Artificial Intelligence II
(COMP508)
Welcome to comp508! My name is Ioan Despi and I will be your lecturer. Here are my vital statistics:
- Unit Title: Artificial Intelligence II
- Unit Code: comp508
- Semester: 2, 2010
This unit is a general course in Artificial Intelligence (AI). We will study the fundamental concepts in AI: agents, search, logic and planning.
This unit introduces students to the logical foundations of artificial intelligence with an emphasis on the design on agents that act intelligently (i.e., that do the right thing), agents that can reason (answer queries, or produce plans), and agents that can learn (acquire new information) from their observations and experiences.
Two lectures per week will deal with AI and a two-hour laboratory session per week will deal with implementing some of the concepts in a programming language. You are expected to carry out the programing assignments in Prolog. We will provide a very quick introduction to Prolog as a tutorial
. However, the responsibility is yours to learn this language well enough to do the programming assignments. There are many resources available on the web to assist you, including self-tutors and sample programs. For instance, see comp318
web pages.
Quite a few of the topics discussed in class will be not in the textbook, or
will be explained differently. Coming to lectures and taking notes carefully
is important. There will be lecture notes appearing on the web & the
Internet as the unit proceeds. So you should pay close attention to the
comp508
web pages on
turing. Examinations will be based mainly on the online lecture notes, but you may be asked questions that involve knowledge in the textbook.
Familiarity with basic concepts of computer science (algorithms; data structures; complexity). Calculus, logic, probability, and statistics would also be useful, but are not required as we'll try to keep the unit self-contained. Programming in Prolog is required (that is COMP318 or COMP518) or candidature in GradCertCompSc, GradDipCompSc, or MCompSc.
Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- apply artificial intelligence techniques, such as search heuristics, knowledge representation, planning and reasoning to real-world problems;
- design and implement appropriate solutions for search problems, adversarial search problems and planning ones;
- analyse problem specifications and derive appropriate solution techniques for them.
UNE has a policy that identifies the special attributes of a UNE graduate. The policy can be found at http://www.une.edu.au/gamanual/. It is expected that, during the course of your undergraduate degree, you will develop these attributes in conjunction with your discipline knowledge. Those addressed by this unit are reflected in the unit learning outcomes and assessment tasks. You can assess your developing skill level after each unit by using the self-reflection guide and resources located at http://www.une.edu.au/gamanual/students.
This unit addresses the following graduate attributes (GA):
- 1. Knowledge of a Discipline
- Students develop knowledge of the application of artificial intelligence techniques through lectures and assessment.
- 2. Communication Skills
- Taught, assessed and practised in written assignments.
- 6. Problem Solving
- Students develop problem solving skills by implementing artificial intelligence computer programs as part of the programming assessments.
1. S. Russell and P. Norvig - Artificial Intleligence. A Modern Approach. Prentice Hall, 3rd ed., 2010, ISBN: 0-13-604259-7 or 978-0-13-604259-4
2. W. F. Clocksin and C. S. Mellish - Programming in Prolog, 5th ed., Springer Verlag, 2003, ISBN: 3-540-00678-8 or 0-387-00678-8
3. I.Bratko - PROLOG - Programming for Artificial Intelligence. Addison-Wesley, 3rd ed., 2001
4. M. R. Genesereth and N. J. Nilsson - Logical Foundations of Artificial
Intelligence. Morgan Kaufmann
5. G. F. Luger - Artificial Intelligence. Structures and Strategies for Complex Problem Solving. Pearson-Addison-Wesley, 4th ed., 2002
The very first thing you should do if you are taking this unit
is mail a message to comp508@turing.une.edu.au from your turing account. If the computer account where you wish to receive electronic announcements is different from your turing account, you should create a file called .forward into your turing account and populate it with your preferred address(es). This is because I'll send all the emails to your turing account only.
The next thing you should do is check out either
the ~comp508 directory or the comp508
web page.
This is where (if you are external & don't attend lectures) everything
that happens in this unit will take place. I'll describe the
comp508 directory here, the web page is structured in
an analagous fashion. In the comp508 directory
there will be subdirectories
called:
- Lectures. This is where the lecture notes will appear.
- Tutorials. This is where brief descriptions of what went
on in tutorials will appear. After the tutorials have taken place I will also
place solutions here.
