Course Staff

Michael Minock (instructor) Erik Billing (assistant) Ebba Gullberg (guest lec.)
mjm@cs.umu.se billing@cs.umu.se ebba.gullberg@philos.umu.se
C445 MIT-huset C237 MIT-huset E124 Humanisthuset
Mon, Thr 13 - 15 Tue, Fri 13 - 15 -

Course Topics

I
Introduction (preface,ch1)
II
Classical AI and Cognitive Science
1.
Assumptions and Foundations (ch2)
2.
A `crash course' on the major AI techniques and their history (er1)
Search, Knowledge Representation, Planning, NLP, Learning, Robotics
3.
Criticism (ch3)
III
Embodied Cognitive Science
1.
Fundamental concepts and outlook
2.
The major techniques and approaches
a.
Neural networks (ch5)
b.
Braintenberg vehicles (ch6)
c.
Subsumption architecture (ch7)
d.
Artificial life (ch8)
e.
Miscellaneous (ch9 (pg. 277-283))
3.
Memory a case study
4.
Evaluation and criticism
IV
Philosophical Perspectives (er2,er3,er4)
V
Future Directions
1.
Modern AI and convergence of outlooks

Course Schedule

Week Date Time Room Topic (approx) Note
36 Mon 31-Aug 10.15 - 12 MA146 I  
36 Thr 3-Sep 10.15 - 12 MA166 II.1  
37 Mon 7-Sep 10.15 - 12 MC313 II.2  
37 Thr 10-Sep 10.15 - 12 A208TEKN II.3  
37 Thr 10-Sep 13.15 - 15 MC313 Group  
38 Mon 14-Sep 10.15 - 12 MA146 III.1  
38 Thr 17-Sep 10.15 - 12 MA156 III.2.a #1 due
39 Mon 21-Sep 10.15 - 12 MC313 III.2.b  
39 Mon 21-Sep 13.15 - 15 A208TEKN Group  
39 Thr 24-Sep 10.15 - 12 MA156 III.2.c  
40 Mon 28-Sep 10.15 - 12 MC313 III.2.d  
40 Thr 1-Oct 10.15 - 12 MC313 III.2.e  
40 Thr 1-Oct 13.15 - 15 MC313 Group  
41 Mon 5-Oct 10.15 - 12 MA166 III.3  
41 Thr 8-Oct 10.15 - 12 MA146 III.4  
42 Mon 12-Oct 10.15 - 12 N350 IV Ebba
42 Mon 12-Oct 13.15 - 15 MC313 IV Ebba
42 Thr 15-Oct 10.15 - 12 MA146 IV Ebba
43 Mon 19-Oct 10.15 - 12 N350 V.1 + First Review  
43 Mon 19-Oct 13.15 - 15 MC313 Group # 2 due
44 Mon 26-Oct 10.15 - 12 MC313 Final Review  
44 Wed 28-Oct 9 - 13 Skrivsal 5 Exam 1  
44 Fri 30-Oct       #3 due
1 7-Jan 9 - 13 Skrivsal 5 Exam 2  
14   9 - 13   Exam 3  

Course Readings

Textbook

Rolf Pfeifer and Christian Scheier
Understanding Intelligence
MIT press, 1999. ISBN 0-262-1681-8

Extra readings1

1: Russel and Norvig, Chapter 3 (pp. 59-83) of AI: A modern approach, 2003
2: Crane. Computers and thought,Chapter 3 of The Mechanical Mind, 2003
3: Crane. Mechanisms of thought,Chapter 4 of The Mechanical Mind, 2003
4: Searl. Is the Brain's Mind a Computer? Scientific American, 1990

Course Language

All lectures will be given in English and the exam must be written in English. While exercise reports may be written in either English or Swedish, the final exam must be written in English. For the final examination, it will be permitted to use an XX-English / English-XX dictionary, where XX is the language of the student's choice.

Grading System

There are three grades that you receive for this class: 1.) a theory grade (4.5 hp); 2.) a practical grade (3 hp); 3.) an overall grade. The theory grade is based on how many of 1000 points you are able to amass on the final exam2:

Total points ($p$) Grade
$p \ge 800$ VG
$800 > p \ge 500$ G
$p < 500 $ U

The practical grade for this course is pass (G)/fail (U) and is based on three obligatory assignments. Students may work in groups of up to two persons on these assignments. Full descriptions of these assignments will be handed out as the course proceeds. Groups shall receive a `G' (satisfactory), `K' (``come in'') or an `O' (not satisfactory) on obligatory assignments. A `K' means that you must speak to the assistant about the assignment and convince them that you now understand some relevant aspect of the assignment. An `O' means that you must improve the quality of your work and try again. To pass the practical portion of this course you must have achieved a `G' on all three assignments3. The overall course grade will simply be your theory grade once you pass the practical section of the class.


Footnotes

... readings1
Given as hand-outs or download from course web-site.
... exam2
the final exam will be graded blindly; your identity will be unknown to the exam grader. You will have essentially three chances to pass the final exam. You may only re-take an exam if you have a failing theory grade (U).
... assignments3
If you have not passed the practical portion of this course by November 22st, 2009, then you may have to wait until April 1st, 2010 to obtain feedback on any handed in material. If you have not passed all assignments by June 1st, 2010 then you will have to repeat the practical portion of this course.

Michael Minock 2009-10-19