COMP329: Knowledge Systems
Semester 2, 2010
Faculty: Science; Department: Computing
General Information
Credit Points: 3
Lecturers/Tutors:
Abhaya Nayak (Convenor)
Rolf Schwitter
Prerequisites:
- 40 credit points
- Pass (P) in at least one of the following three units:
- MATH237
- DMTH237
- DMTH137
- Pass (P) in at least one of the following two units:
- COMP225
- COMP229
Students should read this unit guide carefully at the start of semester. It contains important information about the unit. If anything in it is unclear, please consult one of the teaching staff in the unit.
About This Unit
Description
COMP329 studies the roles of knowledge representation and reasoning in the context of artificial intellegence in general, and knowledge systems in particular. Students in this unit get exposure to formal languages such as propositional language and first order language as knowledge representation tools. They learn how to represent knowledge in these languages, and deductively reason from such knowledge bases. This formal part of the unit provides a theoretical underpinning for the practical skill they acquire in a logic programming language, namely, Prolog. Students then learn to use their Prolog skill to address selected aspects of Artificial Intelligence such as heuristically exploring large search spaces. Finally, students get to learn basics of reasoning in uncertain domains, with particular emphasis on Bayesian networks.
Knowledge gained during COMP329 allows the students to expand their skill set by complementing their skills in procedural programming (C++, Java) by exposure to a new programming paradigm, namely declarative programming, via Prolog. Some of the reasoning tasks that the students complete require focussed thinking instead of iteratively modifying and testing a program, enhancing the students' skills in critical thinking and problem solving.
What is New?
Unlike in 2009, the Final Exam will have a weight of 50%, and basic prolog will be taught in weeks 4-6.Teaching Staff
| Role | Name | Room | Office hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convener, Lecturer | Abhaya C. Nayak | abhaya.nayak@mq.edu.au | E6A 365 | Friday 14:00 - 15:00 or by appointment |
| Lecturer | Rolf Schwitter | rolf.schwitter@mq.edu.au | E6A 333 | Tuesday 11:00 - 12:00 or by appointment |
| Prac-Supervisor | Armin Hezart |
All emails related to this unit should contain COMP329 in the subject and must include your full name and your student id number. They should be sent to appropriate staff.
- If the email relates to pracs -- your first point of contact is your prac supervisor; if not resolved, please contact the lecturer teaching at the moment.
- If the email relates to a tutorial or assignment, contact your tutor (or the lecturer currently teaching).
- If things dont get resolved, or your email does not relate the the avove issues, contact the unit convenor.
Teaching and Learning
Classes
Each week you should attend three hours of lectures, a tutorial and a practical session. For details of days, times and rooms consult the timetables webpage.
Note that Tutorials/Practicals commence in week 2.
You should have selected a Tutorial/Practical during enrolment. You should attend the Tutorial/Practical sessions you are enrolled in. If you do not have a class, or if you wish to change one, you should see the enrolment operators in the E7B courtyard during the first two weeks of the semester. Thereafter you should go to the Student Centre.
Please note that you are required to hand in prepared work in your Tutorial classes each week. Failure to do so may result in you failing the unit (see the precise requirements) or being excluded from the exam (see the rule).
Resources to assist your learning
iLecture
Digital audio recordings of lectures are available from the BlackBoard Site for this unit.
Required and Recommended Texts
Sufficient online class-notes will be provided. Hence there is no mandatory text book to be purchased. The following two recommended readings have been used as text books before, and can be obtained from the library. Lecturers will recommend other references.- S. Russell and P. Norvig. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, Prentice-Hall (Q335.R86 1995).
- I. Bratko. Prolog Programming for Artificial Intelligence, Addison-Wesley, 2001 (Q336.B74 2001).
Technology
In this unit you will will be using the following technology and tools- SWI-Prolog
- Logic Daemon
Websites
The web page for this unit can be found by following the link from http://www.comp.mq.edu.au/units/comp329/. Note that the majority of the unit materials are publicly available while some material requires you to log in to Blackboard/WebCT to access it.
Discussion Boards
The unit will make use of discussion boards hosted within WebCT/Blackboard. Please post questions there, they will be monitored by the staff on the unit.
Staff-Student Liaison Committee
The Department has established a Staff-Student Liaison Committee at each level (100, 200, 300) to provide all students studying a Computing unit the opportunity to discuss related issues or problems with both students and staff.
The committee meets three times during the semester. For each meeting, an agenda is issued and minutes are taken. These are posted on the web at http://www.comp.mq.edu.au/undergrad/info/liaison/300-level/
If you have exhausted all other avenues, then you should consult the Director of Teaching (Dr. Christophe Doche) or the Head of Department (Prof. Bernard Mans). You are entitled to have your concerns raised, discussed and resolved.
Student Support Services
Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au.
Assumed knowledge
As reflected by the prerequisites, this units requires on part ofthe students certain academic maturity, in particilar:
- basic understanding of elementary data structures and search algorithms
- maturity in program design and development
- basic ability in critical thinking and problem solving.
