TCS / Studies / T-79.148 Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science
Helsinki University of Technology, 
     Laboratory for Theoretical Computer Science

T-79.148 Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science (2 cr)

Autumn 2004

This introductory course on the theory of computation covers the basic aspects of finite automata and regular languages, context-free grammars and pushdown automata, Turing machines and computability theory.


[Current] [General] [Lectures] [Tutorials] [Exams] [Material] [Feedback] [Links]

Previous years: [Spring 2004] [Autumn 2003] [Spring 2003] [Autumn 2002] [Spring 2002] [Spring 2001] [Spring 2000] [Spring 1999] [Spring 1998]


Current

  • Please provide feedback on the course via the DCSE department's course feedback system. Filling in the feedback form is rewarded by one bonus exam point, used to increase any passing grade earned from the course. The feedback system is open from 1 Dec to 22 Dec.
  • An additional review lecture for the course will be organised on Tuesday, 7 December, from 8-10 a.m. in Lecture Hall T1.
  • Due to technical problems in the Regis system, the bonus deadline for the computerised assignments has been moved forward by a week. The new deadline is thus Friday, 26 November (11:59 p.m.)
  • The fourth and final set of compulsory computerised assignments was generated on Fri 5 November. All problems in these four problem sets must be correctly solved before the exam. By solving the problems within the early deadline of 19 November, you earn two bonus exam points. (For further information, see the computerised assignments info page.)
  • Recommended reading for Finnish students: Ajankäyttötutkimuksen satoa eli miten saan ystäviä, menestystä ja hyvän arvosanan tietojenkäsittelyteorian perusteista by Harri Haanpää (a statistical analysis of factors affecting course performance in Spring 2004, in Finnish).

General Information

  • The course consists of:
    • lectures (2 h per week, in Finnish)
    • tutorials (1 h per week, one group in English)
    • an examination

  • Registration for the course is by TOPI. You must register in order to take the course, even if you were not intending to attend the lectures or the tutorials. (Registrations are needed for bookkeeping purposes, specifically for generating your set of computerised home assignments; see below.) One of the tutorial groups (indicated below) will be given in English and the rest in Finnish. Registration for the tutorials opens Mon 13 Sep at 9:00 and closes Fri 1 Oct at 16:00.

  • In order to pass the course you have to:
    1. complete four compulsory sets of home assignments, and
    2. get a passing grade on the exam, as augmented by credit earned from the tutorials.
    The compulsory assignments are individually computer-generated for each student, and are submitted over the network. Completing these assignments is a mandatory prerequisite for participating in the exam. For more details, see the computerised assignments info page.

  • Newsgroup: opinnot.tik.tkt


Lectures

Lectures by Pekka Orponen Thursdays 12 noon - 2 p.m. in Lecture Hall T1 of the Computer Science building. First lecture on Thu 16 Sep. The lectures are in Finnish, and the slides will appear here after each lecture. The contents will likely be very close to those from previous years, e.g. Spring 2004.

English translations of the lecture slides from Spring 2004 are available here.

Lecture schedule (tentative):
Week Date Topic Sipser Lewis-Papadimitriou Lecture slides (in Finnish)
38.Sep 16 Administration. Review of basic math (functions, relations, induction). Pp. 1-13, 23-25 1.1-1.3, 1.5 PostScript PDF
39.Sep 23 Alphabets, strings and languages. Countable and uncountable sets. Pp. 13-14, 16, 161-164 1.4, 1.7 PostScript PDF
40.Sep 30 Finite automata. Pp. 31-43 2.1 PostScript PDF
41.Oct 7 Automata minimisation. Nondetermistic finite automata. Pp. 47-58, 275 2.2, 2.5 PostScript PDF
42.Oct 14 Regular expressions and finite automata. Pp. 58-76 1.8, 2.3 PostScript PDF
43.Oct 21 Nonregular languages and the "pumping lemma". Context-free grammars and languages. Pp. 77-97 2.4, 3.1 PostScript PDF
44.Oct 28 Regular grammars. Parse trees and derivations. Recursive-descent parsing of LL(1) grammars. Pp. 97-98 3.2, 3.7 (partly) PostScript PDF
45.Nov 4 Chomsky normal form and the CYK parsing algorithm. Pushdown automata. Pp. 98-114, 240-241 3.3, 3.4, 3.6 PostScript PDF
46.Nov 11 The context-free pumping ("uvwxy") lemma. Turing machines. Pp. 115-135 3.5, 4.1 PostScript PDF
47.Nov 18 Multitrack and multitape Turing machines. Nondeterministic Turing machines. Pp. 136-140 4.3, 4.5 PostScript PDF
48.Nov 25 Recursive and recursively enumerable languages. Turing machine encoding and universal Turing machines. Pp. 142-145, 159-168 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.7 PostScript PDF
49.Dec 2 The halting problem. Undecidability. Rice's theorem. General and context-sensitive grammars. Linear bounded automata. The Chomsky hierarchy. Pp. 171-174, 196 5.3, 5.4, 4.6 p. 271 PostScript PDF
50.Dec 7 Review and discussion of the course material. Exam requirements. Note exceptional time: Tue 8-10 (Lecture Hall T1).


