The exam will take the place, time, and duration of the usual lecture (see the course syllabus).

The exam is CLOSED note and CLOSED computer.

You are allowed to bring ONE 8.5" x 11" (double sided, printed is fine) cheat sheet with any information you'd like with you for consultation into the exam.

The exam may feel long, but that's OK! Take your time, a deep breath or two, and don't worry if you don't finish everything -- it will be likely that your classmates do not either, which will likely be by design.

Exam I will cover the conceptual topics in the first ~5 weeks. These include:

• Algorithmic Paradigms: definitions, uses, and ability to apply: search, memoization, heuristics, and pruning.

• Uninformed Search: problem-solving and problem specification, tree vs. graph search, breadth-first search, depth-first search, depth-limited search, iteratively-deepening depth-first search, theoretical guarantees of each.

• Informed Search: non-uniform cost problems, heuristics, heuristic design properties (especially, admissibility), A* search.

• Adversarial Search: canonical games and specifications, mini-max search, alpha-beta pruning (including being able to perform by hand).

What will NOT be on the exam:

• Copious amounts of Java (maybe some light Java... a light roast, if you will).

• Anything from lecture 5R (Dynamic Programming).

The examination format may include:

• Definitions and short answer questions

• Multiple choice

• Tracing the execution of various search strategies in classical search problems and on abstract search trees.

• Tracing the execution of minimax and α-β pruning algorithms in an abstract game tree.

Be prepared to answer some questions similar to those on the assignments and in-class exercises.

Furthermore, although I won't ask you anything about mechanics we haven't covered in class, you might be expected to apply the mechanics we've learned about in a way that we didn't see in class. If you thoroughly understand the material, there should be no surprises, but still challenges.

Here is my general suggestion for preparation order:

1. Re-read my course notes, re-doing the exercises if you aren't clear on any of them. Importantly: try to answer each "question" box yourself before revealing its answer.

2. Read the relevant textbook chapters outlined in the Syllabus.

3. Study any available classwork and homework solutions.

Topic specific suggestions:

• For mini-max and alpha-beta pruning practice, try the examples here:
  Adversarial Search Practice!