Topic List
|
Week |
Topic |
Lecturer |
|---|---|---|
|
1-3 |
Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Systems and Formal Reasoning -- I |
AC Nayak |
|
4-6 |
Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Systems and Formal Reasoning -- II (Thursday/Friday) |
AC Nayak |
|
6-7 |
Reasoning under Uncertainty |
AC Nayak |
|
|
Recess |
|
|
8 |
Logic programming & Prolog |
R Schwitter |
|
9 |
Representing Structured Knowledge |
R Schwitter |
|
10 - 12 |
Problem Solving as Search; Advanced Topics |
R Schwitter |
|
13 |
Revision of Material |
|
Teaching and Learning Strategy
COMP329 is taught via lectures, tutorials and practical sessions in the laboratory. Lectures are used to introduce new material with illustrative examples, with some room for interactive questions. You are encouraged to ask questions to the lecturer to clarify anything you might not be sure of. Tutorials are small group classes which give you the opportunity to interact with your peers and with a tutor who has a sound knowledge of the subject. You will be given problems to solve each week prior to the tutorial; preparing solutions is important because it will allow you to discuss the problems effectively with your tutor and maximise the feedback you get on your work. Incentive will be given to students to explain their solution to the class - this helps in identifying the general mistakes that students typically make, and discussing them in the tutorial. Practical classes give you an opportunity to practice your programming skills under the supervision of a practical demonstrator. You will be given a number of problems to work on; it is important that you keep up with these problems as doing so will help you understand the material in the unit and prepare you for the work in assignments and the final exam.
Each week you should:
- Attend lectures, take notes, ask questions.
- Attend your tutorial, be ready to explain your work to the class, and ask questions.
- Attend the practical session (in the relevant weeks), do as many of the practical problems as you can and seek feedback from the practical demonstrator on your work.
- Read appropriate sections of the course notes/ recommended readings and prepare questions for your lecturer or tutor.
- Prepare answers to next week's tutorial questions.
- Work on any assignments that have been released.
Lecture notes are not a substitute to your attending the lectures -- a lot of material is discussed in the lectures that are not in the notes.
Learning outcomes
It is expected that on completion of this unit/topic, students will be able to:- Learning Outcome #1 - Demonstrate understanding of the basic concepts that underlie representation of knowledge -- both certain and uncertain -- and reasoning from it, and
- Learning Outcome #2 - Use logic programming tools for representing domain knowledge and solve relevant problems.
- Knowledge Development and Application of knowledge for L.O. #1
- Problem Solving via Prolog Program Design and Implementation for L.O. #2
See the different standards corresponding to these learning outcomes.
Graduate Capabilities
All academic programs at Macquarie University seek to develop a range of graduate capabilities. One of the aims of this unit is that students develop their skills in the following:
- Discipline Specific Knowledge and skills
- Effective Communication
- Problem Solving and Research Capability
- Creativity and Innovativity
Assessment
The new assessment policy and the associated code of practice imply the use of standards based assessment. In this context, the learning outcomes are aligned with the assessment tasks and the performance of each student is evaluated according to different standards.
Assessment tasks
The following tables summarizes the different aspects of the assessment in this unit. In particular, it links each task to the learning outcomes of the unit.
| Task | Due Date | Workload | Feedback | Learning outcomes assessed | Total Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorial Exercises | Weekly | 1 hour/week | Week following submission | #1, #2 | 10% |
| Assignment 1 | Week 7 | 20 hours | After submission | #1 | 20% |
| Assignment 2 | Week 12 | 20 hours | After submission | #2 | 20% |
| Final Examination | TBA | 10 hours preparation time | N/A | #1, #2 | 50% |
Note that a certain number of requirements must be fulfilled
in order to pass this unit.
If you cannot complete a piece of work please see the convenor before the due date. Check also
the special consideration policy.
A more detailed description of each task is given below.
Tutorial Exercises
Starting in Week 2, a set of exercises will be made available online by the Friday of each week. All the questions will be discussed during your tutorial class in the following week. You are expected to address several tutorial questions selected by the lecturer and physically submit your solutions to them in hard copyto the tutor in the tutorial class. Your submission will be assessed by your tutor (out of 1%) and returned with some feedback during the next tutorial class. There will be 10 assessed exercises. There will not be any assessed exercises in Weeks 7 and 13 but the tutorial classes will be held as scheduled.
Assignments
There are two main assignments worth 20% each. The focus of the first assignment will be on formal knowledge representation and reasoning; the second assignment will focus on logic programming. Further details of the requirements for these two assignments will be provided in the assignment handouts.
You are encouraged to:
- set your personal deadline earlier than the actual one;
- keep backups of all your important files;
- make sure that no-one else picks up your printouts.
Late work will not be accepted. If you cannot submit on time because of illness or other circumstances, please contact the lecturer before the due date.
Final Examination
For this unit, a final examination is fully appropriate to test learning outcomes #1, and to a lesser extent #2. With regards to learning outcome #1, it allows to assess the demonstrated ability of the student to understand fundamental concepts underlying knowledge representation and reasoning, such as satisfiability, proofs, heuristic search and conditional independence, to mention a few. With regards to learning outcome #2, it allows to assess the appreciation of good problem solving skills. The final examination accounts for 50% of the final mark.
