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CSC9YE Syllabus

Credits

11 credits at SCQF level 10

Undergraduate Course

Prerequisites

None

The Course

This course covers methods for allowing computer based systems (agents) to sense their environment, learn from experience, plan future actions, and infer new facts from their existing knowledge. We will also consider the philosophical question of whether or not a computer (or non-biological entity) could ever be considered intelligent.

Learning Outcomes

• The student will develop an understanding of the scope and methodology of artificial intelligence through the idea of an intelligent agent;
• They will learn how to design an intelligent agent, giving it (the agent) the skills to sense, act, plan, learn, and reason;

Objectives

A student will be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of the nature of AI tasks and solutions;
• Recognize and apply suitable knowledge representation schemes and AI methods appropriate to particular problem areas.

Transferable Skills

• Classification of problem types and recognition of logical structures;
• Systemisation of reasoning, planning and action in problem solving;
• Search and optimisation techniques;
• Basics of computer vision.

Contents

• What is artificial intelligence? The idea of an intelligent agent
• Problem-solving by searching, search techniques
• Knowledge and reasoning, first order logic
• Acting logically, planning
• Learning by observation & learning in Neural Networks
• Philosophical foundations, conclusions concerning future developments

Assessment

The assessment consists of an assignment (50%) and an exam (50%). 

Textbooks

The following book is not essential to buy but will prove helpful for the course. Copies have been placed in the Reserved Book Room.

• Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, Stuart Russel and Peter Norvig, Prentice-Hall, 1st (1995) or 2nd (2003) Edition

Requirements

In order to obtain a pass grade for the unit you must:

• Submit all items of assessed coursework
• Attend the examination.

Non-submission of the assessed coursework will result in the award of No Grade for the module as a whole. Assessed coursework submitted late will be accepted up to five days after the submission date (or expiry of any agreed extension) but the grade will be lowered by one grade point per day or part thereof. After five days the piece of work will be deemed a non-submission, and will result in the award of No Grade for the module as a whole. This rule (regarding coursework) may be relaxed for students who can show good cause for failure to submit. Good cause may include illness (for which a medical certificate or other evidence will be required).

If a student is unable to attend the Main examination, he/she must apply to the Student Programmes Office for a Deferred examination. If a Deferred examination is not granted, then the Examiners may allow a Repeat examination.

Students who obtain a grade 4A, 4B or 4C for the module following the main examination will be eligible for a Repeat examination. The grade awarded following a Repeat examination is capped at 3C.

Attendance

You are expected to attend all lectures, tutorials, and practical classes, in order to derive the maximum benefit from your time at University. It is your responsibility to make the most of the opportunities for education offered to you by the University.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism means presenting the work of others as though it were your own. The University takes a very serious view of plagiarism, and the penalties can be severe (ranging from a reduced grade in the assessment, through a fail grade for the module, to expulsion from the University for more serious, or repeated, offences). See the University guidelines on this at http://www.quality.stir.ac.uk/ac-policy/Misconduct.php

Handbook

You will receive a copy of the Computing Science student handbook. You should read this carefully, particularly the sections on assessment and plagiarism. There is also useful information in there about course structure, which will help you plan your future module choices in Computing. The handbook is also available online at http://www.cs.stir.ac.uk/courses/ug-handbook.pdf