CSE 150.
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence:
Probabilistic Reasoning and Decision-Making

Subject
Textbooks
Meetings
Assignments
Syllabus
Grades
Lectures

Subject

This course will introduce the mathematical and statistical models at the heart of modern artificial intelligence. Specific topics to be covered include: probabilistic methods for reasoning and decision-making under uncertainty; inference and learning in Bayesian networks; prediction and planning in Markov decision processes; applications to intelligent systems, speech and natural language processing, information retrieval, and robotics.

Prerequisites

This course is aimed very broadly at undergraduates in mathematics, science, and engineering. Prerequisites are elementary probability, linear algebra, and calculus, as well as basic programming ability in some high-level language such as C, Java, or Matlab. (Programming assignments are completed in the language of the student's choice.) Students of all backgrounds are welcome.

Texts

The course will not closely follow a particular text. The following texts, though not required, may be useful as general references:

Instructors

Meetings

  • Lectures: Wed/Fri 5:00-6:30 pm, EBU3B 2154.
  • Sections: Mon 5:00-6:00 pm, EBU3B 3109
  • Office hours: Mon 3:30-4:30 pm, EBU3B 4228.

Grading

  • homework (30%)
  • two quizzes (40%)
  • final exam (30%)

Assignments

Tentative Syllabus

WedApr 02Administrivia and course overview.
FriApr 04Modeling uncertainty, review of probability.
WedApr 09Example of probabilistic reasoning: explaining away.
FriApr 11Belief networks: from probabilities to graphs.
WedApr 16Conditional independence, d-separation.
FriApr 18Exact and approximate inference.
WedApr 23Learning, parameter estimation, maximum likelihood.
FriApr 25Quiz 1
WedApr 30Markov models of language, naive Bayes models of classification.
FriMay 02Latent variable models, EM algorithm.
WedMay 07Examples of EM algorithm.
FriMay 09Hidden Markov models (HMMs), automatic speech recognition.
MonMay 12Likelihood computation, Viterbi algorithm.
WedMay 21Parameter estimation in HMMs.
FriMay 23Planning in Markov decision processes (MDPs).
WedMay 28Policy evaluation, policy improvement, policy iteration.
FriMay 30Quiz 2
WedJun 04Value iteration.
FriJun 06Reinforcement learning, course wrap-up.
FriJun 13Final exam