CS486/686 - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence - Fall 2026

Course Description

This course offers a broad introduction to the fundamental concepts, techniques, and applications of artificial intelligence. The course starts with the fundamentals of how AI agents solve complex problems, play games, and handle uncertainty using probability and data. It then covers how agents make long-term plans, how reinforcement learning allows them to learn from experience, and how they behave when interacting with other agents and humans.

Resources

• • Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach 4E by Russel and Norvig (Note that this is on reserve at the library)
• • Artificial Intelligence: Foundations of Computational Agents 3E by Poole and Mackworth (free)
• •Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction by R. Sutton and A. Barto (free)

Teaching Assistants

• •Liliana Hotsko (lhotsko)
• • Bihui Jin (b27jin)
• • Yuxuan Li (y624li)
• • Alina Lytovchenko (alytovch)
• • Hala Sheta (hsheta)
• • Zhiyuan Sun (z93sun)

Grading Scheme

For students enrolled in CS486:

• • Assignments (4 in total, 4% each): 16%
• • Chat Assignments with Chrysalis (10 in total, 1% each): 10%
• • Midterm Exam: 30%
• • Final Exam: 44%

For students enrolled in CS686:

• • Assignments (4 in total, 3% each): 12%
• • Chat Assignments with Chrysalis (10 in total, 0.5% each): 5%
• • Midterm Exam: 30%
• • Final Exam: 44%
• • Project: 9%

Note that students enrolled in either CS486 or CS686 must pass the final exam to pass the course.

Schedule

Late Submissions

Use of Generative AI

General University Policy

• Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. Check the Office of Academic Integrity's website for more information.

  All members of the UW community are expected to hold to the highest standard of academic integrity in their studies, teaching, and research. This site explains why academic integrity is important and how students can avoid academic misconduct. It also identifies resources available on campus for students and faculty to help achieve academic integrity in — and out — of the classroom.

• Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 — Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt please be certain to contact the department's administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.

• Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offenses, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offense, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offenses (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about "rules" for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 — Student Discipline. For typical penalties, check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.

• Avoiding Academic Offenses: Most students are unaware of the line between acceptable and unacceptable academic behaviour, especially when discussing assignments with classmates and using the work of other students. For information on commonly misunderstood academic offenses and how to avoid them, students should refer to the Office of Academic Integrity's site on Academic Misconduct and the Faculty of Mathematics Cheating and Student Academic Discipline Policy.

• Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71, Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals.

Note for students with disabilities and disabling conditions:

The University of Waterloo recognizes its obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code to accommodate students with known or suspected disabilities and disabling conditions (e.g. medical conditions, injuries, impacts of trauma such as from violence or discrimination) to the point of undue hardship. To support this obligation, AccessAbility Services (AAS) collaborates with all academic departments and schools to facilitate academic accommodations for students with disabilities and disabling conditions without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you believe you may require academic accommodations (e.g., testing accommodations, classroom accommodations), register with AAS as early in the term as possible by completing the online application. Students already registered with AAS must activate their accommodations for each of their courses at the beginning of each term using AAS' online system. If you require assistance, contact AAS by phone (519-888-4567 ext. 35082), email (access@uwaterloo.ca) or in-person (Needles Hall North, 1st Floor, Room 1401).

Mental Health Support

At the University of Waterloo, we are dedicated to supporting your mental and emotional well-being. Our Counselling Services offer confidential support, including individual counselling, workshops, and crisis intervention. If you're struggling, please reach out for help at 519-888-4096 or visit their website for more information.

Territorial Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional territory of the Attawandaron (Neutral), Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes ten kilometres on each side of the Grand River.

Credits

Thanks to Diogo Barradas for providing the template for this website.