Welcome!¶
Welcome to Theory of Computation (5000CMD).
I am Dr Kamal Bentahar, your module leader. I am excited to work with you over the coming 12 weeks to explore the foundations of Computer Science (CS).
If you wish to contact me by email then use: ab3735 at coventry.ac.uk.
You can also message me on Aula or Teams.
My office hours can be found at https://webeec01.coventry.ac.uk/DLC/timetable.
About this module¶
Our main aim in 5000CMD is to study the foundations of Computer Science (CS). This means we will use abstraction to describe our "computation machines" then make conclusions and predictions about their abilities and limitations.
Teaching and Learning¶
- Each week we start with a pre-class activity which you do on your own, before the lecture, to get you started thinking about the week's topic.
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We then go into the lecture (Wednesdays 11am-1pm in ECG-24), where the weekly material is introduced and explained.
Material for these can be found under 📚 Weekly materials in the left-side navigation bar.
- The lab then follows with exercises. These are split into 3 levels (with increasing level of challenge), and hints are given to guide you.
The lab exercises give you the opportunity to practise and study the lectures' material. You are meant to try the exercises on your own, before the timetabled lab session (Thursdays), and then discuss your work in the lab and/or seek help with anything you have left. - Written solutions are released at the end of the week.
- Finally, you are encouraged to reflect on the week's learning.
All of the week's activities are important. In particular, reflection is very important because it helps you link the various topics together, and makes you ponder on the real meaning of what you have studied abstractly, and link it back to the practical aspects.
Assessments¶
You can find more details at:
I want to know more...¶
Please look at the Module Guide for details on the aim of the module, the Intended Module Learning Outcomes (ILOs), the weekly learning schedule, and some resources that you can use (Reading list and JFLAP).