Tutorials

The tutorials start the week after the first lecture. The last tutorials are on 7-8 Dec. The Tuesday 16-17 tutorial is in English, the others are in Finnish.

Day Time Location Assistant
Tue 12-13 Y228 Emilia Oikarinen
13-14 Y228 Emilia Oikarinen
16-17 Y405 Tommi Syrjänen in English
17-18 Y405 Tommi Syrjänen
Wed 12-13 Y313 Antti Hyvärinen
13-14 Y313 Antti Hyvärinen
14-15 U264 Matti Järvisalo
15-16 U264 Matti Järvisalo

TOPI registration for the tutorials opens Mon 13 Sep at 9:00 and closes Fri 1 Oct at 16:00. You must register in order to take the course, even if you were not intending to physically attend the tutorials. (Registrations are needed for bookkeeping purposes, specifically for generating your set of computerised home assignments; see below.)

In the tutorials, there will be three home assignments and two or three demonstration problems each week. The tutorials are not compulsory, but bonus exam points (max 6) will be awarded for doing the home assignments and marking them as done at the tutorial sessions. The grading scheme for the home assignments is as follows:
Problems solved Bonus points
5 1
10 2
15 3
20 4
25 5
30 6

The demonstration problems are likely to be 90% the same as in the previous instalment of the course, and are discussed at the tutorials to the extent that time permits. In addition to the voluntary tutorials there are four compulsory computer-generated "Regis" problem sets. (See the info page.)

Tutorial problems: Electronic copies downloadable here each week. Paper copies available at the lectures, and from the rack outside the theory lab office (TB336). Solutions for the demonstration problems are provided here as the course progresses.

  1. tehtävät (pdf) ratkaisut (pdf) problems (pdf) solutions (pdf)
  2. tehtävät (pdf) ratkaisut (pdf) problems (pdf) solutions (pdf)
  3. tehtävät (pdf) ratkaisut (pdf) problems (pdf) solutions (pdf)
  4. tehtävät (pdf) ratkaisut (pdf) problems (pdf) solutions (pdf)
  5. tehtävät (pdf) ratkaisut (pdf) problems (pdf) solutions (pdf)
  6. tehtävät (pdf) ratkaisut (pdf) problems (pdf) solutions (pdf)
  7. tehtävät (pdf) ratkaisut (pdf) problems (pdf) solutions (pdf)
  8. tehtävät (pdf) ratkaisut (pdf) problems (pdf) solutions (pdf)
  9. tehtävät (pdf) ratkaisut (pdf) problems (pdf) solutions (pdf)
  10. tehtävät (pdf) ratkaisut (pdf) problems (pdf) solutions (pdf)
  11. tehtävät (pdf) ratkaisut (pdf) problems (pdf) solutions (pdf)
  12. tehtävät (pdf) ratkaisut (pdf) problems (pdf) solutions (pdf)

Tutorial scores.

Validity of tutorial and Regis problems and their bonus points. In general, exams for the course are scheduled for February, May, August, October, and December of each year. As long as that schedule holds:

  • The Regis problems generated in a given autumn / spring semester will be valid until the Feb / Oct exam in the following semester.
  • Fully completed Regis assignments, and any bonus points earned in a given autumn / spring semester will be valid until the Oct / Feb exam in the following year.

Examinations and Grading

In general, exams for the course are scheduled for February, May, August, October, and December of each year. The main course exam in Autumn 2004 is scheduled for Monday 20 December. There is also an exam scheduled for Saturday 23 October, intended mainly for students from previous instantiations of the course.

To participate in an exam, you must first complete your personal computer-aided Regis exercises. See the exam requirements. Remember also to register for the exam.

Grading: Exam max 60 points, tutorials max 6 points. Min passing grade approx. 30 points (tolerance 4 p), highest grade (5) approx. 54 points. In the case of "close call" failures (at most 2 points below passing) despite serious study effort (at least 4 tutorial bonus points), there is a possibility of getting a passing grade by solving additional tutorial problems. To discuss this option, please contact the lecturer after the exam has been graded.

Bonus points earned from the tutorials are added directly to the exam points, and may help to change the exam grade from failing to passing. Bonus points earned from Regis assignments completed on time (see the info page) are only added afterwards to a passing exam grade, and may thus help to increase the grade, but not pass the course. Note that the Regis assignments must in any case be completed before the exam, and extra points are awarded only for completion by the bonus deadline, which in Autumn 2004 is 19 November.


Material


Feedback

Please provide feedback on the course via the DCSE department's course feedback system. Filling in the feedback form is rewarded by one bonus exam point, used to increase any passing grade earned from the course. The feedback system is open from 1 Dec to 22 Dec.

Summaries of feedback from previous courses: Autumn 2003 Spring 2003 Autumn 2002, Spring 2002.


Links

Some fun links that are related to the course contents, but not part of the official course material.


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Latest update: 07 January 2005. Pekka Orponen