Computer Science 401 - Theoretical Foundations

Spring
2017
01
4.00
Lyle McGeoch
MWF 01:00PM-01:50PM
Amherst College
COSC-401-01-1617S
SMUD 207
lamcgeoch@amherst.edu

This course covers basic mathematical concepts that are essential in computer science, and then uses them to teach the theory of formal languages and machine models of languages. The notion of computability will be introduced in order to discuss undecidable problems. The topics covered include: regular, context-free and context-sensitive languages, finite state automata, Turing machines, decidability, and computational complexity. Offered in alternate years.


Requisite: None, although analytical aptitude is essential. Spring semester.  Professor McGeoch.

Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.