O

. WO
`. UNIVERSITY
E. MI AWOL
O.BAF

Ile-If`e., NIGERIA
COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

CPE 316: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

Rain Semester, 2013-2014 Session
Course Outline & Schedule
Contents
1

Introduction
1.1 Aim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.2 Learning outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.3 Instruction principle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Course contents
2.1 Basic concepts . . . . . . . . .
2.2 Knowledge representation in AI
2.3 Knowledge processing in AI . .
2.4 AI Systems development . . . .

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Practical

Assessment

Lecture Timetable and Schedules

Textbooks

Course Webpage

Students with special needs

TEACHING TEAM:
1. D. F. Ninan
2. Tunj O.de.jo.b (Coordinator); Room MB109, Computer Buildings.

JANUARY, 2015

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is perhaps the most controversial, and at the same time most
interesting, subject in computer science and engineering. For a start, the terms that constitutes the title, that is Artificial and Intelligence, are inherently ambiguous. The definition
of intelligence, for instance, and the basic concepts surrounding it, remains controversial,
provoking vigorous debates among experts. Central to these controversies is the interdisciplinary character of the discipline of AI as it cuts across several disciplines including:
computing, cognitive science, philosophy, physiology, sociology, biology, etc.
At a personal level, we all seem to recognise intelligence when we experience it, but
we are unable to agree on a description of our experiences. For example, we know that
intelligence involves the ability to idealise, conceptualise and relate with our environment
through our sensing, thinking, reasoning, reflecting and projecting capacities. The quality
of the creativity exhibited by these capabilities is constrained by our world-view, awareness, consciousness, experience, skill, emotion and intuition. The faculty of language
is central to all these human endeavour. At the moment, experts are yet to agree on a
set of variables and/or parameters that will allow us to articulate a definitive description
of each of these concepts and the process through which their interactions culminate in
accounting for intelligence.
Despite these, though, a number of systems that exhibits some semblance of complex
problems solving, that has been construed as intelligence, have being developed. We will
discuss how this has been achieved and issues relating to their categorisation into the class
of intelligent systems.
1.1

Aim

In this course, the basic concepts and principles of the science and engineering of intelligent systems and their applications will be discussed. Issues relating to the implications
and ethics of their applications in human society will also be highlighted as necessary.
1.2

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students would have been exposed to a sequence of instructions
and practises that are expected to facilitate an appreciation of the field of AI as it relates
to computing. The specific focus of discourse include the following:
1. Putative definitions of basic concepts of intelligence; its philosophy, science and
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engineering;
2. Theories and criteria for intelligence;
3. Brief history of AI;
4. Current limitations and controversies surrounding IA;
5. AI systems development and deployment;
6. Selected Sub-fields of AI; Established AI products as well as the tools, methods and
techniques currently being used in Intelligent Systems (IS) science and engineering;
7. Social issues in IS application.
1.3

Instruction principle

Efforts will be made to teach and educate students on the general theories and principles of
Intelligent Systems. Students are however reminded that, although a number of achievements have been recorded in recent times, there is still a lot to be known definitively and
many more to be understood. This is partly due to: (i) misconceptions and controversies
surrounding the nature of intelligence and; (ii) the idea that intelligence can, in principle,
be mechanise, despite (i).

Course contents

By the end of this course, we hope to discuss the following topics at a level of detail
appropriate for undergraduate studies.
2.1

Basic concepts

1. Definition and concepts of: Artificial, Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Intelligent Systems; Fundamental items in AI perception: {Nature, Person(Self/Otherselfs),
Reality}, Knowledge, Thinking, Reasoning, Heuristics, Language, conventional computing and AI;
2. History of AI
3. Features of modern IS, test for intelligence (Alan Turing Test of intelligence and
John Searles Chinese room thought-experiment). Dilemma of AI: The signifiersignified dilemma, The whole-part dilemma.
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4. Sub-fields and successful applications of AI: Robotics, Machine vision, Speech synthesis, speech/speaker recognition, Intelligent Process Control, Games, Decision
support systems, Story Generation Systems, Machine Translation Systems, Recommender systems, Text summarisers system, etc.
5. Introduction of course case studies:
O
.` ta the Ay`o game agent.
K`ok`or`o the ant.
Apalara the robot arm.
E.ni an`un puzzle.
2.2

Knowledge representation in AI

1. The concepts, theories and types of knowledge.

2. Knowledge representation techniques.
Semantic networks
Frames
Proposition logic and Predicate calculus
Formal methods
Scripts
Rules
Trees and graphs
3. Selecting knowledge representation formalism for an application.
4. Introduction to ontologies.
2.3

Knowledge processing in AI

1. Issues in knowledge processing.

2. Knowledge processing paradigm (breadth first/depth first; forward/backward chaining).
3. Models of reasoning
Monotonic reasoning
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 Non-monotonic reasoning: with and without consistent proposition.

