Introduction to AI: Search Algorithms

This course is intended for students with a strong programming background, including comfort in applying object-oriented programming and recursion to solve problems. Students will start with the history of artificial intelligence and progress to focus on more powerful, classical techniques. Optimization and probabilistic strategies are explored so as to demonstrate tradeoffs between different types of search strategies. Several well-known problems—such as N-Queens, Knapsack, Post correspondence, and Chess—may be considered. Participants are expected to complete challenging and thought-provoking assignments using the techniques taught in class as well as their prerequisite knowledge. The end goal of the course is for each student to be able to build functioning programs in Python and Java.

Student computers can be either Mac or PC, but should have at least 10GB of free space.