Office hours: Tuesday 10:00-11:00 and Wednesday 14:00-15:00 or make an appointment.

Classes begin: Thursday 4 Sep. 2008. Classes end: Thursday 27 Nov. 2008.

Term mark: There will be two assignments and a midterm. The tentative schedule of is:

Item Hand-out Date Due Date Worth
Homework 1 Sep. 25 Oct. 23 20%
Midterm   Oct. 23 25%
Homework 2 Oct. 23 Nov. 25 20%

Evaluation:
20% Homework 1
25% Midterm Test
20% Homework 2
35% Exam
You must pass the term work in order to pass the course. If you have a passing term mark and you do better on the final exam then I will count your final exam for 100% of the course. I do not accept doctor's notes for late or missed work.

Plagiarism and Cheating:
Plagiarism is defined in the undergraduate calendar as an instructional offense that occurs when a student uses or passes off "as one's own idea or product, work of another without expressly giving credit". This includes plagiarism involving material lifted from the Internet. Plagiarism is a serious offense. The penalties for students who have been found to have plagiarized are a failed grade at the least sever and suspension, expulsion or notation on transcripts for serious or repeated cases. Plagiarism is just one form of Cheating. All forms of cheating are taken very seriously and will be dealt with swiftly and severely.

Withdrawal: The last day for withdrawal from the course is 7 Nov. 2008. Withdrawals before 30 Sep. 2008 get 100% refund, there is NO refund after this date.

Students with Disabilities requiring academic accommodations please feel free to to come and discuss it with me. Students must also contact the Paul Menton Centre, 501 University Centre, Tel: 520-6608, to complete the required forms.

List of Topics Covered: regular languages, finite state automata, non-determinism, Kleene's Theorem, Pumping Lemma, Minimization and algorithmic problems. Additional topics that might be covered include: grammars, push down automata, context-free languages, transducers, the algebraic theory of automata, semigroups, Turing machines, Schutzenberger's theorem.

These topics are subject to change