CS420 Intro to Theory of Computation - Spring 2024

• Class meeting: Tue/Thu 4PM-5:15PM @ University Hall Y02-2130)
• Instructor: Prof. Duc (David) Tran. Office hours: Tue/Thu 2PM-4PM @ McCormack M03-201-18, duc.tran@umb.edu, (617) 287-6452. Fastest way to reach me is via email.

SYLLABUS

PIAZZA DISCUSSION FORUM

You can learn more from Prof. Michael Sipser (author of the textbook)'s Slides and Recorded Lectures on Youtube

HOMEWORK

HW1 (Due 4PM Thu Feb 15) Solution

HW2 (Due 4PM Tue Mar 5)) Solution

HW3 (Due 4PM Thu Aprl 11) Solution

HW4 (Due 4PM Thu April 18) Solution

HW5 (to be posted)

TESTS (both tests are closed-everything, no book/note/electronic device/internet)

Test 1 (March 21): Solution

Test 2 (April 23): Solution

FINAL EXAM (You are allowed to bring notes and books but no electronic device is allowed. No Internet access.)

Thursday May 16, 2024: 3PM-6PM (same classroom)

On this day, there will be a Final Exam (the first 2 hours and 30 minutes) immediately followed by an Optional Test (30 minutes). You can use the score of the Optional Test to replace an worse earlier test or homework score, an an earlier test/homework you missed.

The FINAL EXAM (first 2 hours and 30 minutes) will have 8 problems on the following topics:

- 1 problem on the topics of Test 1: finite automata, regular languages/expression, pumping Lemma
- 1 problem on the topics of Test 2: context-free languages, chomsky normal form, pushdown automata, pumping lemma
- 4 problems on Turing Machines: state-diagram and implementation-level design; recognizable, non-recognizable, decidable, undecidable properties; mapping reducibility.
- 2 problems on Time Complexity: P, NP, NP-complete, NP-hard

The OPTINAL TEST (30 minutes, after you submit the FINAL EXAM) will have 2 problems on the following topics:

- 1 problem: finite automata, regular languages/expression, pumping Lemma
- 1 problem: context-free languages, chomsky normal form, pushdown automata, pumping lemma