- Assignments. This is where assignments will appear.
- Solutions. This is where solutions to the
assignments, and projects, will appear.
- Papers-of-Interest. This is where I will put postscript
versions of papers that I feel are of general interest.
- Bulletin Board. This is where you can exchange oppinions with your mates (concerning the subject).
- Unit Links. This is where you can find links to suplimentary/alternative materials.
Most important announcements will be made via the mailing list that
I will set up (only turing (UNE) addresses!).
You must complete all assessment tasks to pass the unit.
- There will be 5 programming assignments and an exam.
- Each assignment
- is marked from 1 to 10,
- is worth 10%, so
- the assignments are worth together 50 % from the final mark
- requires approx 9h of work,
- addresses LO 1,2,3; GA 1,2,6
- The exam is worth 50% from the final mark.
- A student must submit all 5 assignments.
- To pass the unit itself, a student must obtain at least 50% (that is, 25 marks) in the programming part of the unit, AND at least 50% from the exam questions.
Asking unit coordinators for preliminary review of any assessment tasks prior to formal submission is inappropriate and unfair to other students without that opportunity.
The assignments must be submitted using the electronic submit facility on turing. All programming assignments must be compilable on turing.
Deadlines will be extended on medical grounds. Late assignments will attract a penalty of 5% per day late and will not be marked (you'll get 0 marks) if more than ten days late, unless you have requested and been granted an extension prior to the due date.
Results and feedback will generally be made available within two weeks of the
submission date but delays may occur where extensions have been granted.
Students may request that an assessment task be re-marked, in its original form, in circumstances where the student presents a case arguing that the original marking was unfair or inconsistent with marking guidelines. This request must be directly addressed to the unit coordinator, with a copy to the Head of School, by the student within 10 working days of receipt of the original marked assessment task.
Information regarding all aspects of assessment can be found at
http://www.une.edu.au/policies/pdf/assessment.php.
Information about special assessment (Special Examinations, Special Extension of
Time) can be found at http://www.une.edu.au/policies/alphabetic.php#S.
- In any situation you have to submit the assignment prior to the end of semester.
- To request an extension, you will need to email comp508@mcs.une.edu.au, prior to the due date, and provide the following:
- your name,
- the assignment for which you seek an extension,
- the grounds for granting an extension, and
- the date you anticipate being able to submit your assignment.
- If you do not submit all of the assignments or do not sit the final examination, you will receive a failed incomplete (NI) grade for the Unit.
- No submission will be accepted after the end of semester, that is after 29th of October 2010.
The UNE University Library has an extensive collection of books, journals and online resources.
Find out at http://www.une.edu.au/library/services/unit_guide.php. This guide provides easy pathways to UNE’s vast online resources and shows how the Library can help you with your studies. You can borrow books, obtain copies of articles and exam papers, and request advice from librarians on search strategies and information tools to use.
The Academic Skills Office (ASO) is UNE's learning support unit. The ASO has study skills advisors and a wealth of print and online resources to help you with your study skills development or problems.
The ASO has developed a series of fact sheets that answer the questions most frequently asked by students. They can be found at http://www.une.edu.au/tlc/aso/students/factsheets/.
If you would like to discuss specific issues related to study skills or academic writing with an advisor, or benefit from the questions other students ask, you can log on to the ASO Discussion Forum at http://www.une.edu.au/tlc/aso/students/programs/tuneup/advisor.php.
A glossary of some of the key terms used to describe academic and administrative activities, roles and structures at UNE can be found at http://www.une.edu.au/policies/pdf/glossarykeyterms.pdf. It is very useful for understanding the terminology associated with your study.
Other support services are available to assist you throughout the course of your studies. Some of these services are outlined below. For the full range of support services, go to http://www.une.edu.au/for/current-students/ and follow the links.
Student Assist’s support services include disability and special needs support, counselling, and career development. To see the range of services they offer, go to http://www.une.edu.au/student-assist/.
The Oorala Aboriginal Centre is a study support and advisory centre for internal and external Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at UNE. To find out more about the support services Oorala offers, go to http://www.une.edu.au/oorala/.
International Services provides support for international students and provides a link between the administrative and academic functions at UNE. For more information about the services offered, go to http://www.une.edu.au/elis and for an e-copy of the International Student Handbook go to http://www.une.edu.au/elis/brochures/.
