The aim of the course is to get the students to know the most relevant methods for formal specification, and to enable them to model real-world situations in a formal manner on the basis of ambigous natural language descriptions. Moreover the students learn to read and understand the formal-mathematical characterisations of these methods such that they can extend their knowledge by specialised literature on their own.
Propositional logic, finite automata, regular expressions, formal grammars, Petri nets, predicate logic as specification language.
The course consists of a lecture part and an exercise part. The final grade is determined by grading the exercises, by two written tests and an oral exam.
Attention, number of participants limited!
The resources allotted to this course are limited. To ensure an adequate student-staff ratio only 375 students will be able to attend the course. All students registered for the course (no limitation here), who obtain at least 20% of the points of the first exercise sheet, qualify for the written entry test at the end of October. Further participation in the course depends on the result of this test:
- If you do not reach the minimally required number of points you fail the course; no further participation possible.
- If you obtain the minimally required number of points or more but are not ranked among the best 375 students, you will not be graded. You will not be able to participate in the course this term, but you will receive preferential treatment next term.
- If you obtain the minimally required number of points and are ranked among the best 375 students, you can attend the course this term. The final grade is determined according to the explanation in section Examination modalities.
Ects Breakdown
18 h attendance of lecture (12 days x 1.5h)
10 h first exercise sheet (10 exercises x 1h)
8 h preparation for entry test (1 day x 8h)
1 h entry test
10 h second exercise sheet (10 exercises x 1h)
8 h preparation for oral exam (1 day x 8h))
1 h oral exam (Abgabegespräch)
16 h preparation for final test (2 days x 8h)
2 h final test
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74 h = ca. 3 Ects
Grading
You fail the course if you do not reach the minimally required number of points at the entry test. If you do but are not ranked among the best 375 participants, you will not be graded but put on a queue for next term (see also the section Additional Information).
Otherwise the final grade is determined on the basis of the submitted exercises (two sheets worth 5 points each), one oral exam (10 points), the written entry test (10 points) and the written final test (50 points), giving a total of 2*5+10+10+50=80 points. As a prerequisite for the final test you need at least one point per exercise sheet and at the oral exam. To pass the course you need at least 25 points at the final test and at least 40 points in total. Positive grades are determined from the sum of points according to the following scale:
- 40-49 points: passed (4)
- 50-59 points: satisfactory (3)
- 60-69 points: good (2)
- 70-80 points: excellent (1)
We offer four dates to take the final exam: mid of January, mid of February, March/April, April/May (for the precise dates see the section Exams). You make take the exam at most twice, with the better result superseding the worse one. A certificate is issued as soon as the final grade is positive, the final test has been taken the second time, or the fouth date has elapsed.