Regarding the examination process, note that
- you must attend all required classes and submit all required assessment, otherwise the Executive Dean of the Faculty or delegated authority has the power to refuse permission to attend the final examination
- the University Examination period in for End-Year 2010 is from Monday 15th November to Friday 3rd December 2010
- you are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable
- the timetable will be available in Draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and in Final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of examinations
- no early examinations for individuals or groups of students will be set. All students are expected to ensure that they are available until the end of the teaching semester, that is the final day of the official examination period
- the only exception to not sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances you may wish to consider applying for Special Consideration.
Standards
Four standards, namely Developing, Functional, Proficient, and Advanced, summarize as many different levels of achievement. Each standard is precisely defined to help students know what kind of performance is expected to deserve a certain mark. The standards corresponding to the learning outcomes of this unit are given below:
| Criteria for L.O.#1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge development and Application of Knowledge | ||||
| L.O. #2 | ||||
| Problem Solving via Prolog implementation | ||||
Grading
At the end of the semester, you will receive a grade that reflects your achievement in the unit
- Fail (F): does not provide evidence of attainment of all learning outcomes. There is missing or partial or superficial or faulty understanding and application of the fundamental concepts in the field of study; and incomplete, confusing or lacking communication of ideas in ways that give little attention to the conventions of the discipline.
- Conceded Pass (PC): provides limited evidence of attainment of learning outcomes. There is demonstration of varying levels of basic knowledge, skills and application in the field of study; and elementary communication in ways that attempt to address the conventions of the discipline. However, the learning attainment does not provide a basis for further progression in a unit for which that unit is a prerequisite.
- Pass (P): provides sufficient evidence of the achievement of learning outcomes. There is demonstration of understanding and application of fundamental concepts of the field of study; and communication of information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline. The learning attainment is considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to the specified outcomes.
- Credit (Cr): provides evidence of learning that goes beyond replication of content knowledge or skills relevant to the learning outcomes. There is demonstration of substantial understanding of fundamental concepts in the field of study and the ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; plus communication of ideas fluently and clearly in terms of the conventions of the discipline.
- Distinction (D): provides evidence of integration and evaluation of critical ideas, principles and theories, distinctive insight and ability in applying relevant skills and concepts in relation to learning outcomes. There is demonstration of frequent originality in defining and analysing issues or problems and providing solutions; and the use of means of communication appropriate to the discipline and the audience.
- High Distinction (HD): provides consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding in relation to the learning outcomes. There is substantial originality and insight in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem solving approaches; critical evaluation of problems, their solutions and their implications; creativity in application.
In this unit, your final grade depends on your performance in each part of the assessment. For each task, you receive a mark that combines your standard of performance regarding each learning outcome assessed by this task. Then the different component marks are added up to determine your total mark out of 100. Your grade then depends on this total mark and your overall standards of performance.
Concretely, you will pass the unit, if you
- obtain a total mark of 50% or higher and a mark of 40% or higher in the final examination;
- demonstrate that you can perform at a Functional level or higher for each criterion assessed in the assignments;
- demonstrate that you can perform at a Functional level or higher for each criterion assessed in at least five tutorial exercises and
- reach a Functional level or higher for each criterion assessed in the final examination.
You will obtain a Conceded Pass (PC) in case you obtain a total mark of 45% or higher and a mark of 35% or higher in the final examination, but fail to satisfy any of the above criteria for passing the unit.
You will obtain a higher grade than a Pass if you fulfill additional conditions. Namely, you demonstrate and apply your knowledge of fundamental knowledge systems concepts consistently
- at an Advanced level and have a total mark of 85% or higher to obtain High Distinction;
- at least at a Proficient level and have a total mark of 75% or higher to obtain Distinction;
- at least at a Proficient level and have a total mark of 65% or higher to obtain Credit.
Administration
Macquarie is developing a number of policies in the area of learning and teaching. Approved policies and associated guidelines can be found at Policy Central. Refer to the Science Centre regarding the implementation of these policies (e.g. precise procedures, forms, deadlines, etc).
Special Consideration
Special Consideration is intended for a student who is prevented by serious and unavoidable disruption
from completing any unit requirements in accordance with their ability.
This application form needs to be filled and submitted to
the Science centre along with some evidence to support your case.
Depending on the circumstances presented, the convenor may choose to give you an alternate assessment,
additional time for an assessment, make-up exam, etc.
If a Supplementary Examination is granted as a result of the
Special Consideration process the examination will be scheduled
after the conclusion of the official examination period.
For details of the Special Consideration policy specific to the
Department of Computing, see the Department's policy
page.
Grade Appeal
In case of problems arising with your final grade, the first step is to organise a review. The Department recommends that you request an appointment with the convenor of the unit in order to review your grade. If the review does not solve the problem, a formal Grade Appeal can be lodged. See the grade appeal policy.
Academic Honesty and Plagiarism
Plagiarism involves using the work of another person and presenting it as one's own. The Department, in line with University policy, treats all cases seriously. In particular, the Department, keeps a record of all plagiarism cases. This record is referred to so that an appropriate penalty can be applied to each case, as detailed in this page.