Decision Procedures & Model Checking is an advanced introduction to decision procedures and model checking. Decision procedures are programs that take a logic problem and terminate a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. They are exceptionally common in software and hardware verification, compilation, theorem proving, and model checking. Model checkers are frequently implemented with decision procedures and introduce temporal logics useful for verifying stateful systems. In this course, we will examine both theoretical and implementation issues focusing on SAT techniques, Equality, Uninterpreted Functions, Quantified Formulas, Theory Combination, LTL and CTL, explicit state modeling techniques, BDD-based modeling techniques, k-induction, safety and liveness properties, abstraction and bisimulation, and theoretical foundations.
Homework is class preparation. One or two students will be responsible for leading discussions each week. Projects will include programming and developing SAL and yice models.
All project and homework assignments, exams, solutions and handouts you receive in class are linked to the EECS 800 homepage. In general, I will not distribute hard copies of assignments in class.
Pretty simple. Follow them and we’ll be great friends!
I do not take attendance in class; however participation in class is important to your success, however participation in class is important to its success. How much homework and how rigorously it is graded will definitely depend on class participation. Please ask questions and participate in class discussions. When assigning final grades, borderline cases will be decided based on class participation.
If I have made an error in grading an exam or assignment, you have two weeks following the date the item is available to see me about correcting the problem. Note that this includes the final! After that time, your grade is set and will not be changed. I also request that you wait 24 hours after an exam is returned before coming to me with questions.
I may decide to curve final scores when the quarter is over. Whether I curve and how much I curve is at my discretion. I will never curve up, but may curve down. Specifically, 90% and above will always be an “A”, but I may choose to lower the cutoff percentage. Whether I curve and how much I curve is at my discretion. I will never curve scores on an individual graded assignment, lab or exam.
I encourage you to use email to contact me. I am logged in whenever I am working and check my mail frequently. Email is my preferred means of communication.
The course blog is available on the website. I will post late-breaking news about projects, homework and class administration on the blog. Check the website and blog freqently, particularly around project due dates and exams.
Feel free to call me in any of my office at any time. I would prefer not to be called at home.
Academic misconduct of any kind will automatically result in a 0 score on the homework, lab, project, or exam in question and your actions will be reported to the department chair. Your homework, exams and projects must be individually prepared unless otherwise noted. Posting your assignments to internet discussion lists is considered academic misconduct. Sharing your solutions with others is considered academic misconduct. Turning in solutions from previous semesters is considered academic misconduct. Paying people to prepare solutions is academic misconduct. Automated mechanisms are available for checking the originality of source code. Please spend your time trying to solve assigned problems rather than trying to get around the system. Don’t risk it!
Excusing a missed exam or assignment is left to the discretion of the instructor. Illness, family emergencies, and religious observances are examples of acceptable excuses. Computer down time, over sleeping, and social events are examples of unacceptable excuses. Please try to let me know of problems in advance when possible and be prepared to provide verification of your excuse.
As a policy, I do not extend due dates of homework and projects. If I choose to do so, I will only announce the extension in class, via email or on the blog. If you hear an extension has been granted and I have not announced it, your information is incorrect. Remember that if I grant extensions early in the semester, it will necessarily compress due dates the end of the semester.
Ties are expressly forbidden in my classroom. If you wear one you will be taunted mercilessly. Exceptions are made for bow ties which we all know are cool.
Grades are assigned on a standard 10 point scale:
Classroom tasks are weighted using the following scale
We will cover topics in roughly the same order as our text. I will also add miscellaneous topics throughout the semester. Specific topics are subject to change without notice and topics marked “(tentative)” will be covered as time permits.