A theory course in automata, computability and complexity that addresses two questions:
Students will learn...
Letter grades will be assigned based on your numeric final average:
| A | is the highest academic grade possible and one which is reserved for accomplishment that is outstanding. Students earning this grade must demonstrate mastery of course material as well as originality or creativity that is appropriate to the problem solving nature of this course. The “A student” works independently and often takes the initiative in seeking new knowledge outside the confines of the course. Usually this type of student shares the same type of enthusiasm for the course as the instructor. |
| B | is a grade that denotes achievement above acceptable standards. Students earning this grade must demonstrate mastery of course material and some originality or creativity. The “B student” works independently, usually demonstrates initiative and expresses his/her analysis and synthesis clearly. |
| C | is a grade that indicates a satisfactory degree of learning. It is the grade that implies familiarity with the content of the course and an acceptable level of mastery of course material. The “C student” typically devotes a modest amount of time and effort to the course. |
| D | is a grade that indicates a limited understanding of course material. Typically, students who earn a D grade fall behind with course reading, work on problems the night before they are due, do not discuss the course material with other students, do not take advantage of office hours and/or do not participate in class. |
| F | is a grade that usually means the student combines several of the negative attributes listed for the D grade type of student and does this on a more consistent basis. |
Final grades will be based on the following weights:
| 20% | Quest I |
| 25% | Quest II |
| 25% | Quest III |
| 30% | Final Quest |
Students are required to have the textbook and complete the assigned reading. The Course Schedule outlines the chapters and sub-sections to read each week. The textbook uses complex terminology and notation. You may have to read sections several times to fully comprehend the content. The group activities in class will help you to understand the textbook content, but it is still important to read the textbook to reinforce the concepts, terminology and notations.
Attending lecture is the most important thing you can do in this course. Class time will be used to explain difficulty concepts from the textbook. More importantly, class time will be used to do group problem sets that will model questions on the Quests. Class is an opportunity to get help from the instructor and peers on difficult problems.
While there is no formally graded assignments, completing activities started in class will require work and reading outside of class. If you do not make an effort to complete activities and contribute to your in-class group, you may stuggle on the Quests.
Quests are a hybrid combination of a quiz and a test. Similar to a quiz, you will solve problems that are very familiar to problems covered in the book and problems seen on in-class activities. But Quests will also include deeper questions to test how much you comprehend the fundamental concepts.
To give students extra time, Quests will be held in the evening (7-9pm) and (if needed) students can have extra time to finish. The Course Schedule has the dates of each Quest. If you have legitamate day/time conflict, please contact the instructor as soon as possible to schedule a makeup. It is possible to come early or stay late to resolve time conflicts.
It is expected that students will adhere to the highest level of academic integrity. Academic dishonesty may result in the assignment of a failing grade for the course.
Please read Siena’s Academic Integrity Policy