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
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.
This module introduces the fundamental concepts required to study complexity, the design and implementation of programming languages and compilers.
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.
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.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 22 | 1 | 22 |
| Tutorial | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 68 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 32 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 100 | ||
Progress is monitored through tutorial worksheets.
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) (S1) | 2.0 Hrs Mins | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 100 | |
This module will be reassessed by examination.
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 9/25/2024
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team