4. Planning.
5. Constraint satisfaction modelling and processing.
6. Processing logic.
Multi-value logic.
Hard and Soft logic
Fuzzy-logic.
7. Genetic algorithms
8. Artificial Neural Networks
9. Fractals
10. Support vector matrix (SVM)
2.4

AI Systems development

Specifically the following stages in intelligent systems engineering will be demonstrated

using case problems and examples:
1. Understand the problem: Get a clear understanding of the problem in terms of the
behaviour of the intelligent system you which to mimic. Case examples of the possible input/output characteristics of the system can be very helpful in this task. Note
that, unlike conventional computational systems, some characteristics of intelligent
systems are implicit and, therefore, not directly observable or described definitively.
2. State assumptions: State all assumptions you are making regarding your proposed
model of intelligence. The assumption must, first of all, take cognisance of the nature
and capability of the system under study. Make sure that you are able to justify your
assumptions using reasonable arguments. Assumptions justified using arguments
relating to the environment in which the system will work, the resource available for
solving the problem, the target users of the problem, etc. will be appropriate.
3. Behaviour analysis: This comprise: (i) Stimuli/Response Identification. Identify each
and every relevant stimuli(input) to the intelligent system and the corresponding response(output) of the system. Label them using an appropriate variable. Note that
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some intelligent systems do not have explicit stimuli, while some stimuli may not
generate explicitly or directly observable response. This will result in the statement
of functional and non-functional attributes that will be implemented. (ii) Solution
identification: A careful study of the alternative solution approach and selection of
the most appropriate one.
4 Design : Analyse and represent the behaviour of the intelligent systems using appropriate tools such as semantic network, heuristics, language model, state transition
information, plan, etc. These tools are very useful in representing and exploring the
behaviour of an intelligent system. A lot of information about the intelligence of a
system can be obtained from its language.
5. Implementation: Reduce the behaviour analysed into a mechanical process through
software or programming language codes and test the system with example problems. Note the implementation of intelligent systems, such as Robot, require collaboration with people in other discipline. The implementation of a robot hardware
components, for example, will usually required collaboration with professional such
as mechanical and electronics engineers.
6. Evaluation: The functionality and process of the system will be tested and the results
of the test documented.

Practical

We expect to have a number of laboratory classes in this course. Details shall be provided
during lectures. We expect to carry out the laboratory using the following case problems:
1. O
.` ta the gamer: This exercise involves the design and implementation of the thinking
employed by an agent playing Ay`o, a two-person, complete information zero-sum
game.
2. K`ok`or`o the ant: This exercise involves the design and implementation of the locomotion of a simple six-legged ant and the co-ordinations of the movements of a
number of such ants in a colony.
3. Apalara the robot arm: In this case example we shall discuss the design and simulation of a robot arm system as well as its control plan.

4. E
puzzle: In this exercise we shall discuss the analysis, design and imple. ni Anun
mentation of a solution to the E.ni Anun puzzle. This puzzle involves the determination of the most efficient means of searching for a missing person, using a party of
three other persons that sets out from a location with many plausible paths.

Assessment

Tentatively, credits will be awarded as shown in Table 1. You are however reminded that
the motor of this University is For Learning and Culture. We therefore expect and
encourage your responsible behaviour during and after this course. The co-ordinator will
be happy to receive your feedback in the form of comments, complaints and suggestions
that can improve your learning experiences in this course. You can reach him in Room
MB109, Computer Buildings Complex. You can also drop a note in his Pigeon hole in
Room MB208. At some point during, or about the end, of the course, you will be required to return a questionnaires that elicits your overall assessment of the course. Please
download the Course Assessment Form (CAF) from the course website.
Table 1: Award of credits
Components
Percentage of total mark (%)
Laboratory and assignments
20
Continuous Assessment
20
Final Examination
60
Total
100

Lecture Timetable and Schedules

The tentative timetable for the course is:

Day : Wednesday
Time : 8:00 to 10:00 am (Morning)
Venue: BOOB
This will be discussed further during the first lecture.
NOTE: The Mid-Semester test is tentatively scheduled for third (3rd ) Saturday
in February (Feb. 21, 2015).

Textbooks

Attempt will be made to provide the course materials that you will require in the form
of lecture notes and handouts during this course. You are expected to visit the course
webpage regularly, at least once a week, in order to download a copy of the course materials. You are strongly advised not to sell, or repackage for sale, any material given
to you during this course. You will find the following textbooks useful if you can lay
your hands on them.
1. Artificial Intelligence, structure and strategies for complex problem solving, 6th Edition, G. F. Luger and W. A. Strubblefield, Addison-Wesley, ISBN: 0-805-31196-3,
2012 ($78- available on Amazon)
2. Introduction to the Principles of Artificial Intelligence, O.de.jo.b O.A., DovePower
Technologies, Nigeria, ISBN: 978-027-466-9, 1998, 151pp.
3. Artificial Intelligence, a modern approach, S. Russell and P. Norvig, Prentice- Hall,
England, 2nd Edition, ISBN:0-13-080302-2, 2003 ($95, available on Amazon)
4. Computer text-to-speech synthesis of African languages, Modern tools, techniques
and technologies, O.de.jo.b, O. A. VDM Verlag Muller, Germany ISBN:978-3-63902330-5, 2008, 349pp. ($111 -available on Amazon)
5. Artificial Intelligence a new synthesis, Nilsson, N. J., China Machine Press, Morgan
Kaufmann Publishers, 1998, ISBN: 7-111-07438-6
6. Artificial Intelligence: Mirrors for the Mind, 2007, ISBN-10: 0-8160-5749-4, ISBN13: 978-0-8160-5749-8, Harry Henderson.
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7. Artificial Intelligence: A Systems Approach, M. T. Jones, Infinity Science Press

LLC, Hingham, Massachusetts, New Delhi.2008, ISBN: 978-0-9778582-3-1.

Course Webpage

Visit the course web-page at www.ifecisrg.org/csc316 for information and relevant resources. Note that the course is being migrated to the IFECISRG-Moodle e-learning
environment, details about this will be provided during lectures.

Students with special needs

Candidates with special needs should please see the course coordinator in Room MB109
as soon as possible, but in a reasonable time.