CptS 440/540 Artificial Intelligence (Fall 2016)

Course Details
Instructor: (Dr.) Predrag Tosic, predrag.tosic@wsu.edu
TA: (Mr.) Behzad Ghazanfari, behzad.ghazanfari@wsu.edu
The office hours for the instructor and the TA will commence after the Labor Day, and will be
announced by the 3rd week of classes.

General
The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the field of Artificial Intelligence
(AI) with emphasis on different types of search, knowledge representation and reasoning,
dealing with uncertainty, (machine) learning, and integration of perception, reasoning /
decision-making and action by intelligent agents (software, robotic or of some other variety).

Readings
Assigned readings are shown on the course schedule and are taken from the required
textbook S. Russell and P. Norvig's Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach (AIMA for
short), Third Edition. Students are advised to complete the readings by the beginning of class
for which those readings are assigned.
List of topics will be posted to BlackBoard shortly. Also, the instructor will share the slide
decks he uses in his lecture via BlackBoard. [Word of caution: please do not assume that
reviewing the slide decks will suffice for you to do well in the course; that is, please do your
best to attend lectures (and take notes as appropriate) regularly, read the textbook, do the
homework exercises and review the slide decks. In particular, while obviously very
important, reviewing and understanding slide decks is no substitute for either attending the
lectures or reading the AIMA book.]

Homework
Students will be required to complete several homework assignments. Homework will evaluate
the student's ability to apply concepts discussed in class. Some coding may be required.
Homework assignments will be announced at least 10 calendar days, and generally about two
weeks, before the due date. No late homework submissions will be accepted, except in truly
extenuating circumstances (illness, family emergency and similar). Graduate students will be
required to complete additional assignments.

Exams
Students will be required to complete [most likely / still TBD] one in-class midterm exam and
one final exam. Exams will evaluate the student's understanding of the concepts discussed in
class and applied in the homework assignments. The final exam will be comprehensive, but with
more emphasis on the material not covered in the midterm exam(s).
Exam dates will be announced soon. Per School of EECS policy, there will be no make-up exams
for the final exam. Also, for the midterm(s), make-up/alternative dates for taking the test(s) will
require instructors approval and in general will be granted only under severe personal
circumstances. You are advised, whenever possible, to ask the instructor well ahead of time if
you may have a scheduling conflict or similar, and are wondering whether your particular
circumstances would or would not warrant a make-up exam.

Grading

Grades will be curved. However, the curve can only be in your favor, never against you.
(For example, scoring over 90% overall guarantees you an A, no matter what; whereas
scoring e.g. 88% overall may get you an A, or A-, or B+, depending on the final curve.
Similar reasoning applies to all other bins i.e. score/grade ranges.)
Undergraduate and graduate sections are graded separately.
The break-down of how much each component (midterm exam, final exam, homework,
etc.) contributes to the final grade will be finalized and shared no later than the Labor
Day week.

Class Participation
Students are expected to attend all classes and actively participate in discussions. Occasionally
missing a class is fine; making a habit to not attend lectures (especially if combined with having
the audacity to excessively whine about the test scores and/or letter grade) will not be looked
upon favorably (and we are watching our language very carefully here, folks )

Academic Integrity
Students are encouraged to use the internet and work with classmates on assignments. However,
each student must turn in original work. No copying from other sources will be accepted.
Students who violate this policy (and get caught in doing so) will receive a zero grade on the
assignments in question and/or receive a failing grade for the course. Please talk to the instructor
if you have questions about this policy.
All academic integrity issues will be handled in accordance with university regulations.
See conduct.wsu.edu for details.

Students with Disabilities

Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. If you have
a disability and need accommodations to fully participate in this class, please either visit or call
the Access Center (Washington Building 217; 509-335-3417; accesscenter.wsu.edu) to schedule
an appointment with an Access Advisor. All accommodations MUST be approved through the
Access Center.
In Tri-Cities, please contact the Disabilities Service Office (www.tricity.wsu.edu/disability).

Safety and Emergency Notification

Washington State University is committed to enhancing the safety of the students, faculty, staff,
and visitors. For more information, please review the Pullman Campus Safety Plan
(safetyplan.wsu.edu).
In Tri-Cities, please review the Tri-Cities Campus Safety Plan (tricity.wsu.edu/safety).