CS486/686 - Introduction to AI - Fall 2026

Schedule (subject to change)

Lecture

Date

Topic

Readings (textbooks)

1 September 9 Introduction (slides) [RN] Ch 1 and 2, [PM] Ch 1
2 September 14 Uninformed Search and Problem Formulation (slides) [RN] Ch 3.1-3.4 [PM]: Ch 3.1-3.5
3 September 16 Informed Search and Heuristics (slides) [RN] Ch 3.5-3.6 [PM] Ch 3.6-3.7
September 16 Assignment 1 out
September 16 Chat Assignment 1 out
4 September 21 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (slides) [RN] Ch 6.1-6.3 [PM] Ch 4.1-4.5
September 21 Chat Assignment 1 due
5 September 23 Multiagent Search (slides) [RN] Ch 5, [PM] Ch 14.3
September 23 Chat Assignment 2 out
6 September 28 Advanced Game Search (slides) [RN] Ch 5, [PM] Ch 14.3
September 28 Chat Assignment 2 due
7 September 30 Probabilistic Reasoning and Bayes Nets (slides) [RN] Ch 13, Ch 14.1-14.4 , [PM] Ch 9.1-9.5
September 30 Chat Assignment 3 out
October 2 Assignment 1 due
8 October 5 Bayes Nets (slides) [RN] Ch 13, Ch 14.1-14.4 [PM] 9.1-9.5
October 5 Chat Assignment 3 due
October 5 Assignment 2 out
9 October 7 Inference and Hidden Markov Models (slides) Ch 15, [PM] Ch 9.6
October 7 Chat Assignment 4 out
October 9 Project Proposals Due (CS686)
10 October 19 Hidden Markov Models (slides) [RN] Ch 15, [PM] Ch 9.6
October 19 Chat Assignment 4 due
11 October 21 Decision Making (slides) [RN] Ch 16 [PM] Ch 12.1-12.4
October 21 Chat Assignment 5 out
October 23 Assignment 2 due
12 October 26 Markov Decision Processes (slides) [RN] Ch 17.1-17.4 [PM] Ch 12.5
October 26 Assignment 3 out
October 26 Chat Assignment 5 due
13 October 28 Intro to Machine Learning (slides) [RN] CH 18.1-18.2, 18.4, Ch 20.1-20.2 [PM] Ch 7.1-7.2, 7.4, Ch 10.1-10.2
October 28 Chat Assignment 6 out
October 29 Midterm Exam
14 November 2 Machine Learning (slides) [RN] Ch 18.3, Ch 18.6 [PM] Ch 7.3-7.4
November 2 Chat Assignment 6 due
15 November 4 Neural Networks (slides) [RN] Ch 18.7 [PM] Ch 8
November 4 Chat Assignment 7 out
16 November 9 Multi-Armed Bandits and Exploration vs Exploitation (slides) [Sutton and Barto] Ch 2
November 9 Chat Assignment 7 due
17 November 11 Reinforcement Learning (slides)
November 11 Chat Assignment 8 out
November 13 Assignment 3 due
18 November 16 Reinforcement Learning (slides)
November 16 Chat Assignment 8 due
November 16 Assignment 4 out
19 November 18 Reward Modeling, Alignment, and Unintended Behaviours (slides)
November 18 Chat Assignment 9 out
20 November 23 Multiagent Systems: Game Theory (slides)
November 23 Chat Assignment 9 due
21 November 25 Stratgic Interactions and Multiagent Learning (slides)
November 25 Chat Assignment 10 out
22 November 30 LLM Agent Dynamics (slides)
November 30 Chat Assignment 10 due
23 December 2 Cooperative AI (slides)
December 4 Assignment 4 due
24 December 7 Course Overview (slides)
December 7 Projects due