Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Course Administration1 Welcome Course –Independent study on Constraint Processing, CSCE Instructor –Berthe Y. Choueiry (Shu-we-ri), –Office: AVH 360 –Office hours Tue/Thursday: 2:00—3:00 pm –Tel: +1(402) GTA –Shant Karakashian. Office 123D –Office hours: Only by demand

Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Course Administration2 Pre-requisites –CSCE 235 (CSCE 310, 476/876 relaxed) –If you have any concerns, contact instructor Track –uGrad CS: Foundations, AI –Grad CS students: theory track 3 credit-hours

Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Course Administration3 Meetings Regular class –Tuesday/Friday Make up classes –On demand, depending on needs Lectures will be given –By instructor –By visitors To be announced –Occasionally, presentations by students

Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Course Administration4 Help Office hours –Instructor: Tuesday, Thursday 2:00 p.m.—3:00 p.m. Q&A: Send your questions – to (will be set up –Ask your questions during Wednesday’s make-up class Share: your ideas and good pointers with class –Send to –Message will be broadcast to the entire class (use sparingly!) –Good pointers will be listed on the web under “Your catch”

Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Course Administration5 Expectations I Mastery of pre-requisite's material Effort outside classroom –9 hours of work outside classroom, if you have pre- requisites –If you spend more time, let me know Attendance –Sign-up sheet circulated for attendance –Attendance of lectures and recitation is mandatory –Absence: maximum 6 sessions (including recitation) –Prior notification ( ) for absence is mandatory

Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Course Administration6 Expectations 2 Collaboration policy –Feel free to discuss it with others –But do it on your own –Always acknowledge sources & help received –Wiki page is set up for exchanging information Prompt response to notifications –Sent to your address at CSE (you must have one) –Posted on web: cse.unl.edu/~choueiry/F / If you drop the class, let me know ASAP

Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Course Administration7 Grading Quizzes: 37%, cannot not be made up Assignments: 28% –Programming and pen+paper –Turned-in on due date, before lecture –Delay penality: 20% per day, starting first minute after deadline –You may use any programming language acceptable to GTA Project: 35% –Individual (preferred) or in small teams (if really necessary) (  mid-term)  (  final) Feedback: –Glossaries and HWK will be rotated for grading, supervised by instructor –Grades will be posted on Blackboard –Need more feedback? Please, let us know how

Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Course Administration8 Projects A list of possible projects is forthcoming, will include –Search competition for solving the GTA assignment problem –Implement and evaluate an algorithm –Model and solve a (simple) practical problem –Investigate an advanced theoretical concept –Conduct a critical literature survey (at least 3 papers), etc. Alternatives –Propose your own project and discuss it with instructor At the end of project, you must submit with handin: –Project report: -report.ext –Slides: -defense.ext –Code: -code.tar

Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Course Administration9 Improving your grades * Do the glossaries: weekly & final (8% total) –Must be typewritten, and alphabetically sorted –Goal: entice you to do required reading Collect bonus points –100% attendance, –Find bugs in slides, in lectures, –Be vocal in class, solve “riddles”, etc. Do extra work –Present a research paper (10% per presentation) –Write a critical summary of a research paper (5% per summary) –Write a chapter of a “textbook” (20% total) * Restrictions apply (deadlines, max number per student)

Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Course Administration10 Important dates Regularly check schedule on the web (3 times/week) Tuesday, Sep 29 –Project must be chosen, use handin Tuesday, Oct 27 –Progress report on projects due, use handin Friday, Nov 20 –First deadline for extra-credit work: 1 presentation, 2 summaries, 1 chapter write-up must be done by this date Friday, Dec 4 –Final glossary due –Project reports due in print and using handin –Second deadline for extra-credit work: All paper presentations (Max 2), summaries (Max 4), chapter write-up (Max 2) must be done by this date.

Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Important Dates (cont.) Regularly check schedule on the web (3 times/week) Tue/Fri, Dec 1/4 – Quizzes may be given during class or recitation Fri, Dec 4 –Deadline for final glossary, in print and using handin –Project reports are due, in print and using handin Tue, Dec 8 & Fri, Dec 11 (dead week) –Project presentations –Some presentations could be scheduled in evenings if necessary Fri, Dec 11 (midnight) –Projects code & defense slides (when applicable) due, use handin Course Administration11

Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Course Administration12 Course material Content of the course –Introduction: definition and practical examples –Foundations and basic mechanisms –Advanced solving techniques –Extensions to the problem definition –Alternative approaches to solving the problem Course support –New textbook by Dechter (available at bookstore). Will not be followed linearly, but should be used for reference. –Book by Tsang (on reserve at LL, available on-line, out of print) –Papers from: WWW, course web-page, library, electronic reserves, instructor, etc.

Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Course Administration13 More resources Web –Check links: –Benchmark problems: –eLists: comp.constraints –CP Online: Conferences –CP, AIOR, IJCAI, ECAI, NCAI (AAAI), FLAIRS... –Workshops in parallel to conferences Journals: –Constraints, AIJ, JACM, Annals of AI+Math, etc.

Basic Concepts & Algorithms in CP, Fall 2009 Aug 31, 2009 Course Administration14 Your future: Jobs!! Commercial companies: Ilog, i2 Technologies, Trilogy, PeopleSoft/Red Pepper, Carmen Systems (Sweden), etc. Prestigious research centers: NASA Ames, Microsoft Research (Cambridget), PARC, JPL, SRI International, BT Labs (UK), Ilog (IBM?), etc. Start your own: Selectica, Seibel, Parc Technologies Ltd, In Time Systems Inc, Blue Pumpkin, etc. Academic: –Constraint languages –Modeling, constraint representation, reasoning & propagation mechanisms –Dedicated reasoning: diagnosis, planning & scheduling, design, configuration, Case-Based Reasoning, etc.