CS 470 Artificial Intelligence , Fall
2021
SYLLABUS
Instructor:
Jeffrey Horn, email: jhorn@nmu.edu
office: 1119 New Science Building
phone: 227-1607
Office
Hours:
TBA
| Course Information: | Section | NMU CRN | Meeting Place | Meeting Times |
| 1 | 12428 | JAMR 1320 |
TuTh 4:00-5:40pm (followed by an open office hour in the same classroom) |
Textbook: None required
Prerequisites:
CS222
Our
web page: on Educat
(I will use the web page EXTENSIVELY, posting everything I can up there as soon as possible. This includes all electronic forms of handouts, assignments, solutions, sample tests, etc. Also I will post announcements, links to interesting, topic-related sites, etc. So please check our page regularly! At the very least, twice a week. )
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The artificial intelligence course is being updated (see the
"old" description in NMU Undergraduate Bulletin). This time around, while
starting with a review of the classic approaches, the course will quickly focus
on the most promising developments in the field, including deep neural networks and artificial evolution.
TOPICS: (tentative)
GRADING:
Late Policy: For assignments, 5% off for each day late (counting only days that the university is open; e.g., not weekends or snowdays). But of course I cannot accept them after solutions are handed out! As for exams, those cannot be made up except under the most severe and extenuating emergencies! Don't take a chance if you don't have to!
COMPUTING FACILITIES:
Hardware: NMU Lenovo ThinkPads or Apple iBooks, MacBooks, or iMacs.
Software: To be made available throughout the semester at no additional cost.
DISABILITY SERVICES
If you have a need for disability-related accommodations or services, please inform the Coordinator of Disability Services in the Dean of Students Office at 2001 C. B. Hedgcock Building (227-1700). Reasonable and effective accommodations and services will be provided to students if requests are made in a timely manner, with appropriate documentation, in accordance with federal, state, and University guidelines.
LAPTOP (and mobile device) CLASSROOM USE POLICY
As a computer scientist I am of course devoted to mobile computing and communication devices (that is, gadgets). However, this course involves some deep concepts concerning the nature of computation, information, and communication, and indeed even human nature. My experience is that most people, myself most especially, cannot be expected to really grasp these concepts in the classroom without long periods of unbroken attention. As much as I value electronic-based multi-tasking (and I do think that we need to multi-task throughout the modern day), I have now come to the conclusion that certain insights into the universe cannot be conveyed while multi-tasking. Period.
Therefore, my policy is to allow laptop use during certain portions of the class period, as I announce them. So there will be times, every class meeting, when I will demand that all laptop covers be closed (at least lowered so that they cannot be seen by anyone). Such times will last perhaps 20-30 minutes, after which students will be allowed to open up and use their laptops for class exercises or lab work (the current assignment). If a student absolutely needs to use his or her laptop for note-taking during the "deep lectures", then he or she can request individual permission from me.
As for cell phones, PDAs, handheld game-consoles, iPods, etc., use of such devices will also not be allowed during "deep lecture" (cell phones can be set to "vibrate" or to some other inaudible notification mode) for receiving emergency calls. There will be break times of five to ten minutes every half hour or so for students to check for messages, make short calls, etc.