CISC/CMPE223 Software Specifications Winter 2020

Standard Syllabus

Learning Outcomes

• Design regular expressions, state transition diagrams and context-free grammars for formal languages
• Appraise the limitations of regular expressions and context-free grammars and to demonstrate that a language is nonregular
• Design specifications for the functional behaviour of algorithmic code fragments
• Formally verify the correctness of simple code fragments
• Appraise the limitations of algorithmic computation and prove that the halting problem is unsolvable

Required Textbook

• Specifying Software: A Hands-On Introduction
• Author: R.D. Tennent
• Cambridge University Press, 2002
• The textbook's web site has a page of corrections to the published text.

Please note: The library has a limited number of electronic subscriptions and may not be available before the exams. If you are relying on the online version, you should prepare for the exams well in advance.

Grading

• A failure on the final results in a fail in the course.
• The choice of best assignments includes handling some of the accommodations.
• The final grade you receive for the course will be derived by converting your percentage grade to a letter grade according to Queen's official grade conversion scale.

Instructor

Name: Benjamin T. Cecchetto

Email: btc [at] queensu.ca

Please consult with your TA regarding questions about the material. They may refer your questions to me. You must get a note from your TA before coming to my office hours.

Due to the size of the course, I will not answer emails about the material directly. I will only respond to emails forwarded by a TA who cannot answer a question. Please use "[CISC223]" in the subject line otherwise I won't see it. I will only respond to direct emails regarding accomodations with subject "[CISC223] Accomodation". To discuss something during my office hours, you must obtain a referral from a TA to make an appointment for my office hour.

Lecture and Assignment Schedule

Note: The purpose of the posted outlines is to assist you in taking notes in class. Reading the posted notes is not a substitute for attending the classes. In particular, Most of the examples we go over in class are not included in the posted outlines.

Week	Lectures	Required Reading	Assignment
1	Introduction	Part C: Ch 7	-
2	State-transition Diagrams	Part C: Ch 8	A1 due
3	Regex <=> State Diagrams	Part C: Ch 9	A2 due
4	Nonregular Languages, DFA Minimization	Part C: Ch 9.4	A3 due
5	Context-Free Languages	Part C: Ch 10	A4 due
6	Midterm Test, Parsing	Part C: Ch 11	-
READING WEEK
7	Specifying Algorithms	Part A: Ch 1	A5 due
8	Verifying Algorithms	Part A: Ch 2.9	A6 due
9	More Verifying Algorithms	Part A: Ch 3	A7 due
10	Additional Verification Techniques	Part A: Ch 4	A8 due
11	Unimplementable Specifications, USAT	Part D: Ch 12	A9 due
12			A10 due

Classes: Wednesday 10:30 AM, Thursday 2:30 PM, Friday 9:30 AM. Meeting in Dunning Hall Auditorium.

Assignments: Out by 11:00 AM on Thursdays the week before due date. Due by 11:00 AM on Thursdays.

Midterm: 40 minute test during the class hour on Wednesday, February 12, 2020, at 10:30AM. The midterm is a closed book test. You may bring with you one 8.5" x 11" page of notes and use it during the midterm test.

Final exam: Held during the regular Winter term final examination period. The final is a 3 hour closed book exam. You may bring one 8.5" x 11" sheet containing notes and use it during the final exam.

Assignment Submission

• The assignments are submitted into the locked CISC 223 drop-off box on the second floor of Goodwin hall (near rooms 233, 241).
• The assignments will be returned to the pick-up boxes in Goodwin Hall Room 230.
• Assignments must be submitted hardcopy.
• Assignments sent by email are not accepted.
• Assignments must be done in groups of one, two, three, or four students. See below.
• Assignments written in pencil or erasable ink will not be remarked.
• Multiple page submissions must be stapled together.
• Each assignment must include at the top of the first page on one line per student, the following information printed or written neatly in clear capital letters:
  • Full name as it appears on solus (LAST-NAME, FIRST-NAME),
  • Student number,
  • "CISC" or "CMPE" (depending on which course you are registered in), and
  • The date in YYYY-MM-DD format,
  • Your signature.
  • e.g.
    TWAIN, MARK, 0123456789, CISC223, 2020-01-25, Mark Twain
    HEMINGWAY, ERNEST, 1100110011, CMPE223, 2020-01-25, Ernest Hemingway
  Failure to follow this formatting will result in the loss of marks.

If you have questions concerning assignment marking, you should discuss them with the TA who did the marking. This must be done within one week from the time when the marked assignments are made available. All assignment marks are considered final after the one week. If you cannot attend the office hours of the TA, please fill out the form here. Place the form and your assignment in an envelope and hand it to the instructor in class or to any of the TAs within one week after the marked assignments were returned in class.

Groups

You are encouraged to work together with a group since often it is easier to learn new theoretical concepts by interacting with others. The intention is that all people in a group should be involved in creating the intuition behind a solution. You can, of course, choose to sign an assignment you haven't done, but then you risk not learning the material. In the midterm and final exam you will be required to solve similar problems individually. It is your responsibility alone to ensure you understand the material.

If more than one student is collaborating on an assignment, they must submit a single joint solution. Otherwise, it is a violation of Academic Integrity.

Late Assignment Penalty

Late assignments should be submitted into the same locked CISC 223 drop-off box.

An assignment which is more than 24 hours late will not be accepted.

Copyright