Overview

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This course introduces the foundational principles of artificial intelligence through the lens of reasoning and decision-making under uncertainty. Students begin by examining how intelligent agents act in uncertain environments using probability theory, Bayes’ Rule, and independence assumptions to update beliefs—concepts that underpin probabilistic machine learning and data-driven decision-making. The course then explores Bayesian Networks as a structured framework for representing complex dependencies and performing inference, connecting to modern graphical models and causal reasoning. Building on this, students study probabilistic reasoning over time using temporal models such as Hidden Markov Models, with links to contemporary sequence modeling and state estimation in applications like speech recognition and robotics. Finally, the course addresses sequential decision-making through Markov Decision Processes, where students learn to compute optimal policies using value iteration, policy iteration, and the Bellman equation—ideas that form the foundation of modern reinforcement learning methods used in systems such as autonomous agents and game-playing AI.

Syllabus

Acting Under Uncertainty

This module introduces how intelligent agents reason and make decisions in environments where information is incomplete, noisy, or uncertain. Students will learn the foundations of probability, including Bayes’ Rule and independence assumptions, and use these tools to perform probabilistic inference and update beliefs based on evidence. The module emphasizes both the sources of uncertainty and the methods AI systems use to act rationally despite it.

Probabilistic Reasoning

This module focuses on using Bayesian Networks as tools for probabilistic reasoning and decision-making under uncertainty. Students will learn how to interpret a given network, compute probabilities, and perform inference—both exact and approximate—using techniques such as direct sampling and Gibbs sampling. Emphasis is placed on applying Bayes Nets to answer queries, update beliefs with evidence, and reason efficiently in complex domains.

Probabilistic Reasoning over time

This module introduces temporal probabilistic models, focusing on how AI systems reason about hidden states that evolve over time. Students will learn to apply inference techniques such as filtering, prediction, smoothing, and the Viterbi algorithm to update beliefs and infer the most likely state sequences from observations. Emphasis is placed on using Hidden Markov Models to perform calculations and interpret how evidence shapes reasoning in dynamic, uncertain environments.

Utility Based Decisions

This module introduces how AI agents make optimal decisions in uncertainty environments over time using the framework of Markov Decision Processes. Students will learn how to represent sequential decision problems with states, actions, rewards, and policies, and how to compute optimal behavior using value iteration, policy iteration, and the Bellman equation. Emphasis is placed on selecting actions that maximize expected utility in uncertain, sequential environments.