2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

COMP2321 Formal Languages and Finite Automata

10 creditsClass Size: 500

Module manager: Dr Noleen Kohler
Email: N.Kohler@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

Programming and programming languages are essential tools for computer science practitioners. The theory and technology that underpins the development of programming languages, in the past and the present, is that of formal languages and finite automata. This module exists to provide a solid foundation of formal languages and finite automata which will be built on in subsequent modules. This module focuses on the formal specification of languages, the corresponding hierarchy of abstract machines and contributes to developing an understanding of design considerations of programming languages.

Objectives

This module introduces the fundamental concepts required to study complexity, the design and implementation of programming languages and compilers.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module a student will have demonstrated the ability to:

- recall definitions and theorems relating to formal languages and finite automata and apply them appropriately.
- describe and compare different models of computation.
- articulate the existence of undecidable problems.
- illustrate the applications of formal languages and finite automata in the fields of programming language design and compilers.

Syllabus

This module covers the following 3 topic areas:

- Formal languages: regular languages, context-free languages, recursive languages, recursively enumerable languages, grammars, Backnus Naur form (BNF), parsing and parse trees.
- Abstract models of computation: finite automata and Turing machines (both deterministic and non-deterministic).
- Computability: computable and uncomputable functions, computable and uncomputable sets, undecidable problems, the Halting problem, Rice's theorem.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	22	1.00	22.00
Tutorial	10	1.00	10.00
Private study hours			68.00
Total Contact hours			32.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			100.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Progress is monitored through tutorial worksheets.

Methods of assessment

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) (S1)	2 hr	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		100.00

This module will be reassessed by examination.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 25/09/2024 09:18:37

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