CSCI 100 Can Computers Think?

Welcome to CSCI 100. This is the syllabus for the course. It is a "contract" that defines what will be taught in the course and what you as students will be responsible for. It can be found on the web server at Can_Computers_Think.html.

Basic Information

Course Description

In this course we will follow several different lines of inquiry. We first need to explore what it means for a computer to "think". Is a computer "thinking" when you use it to play a game, or when you use it to calculate something? After that, we will figure out the methods we as humans use to "think" - specifically how we solve problems. A good part of solving any problem is putting it in a form that we can work with. So we will look at how we state problems in ways that make them solvable. We'll then concentrate on problems that can be approached with a computer and we'll program the computer to solve those problems. Fulfills the Formal Analysis Perspective. Prerequisites: No computer programming background is required, however previous experience in thinking is essential.

Textbook

Lewis, John and Loftus, William "Java Software Solutions", -- 4th Edition, Addison Wesley, -- ISBN 0-321-24583-0

Minsky, Marvin, "Why People Think Computers Can't", AI Magazine, vol. 3 no. 4, Fall 1982. Available here.

Your Evaluation

Lectures

In the Table below is an outline of the topics we will be discussing during the course. Also included is the reading you will be expected to do in order to sound intelligent in class.

Date	Topic
Aug 25	Course Introduction.
Aug 29	Taxonomy of Problems. Willingham, pp 365 - 377.
Sep 01	Cognition Theory - Willingham, pp 411 - 421.
Sep 08	Do People Reason Logically? - Willingham, pp 386 - 399. Minsky pp 1 - 7
Sep 12	Logic Problems! Minsky pp 7 - 11
Sep 15	Writing Rules Minsky pp 11 - 17
Sep 19	Solving New Problems - Willingham, pp 420 - 441.
Sep 22	Solving New Problems - Willingham, pp 420 - 441.
Sep 26	Problem Solving Wrapup. ++ EXAM ++
Sep 29	Talking To The Computer. Introduction - What can a computer do?
Oct 03	Talking To The Computer. Learning the language
Oct 06	Talking To The Computer. Learning the language
Oct 10	FALL BREAK
Oct 13	Talking To The Computer. Learning the language
Oct 17	Talking To The Computer. Learning the language
Oct 20	Talking To The Computer. Learning the language
Oct 24	Talking To The Computer. Learning the language
Oct 27	Talking To The Computer Wrapup. ++ EXAM ++
Oct 31	What are emotions? How does human emotion differ from computer emotion?
Nov 03	Doing It. Define a problem we want the computer to solve.
Nov 07	Doing It. Designing a program.
Nov 10	Doing It. Writing a program.
Nov 14	Doing It. Writing a program.
Nov 17	Doing It. Testing a program.
Nov 21	On designing and writing programs ++ EXAM ++
Nov 24	THANKSGIVING BREAK
Nov 28	Doing It. Presentations.
Dec 01	Doing It. Presentations.
Dec 05	Doing It. Presentations.
Dec 08	Doing It. Presentations.
Dec 15	1:30 - 3:30 PM == FINAL EXAM

Professor:	Dr. Jerry Breecher, Mail to: jbreecher at clarku.edu
	(508)793-7396
Meeting Time:	Lecture: Monday, Thursday 12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Office Hours:	Monday, Thursday 1:15 - 2:45
	Office hours can be walk-in -- otherwise make appointment to be sure I'll be there. e-mail is great.