Today there is a growing recognition of computer science as laboratory science. In addition to the mathematical theory that supports techniques in subareas such as artifical intelligence, the student needs to work with actual programs and problems to get a feel for the technology. This book grew out of the perception that hands-on experimentation coordinated with textbook explanations of principes and of actual programs can provide an ideal learning combination for students of artificial intelligence.
The purpose of this book is to provide an up-to-date and didactically coherent introduction to the principles and programming methods of artificial intelligence. It is appropriate for an undergraduate or first-year graduate course. While it is possible for the student to get acquainted with artificial intelligence in a single quarter or semester, a sequence of two to three quearters or semesters is preferable. The author covers most of the material in two academic quarters at the University of Washington.