If you have questions that are not answered by this booklet, go to AskUNE, http://www.une.edu.au/askune/. At AskUNE you can find answers to many common enquiries or submit an enquiry of your own by clicking on the 'Contact Us' tab.
Students are warned to read the statement in the Faculty's Undergraduate and Postgraduate Handbooks for 2010 regarding the University's Policy on Plagiarism.
Full details of the Policy on Plagiarism are available in the UNE Handbook and at the following site:
http://www.une.edu.au/policies/academic.php. Please read carefully http://www.une.edu.au/policies/pdf/plagiarismstudentinfocw.pdf and http://www.une.edu.au/policies/pdf/plagiarismcoursework.pdf
In addition, you must complete the Plagiarism Declaration Form for all assignments, practical reports, etc. submitted in this unit.
For electronic submission of assignments, it is presumed that you have read the web site and have agreed with the conditions so you don't have to submit the form .
Plagiarism is the action or practice of taking and using as one's own the thoughts or writings of another without acknowledgment. The following practices constitute acts of plagiarism and are a major infringement of UNE's academic values:
- where paragraphs, sentences, a single sentence or significant parts of a sentence are copied directly, are not enclosed in quotation marks and appropriately referenced;
- where direct quotations are not used, but are paraphrased or summarised, and the source of the material is not referenced within the text of the paper; and
- where an idea which appears elsewhere in any form* is used or developed without reference being made to the author or the source of that idea.
*Some examples of this are books, journals, WWW material, theses, computer stored data and software, lecture notes or tapes.
It is your responsibility to:
- read, understand and comply with the policy on Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct found at the website above;
- familiarise yourself with the conventions of referencing for your discipline(s);
- avoid all acts which could be considered plagiarism or academic misconduct;
- seek assistance from appropriate sources if you become aware that you need more knowledge and skills in relation to academic writing;
- be aware that when you submit an assignment through the University’s e-Submission system, you are deemed to have signed the plagiarism declaration form;
- submit a separate signed and dated plagiarism declaration form with every task, report, dissertation or thesis submitted in hard copy for assessment or examination.
You should refer to the following websites for further advice and assistance:
UNE uses a software application to determine the originality of assessable work submitted by its students. This software is called TurnItIn and it is part of the submission process.
When a file is submitted to TurnItIn, the software compares the text in the submitted files with text from a range of electronic sources including online journals, online databases, the Internet and the TurnItIn database. Any strings of text that occur in both the submitted document and in one or more of the electronic sources are identified by the software with a unique number and colour in what TurnItIn calls the 'originality report'.
More information about e-Submission and TurnItIn can be found at http://www.une.edu.au/tlc/students/services/esub-tii.php.
The Examinations page at http://www.une.edu.au/exams/ has important information about examinations, including your responsibilities as a student in relation to exams, information about examination dates and special exams, and links to who to contact if you have queries.
Read about student appeals policy at http://www.une.edu.au/policies/pdf/studentappealspolicy.pdf.
Please visit http://www.une.edu.au/elis/services/complaints.php for more information and procedures.
| Week 1 |
19 -23 July |
Introduction |
| Week 2 |
26 - 30 July |
Intelligent Agents |
| Week 3 |
02 - 06 August |
Searching |
| Week 4 |
09 - 13 August |
Informed Search Algorithms |
| Week 5 |
16 - 20 August |
Constraint Satisfaction |
| Week 6 |
23 - 27 August |
Adversarial Search |
| Week 7 |
30 August - 03 September |
Logical Agents |
| Midsemester |
06 -17 September |
|
| Break |
|
|
| Week 8 |
20 - 24 September |
First Order Logic |
| Week 9 |
27 September - 01 October |
Inference |
| Week 10 |
05 - 08 October |
Knowledge and belief |
| Week 11 |
11 - 15 October |
Planning |
| Week 12 |
18 - 22 October |
Planning and Acting |
| Week 13 |
25 - 29 October |
Revision |
| Assignment 1 |
due on August, 13th |
| Assignment 2 |
due on August, 30th |
| Assignment 3 |
due on September, 20th |
| Assignment 4 |
due on October, 11th |
| Assignment 5 |
due on October, 25th |