CIS 301. Logical Foundations of Programming

Fall 2005 Syllabus

Course Home page

We shall also use K-State Online, primarily to report grades but also for online quizzes etc.

There is a mailing list with the address cis301-l HAT listserv dot ksu dot edu for questions and issues of general interest.

Where, When, Who?

Classes

In addition, there are optional review sessions, with you setting the agenda, Wednesdays 5:00pm-6:00pm, in N127.

Instructor

Email

tamtoft HAT cis dot ksu dot edu

Home page URL

www.cis.ksu.edu/~tamtoft

Office and Phone

219C Nichols Hall, ph. 532-6350

Office Hours

Monday 3-4pm and Wednesday 2:30-3:30pm, and by appointment.
He will try to respond to emails at least within the next workday, but in most cases much sooner.

Teaching assistant

Email

chm9731 HAT ksu dot edu

Home page URL

www.cis.ksu.edu/~chm9731

Office

N124

Office Hours

Tentatively, Monday 8:30-9:30am and Wednesday 9:30am-12:30pm, and by appointment.
He will try to respond to emails at least within the next workday, but in most cases much sooner.

Text

Course objectives

Prerequisites

Topics

Propositional Logic

Arguments and their validity. How to do rigorous proofs, that is, how to demonstrate that certain "inferences" are valid. We utilize a proof calculus and a semantics based on truth tables to address these issues. Also, the use of counterexamples to demonstrate that other inferences are not valid.
(Chapters 1-8; 4-5 weeks.)

First-Order Logic

Database query languages often allow queries like "find all students who are sophomores and have tried out for the varsity rowing team" or "find someone who is a resident of Manhattan and is older than 30 and drives a Honda Accord, and likes Italian food"; such queries manipulate formulae written in first-order logic (an extension of propositional logic with quantifiers). We study the syntax and semantics of this logic and discuss how it relates to English. We will also discuss its proof theory and prove important quantifier equivalences.
(Chapters 9-13; 4 weeks.)

Program Logic and Mathematical Induction

Given a program P, what can we say about its input/output behavior (without having any information about which values its variables will assume at run-time)? We develop a proof calculus for verifying triples {phi}P{psi}, where phi and psi are statements about the store (e.g., describing the values of variables) before, respectively after, the execution of P. We treat a simple imperative language with if-statements and while-loops. The bulk of program verification is to find invariants for while loops; such an invariant should have the property that (i) it holds after zero iterations of the loop; (ii) if it holds after n iterations, it also holds after n+1 iterations. This is a special case of the induction principle, ubiquitous in mathematics and computer science.
(Chapter 16 + additional material; 2 weeks just after Propositional Logic and then 3 weeks after First-Order Logic.)

Grading and Exams

Homework

There will be around 12 homework assignments during the semester. There are two types of homework questions:

Manual

These are to be done with pencil and paper (of course you can also type them!) and must be turned in before class; then they will be graded by the TA and returned to you the following week.

Electronic

These must be submitted to the Grade Grinder (again before class!) from which you will receive swift automated feedback. Two things to keep in mind:

• When submitting, make sure that you ask that copies are sent to cis301instruct HAT listserv dot ksu dot edu (remember ticking "Instructor Too"!) whereas it does not matter what you write as "Instructor's Name". If possible, please try to avoid submitting files one at a time; it will be easier for the TA if you submit all files simultaneously.
  You may submit the electronic portion of your homework as many times as you wish until the deadline; only your most recent submission will be scored (please resubmit all of your files and not just the incorrect ones).
• If mailing questions to the instructor, please do not attach files from the software package (as he is running Linux and therefore cannot read them) but instead try to communicate the problem using plain text.

In all cases, for each exercise you will receive a number of points. Feedback will be available (password protected) from the web page. Late assignments will not be accepted except for medical or family emergencies.

In addition, there will be quizzes, posted on K-State Online.

Exams

There will be three tests during the semester. All tests are open-book. Each test will earn you a score between 0 and 25.

Grades

Each of the three tests counts 25%, with the homework (including the quizzes) making up for the last 25%. (Example: if you score 17 on the first test, 20 on the second, 19 on the third, and receive 900 out of 1500 possible points for your homework, your total numerical grade will be 17 + 20 + 19 + (900/1500)*25 = 71.) There is no fixed scheme for the conversion of numerical grades to actual letter grades, but it is fair to say that if your total is less than 50% you shouldn't expect to pass (that is, get a C or better) except for an undeserved act of mercy ;) Also, even if your total score should end up being slightly below the borderline between two grades, a good third exam may have created a positive last impression that lands you above the line!

Grievances

If you think that the instructor or the TA has made an oversight when grading your test or your homework, you are of course very welcome to ask for clarification. But complaints about judgment calls, like how much credit to give for a partially correct solution, are not encouraged---it is like arguing balls and strikes. In particular this holds for homeworks (since each assignment carries so little weight towards the final grade).

General guidelines:

It is your responsibility to be up-to-date with current happenings in class, by keeping an eye on the Captain's log and by reading your email regularly. It is your responsibility to collect graded homework assignments and exams in case you are not there the day they are handed back.

Please note that this course is time consuming. Practicing all exercises assigned as homework will be critical to assuring a good performance in the exams. If you have many other commitments (e.g., work, heavy course load, busy social life, etc.) it may be advisable to take this course in another semester.

Policy statements

Dropping this course

If you decide not to complete this course, it is your responsibility to drop---there are no "automatic" drops due to non-attendance. The following dates may be of interest (please double-check them yourselves!)

September 11

Last day for full refund

September 26

Last day to drop out without W being recorded

October 28

Last day to drop the course

University Honor System

Kansas State University has an Undergraduate Honor System based on personal integrity which is presumed to be sufficient assurance that in academic matters one's work is performed honestly and without unauthorized assistance. Undergraduate students, by registration, acknowledge the jurisdiction of the Undergraduate Honor System. The policies and procedures of the Undergraduate Honor System apply to all full and part-time students enrolled in undergraduate courses on-campus, off- campus, and via distance learning.

A prominent part of the Honor System is the inclusion of the Honor Pledge which applies to all assignments, examinations, or other course work undertaken by undergraduate students. The Honor Pledge is implied, whether or not it is stated: "On my honor, as a student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this academic work."

A grade of XF can result from a breach of academic honesty. An XF would be failure of the course with the X on the transcript indicating failure as a result of a breach of academic honesty.

For more information, please visit the Honor System web page at http://www.ksu.edu/honor.

Rights, responsibilities and resources --- Sexual and Racial Harassment

One purpose of your education is to help you develop skills, approaches, and abilities that are necessary for effective teamwork, and for your success in your profession and as a citizen. The proper attitude might be summarized Do to others what you want others to do to you or Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you (food for thought: are those two statements equivalent?)

For particular examples of unwanted conduct, see the University's Sexual and Racial Harassment policies. If you experience any situations, in or out of class, that seem inappropriate or that make you uncomfortable, a list of resources and courses of action to assist you can be found at http://www.engg.ksu.edu/students/statement-harassment.htm.

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If you have any condition, such as a physical or learning disability, which will make it difficult for you to carry out the work as the instructor has outlined it or which will require academic accommodations, please notify the instructor in the first two weeks of the course.

Acknowledgment and notice of copyright for course syllabus and lectures

This syllabus is adapted from the one taught by Michael Huth and later modified by Anindya Banerjee. During this course students are prohibited from selling notes to or being paid for taking notes by any person or commercial firm without the express written permission of the professor teaching this course.