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CM50260: Foundations of computation

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2016/7
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Computer Science
Further information on credits Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 120
Further information on unit levels Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Semester 1
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW70EX30
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Assessment detail to be confirmed ( %)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites: Before or whilst taking this unit you must take CM50258 OR take CM50109 OR take another programming unit.
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
To introduce formal models of computation: finite automata, pushdown automata, Turing machines, and the corresponding classes of formal languages: regular, context-free, semi-decidable. To teach students to design algorithms for concrete computational problems within these models of computation. To introduce the dichotomy between deterministic and non-deterministic computation.
To give students an appreciation of limits of computation, including methods of proving undecidability and specific examples of undecidable problems. To introduce the concept of computational complexity and complexity classes.

Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental models of computation and the corresponding classes of formal grammars and languages;
2. design algorithms for specific computational problems as automata of appropriate types;
3. demonstrate the practical application of grammars and language in to context of parsing algorithms
4. prove mathematically that some computational problems are undecidable within a particular class of computational models;
5. give upper bounds on complexities of some decidable computational problems.
6. put the theory in to practice by creating a parser for a specific language

Skills:
Use of IT (A), Application of Number (T/F, A), Problem Solving (T/F, A), Critical thinking (T/F,A), communication (T/F,A)

Content:
1. Deterministic and non-deterministic finite automata.
2. Regular languages. Existence of non-regular languages.
3. Pushdown automata and context-free grammars and languages. Parsing in context-free languages.
4. Existence of non-context-free languages via Pumping Lemma.
5. Turing machines and Church-Turing Thesis.
6. Universal Turing machine and undecidability of the halting problem.
7. Non-deterministic Turing machines, complexity classes P and NP.
8. Parser implementation.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

CM50260 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Computer Science

Notes: