EECS 490: Programming Languages

Winter 2024

Programming languages are rich mathematical structures and powerful user interfaces. This course covers the design and use of modern programming languages. We will build up systematically from formal first principles while considering human factors in language design, language prototyping, and techniques for reasoning precisely about program behavior throughout the course.

The goal is to change the way you think about programming and programming language design in ways that will remain relevant across the many technology hype cycles that you will encounter over the course of your careers.

We're excited to start this semester with you!

Please join the Piazza right away. All announcements will be made there (not on Canvas!)

Lecture will meet the first week of class.

Lectures will be live-streamed via Zoom, though I encourage you to attend in-person if you can. The link to the Zoom is available from the sidebar.

Lecture recordings will also be available after the fact via the CAEN room capture system, click 'Recordings' in the sidebar to the left. We make no promises about the quality or completeness of these recordings!

Exams will be held in person this semester. Make sure you are available on the dates and times indicated below.

Please read the syllabus (linked to the left) as soon as you can. It is required reading.

Make sure to have a computer (not just a tablet) and a reliable internet connection. CAEN computer labs can be used if you do not have your own computer.

Students may also be interested in the following complementary courses:

EECS 390 (Programming Paradigms), which is also being offered in W24, focuses more on making effective use of various language features, and less on mathematical first principles and program reasoning.
EECS 483 (Compiler Construction), which is also being offered in W24, goes more in depth on language implementation topics like parsing and low-level optimization that are covered only minimally in this course.
EECS 590 (Advanced Programming Languages), which is also being offered in W24, is a graduate-level course on programming languages and program analysis. Graduate students without a prior PL course can and should register for 590 when possible.
EECS 498/598 (Intelligent Programming Systems), which was last offered F23, is a special topics course on program synthesis and AI for programming. Both undergraduates and graduate students can take this course.

Schedule

Day	#	Lecture Topic	Deadline	Readings
Wed 10 Jan	1	Course Overview
Mon 15 Jan	No Lecture (MLK Day)
Wed 17 Jan	2	Programming with Mathematical Expressions	Preliminary Survey released	Optional: Cornell CS 3110 Notes, Ch. 2-3 (except 3.1.3)
Mon 22 Jan	3	Recursive Datatypes and Recursion Schemes		Optional: Cornell CS 3110 Notes, Ch. 4
Tue 23 Jan			A1 released
Wed 24 Jan	4	Equational and Inductive Reasoning		Optional: Princeton COS 326 Notes on Reasoning: Basics, Lists
Mon 29 Jan	5	Syntax
Wed 31 Jan	6	Semantics
Fri 2 Feb		Preliminary Survey due A1 due A2 released
Mon 5 Feb	7	Variables and Types
Wed 7 Feb	8	Functions (the Lambda Calculus)
Fri 9 Feb		A2 due A3 released
Mon 12 Feb	9	Products and Isomorphisms
Wed 14 Feb	10	Sums
Fri 16 Feb		A3 due A4 released
Mon 19 Feb	11	Recursive Expressions
Wed 21 Feb	12	Recursive Types
Fri 23 Feb		A4 due A5 released Midterm Study Materials released
Sat 24 Feb	Spring Break
Mon 4 Mar	13	Universal Types (Parametric Polymorphism)
Wed 6 Mar	14	Constructive Logic (Proofs are Programs)		Optional: Propositions as Types by Philip Wadler
Fri 8 Mar		A5 due
Mon 11 Mar	Midterm Exam (in class)
Wed 13 Mar	15	Dynamic Classification, Gradual Typing, and Typed Holes	Mid-Semester Survey released	Optional: What is Gradual Typing by Jeremy Siek
Fri 15 Mar		A6 released
Mon 18 Mar	16	Imperative Programming I - Side Effects		Optional: TAPL Ch. 13
Wed 20 Mar	17	Imperative Programming II - Mutable Data Structures 😱	Mid-Semester Survey due
Fri 22 Mar		A6 due A7 released
Mon 25 Mar	18	Imperative Program Analysis I		Optional: CMU 17-654: Hoare Logic: Proving Programs Correct Optional: Washington CSE 331: Reasoning About Code (Hoare Logic)
Wed 27 Mar	19	Imperative Program Analysis II
Mon 1 Apr	20	Memory Management + Ownership in Rust		Optional: Rust Book Ch. 4.1-4.2: Understanding Ownership
Wed 3 Apr	21	Borrowing in Rust
Fri 5 Apr		A7 due A8 released
Mon 8 Apr	Lecture Canceled
Wed 10 Apr	22	Parallelism and Cost Semantics I		Optional: PFPL Ch. 37-38
Mon 15 Apr	23	Parallelism and Cost Semantics II
Wed 17 Apr	24	Concurrent Interaction		Optional: PFPL Ch. 39
Fri 19 Apr		A8 due A9 released Final Exam study materials released
Mon 22 Apr	25	Distributed Computation and Module Systems		Optional: PFPL Ch. 40
Fri 26 Apr		A9 due End-of-semester Survey released
Tue 30 Apr	Final Exam (10:30am-12:30pm) (Location: GGBL 1571, i.e. the lecture room)
Wed 1 May		End-of-semester Survey due

Day

Lecture Topic

Deadline

Readings

Wed 10 Jan

Course Overview

Mon 15 Jan

No Lecture (MLK Day)

Wed 17 Jan

Programming with Mathematical Expressions

Preliminary Survey released

Optional: Cornell CS 3110 Notes, Ch. 2-3 (except 3.1.3)

Mon 22 Jan

Recursive Datatypes and Recursion Schemes

Optional: Cornell CS 3110 Notes, Ch. 4

Tue 23 Jan

A1 released

Wed 24 Jan

Equational and Inductive Reasoning

Optional: Princeton COS 326 Notes on Reasoning: Basics, Lists

Mon 29 Jan

Syntax

Wed 31 Jan

Semantics

Fri 2 Feb

Preliminary Survey due
A1 due
A2 released

Mon 5 Feb

Variables and Types

Wed 7 Feb

Functions (the Lambda Calculus)

Fri 9 Feb

A2 due
A3 released

Mon 12 Feb

Products and Isomorphisms

Wed 14 Feb

Sums

Fri 16 Feb

A3 due
A4 released

Mon 19 Feb

Recursive Expressions

Wed 21 Feb

Recursive Types

Fri 23 Feb

A4 due
A5 released
Midterm Study Materials released

Sat 24 Feb

Spring Break

Mon 4 Mar

Universal Types (Parametric Polymorphism)

Wed 6 Mar

Constructive Logic (Proofs are Programs)

Optional: Propositions as Types by Philip Wadler

Fri 8 Mar

A5 due

Mon 11 Mar

Midterm Exam (in class)

Wed 13 Mar

Dynamic Classification, Gradual Typing, and Typed Holes

Mid-Semester Survey released

Optional: What is Gradual Typing by Jeremy Siek

Fri 15 Mar

A6 released

Mon 18 Mar

Imperative Programming I - Side Effects

Optional: TAPL Ch. 13

Wed 20 Mar

Imperative Programming II - Mutable Data Structures 😱

Mid-Semester Survey due

Fri 22 Mar

A6 due
A7 released

Mon 25 Mar

Imperative Program Analysis I

Optional: CMU 17-654: Hoare Logic: Proving Programs Correct
Optional: Washington CSE 331: Reasoning About Code (Hoare Logic)

Wed 27 Mar

Imperative Program Analysis II

Mon 1 Apr

Memory Management + Ownership in Rust

Optional: Rust Book Ch. 4.1-4.2: Understanding Ownership

Wed 3 Apr

Borrowing in Rust

Fri 5 Apr

A7 due
A8 released

Mon 8 Apr

Lecture Canceled

Wed 10 Apr

Parallelism and Cost Semantics I

Optional: PFPL Ch. 37-38

Mon 15 Apr

Parallelism and Cost Semantics II

Wed 17 Apr

Concurrent Interaction

Optional: PFPL Ch. 39

Fri 19 Apr

A8 due
A9 released
Final Exam study materials released

Mon 22 Apr

Distributed Computation and Module Systems

Optional: PFPL Ch. 40

Fri 26 Apr

A9 due
End-of-semester Survey released

Tue 30 Apr

Final Exam (10:30am-12:30pm) (Location: GGBL 1571, i.e. the lecture room)

Wed 1 May

End-of-semester Survey due

Instructor

comar@umich.edu

GSI

dmoo@umich.edu

zzhaoe@umich.edu

Grader

weixiao@umich.edu

Grader

cactus@umich.edu

EECS 490: Programming Languages

Schedule

People