EECS 490: Programming Languages

Fall 2023

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.

Students may also be interested in the following complementary courses:

EECS 390 (Programming Paradigms), which was last offered W23, 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 F23, 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 was last offered F22, 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 is being offered this fall, is a special topics course on program synthesis and AI for programming. Both undergraduates and graduate students can take this course. Graduate students interested in programming languages and looking for a course this semester should register for this course instead of 490.

Schedule

Day	#	Lecture Topic	Deadline	Readings
Tue 29 Aug	1	Course Overview
Thu 31 Aug	2	Programming with Mathematical Expressions	Preliminary Survey released	Optional: Cornell CS 3110 Notes, Ch. 2-3 (except 3.1.3)
Tue 5 Sep	3	Recursive Datatypes and Recursion Schemes		Optional: Cornell CS 3110 Notes, Ch. 4
Thu 7 Sep	4	Equational and Inductive Reasoning		Optional: Princeton COS 326 Notes on Reasoning: Basics, Lists
Fri 8 Sep			A1 released
Tue 12 Sep	5	Syntax
Thu 14 Sep	6	Semantics
Fri 15 Sep		Preliminary Survey due A1 due A2 released
Tue 19 Sep	7	Variables and Types
Thu 21 Sep	8	Functions (the Lambda Calculus)
Fri 22 Sep		A2 due A3 released
Tue 26 Sep	9	Products and Isomorphisms
Thu 28 Sep	10	Sums
Fri 29 Sep		A3 due
Mon 2 Oct		A4 released
Tues 3 Oct	11	Recursive Expressions
Thu 5 Oct	12	Recursive Types
Mon 9 Oct		A4 due A5 released
Tue 10 Oct	13	Universal Types (Parametric Polymorphism)
Thu 12 Oct	14	Constructive Logic (Proofs are Programs)		Optional: Propositions as Types by Philip Wadler
Fri 13 Oct		Midterm Study Materials released
Mon 16 Oct		A5 due
Tue 17 Oct	No Lecture (Fall Study Break)
Thu 19 Oct	Midterm Exam (in class)
Tue 24 Oct	15	Dynamic Classification, Gradual Typing, and Typed Holes	Mid-Semester Survey released	Optional: What is Gradual Typing by Jeremy Siek
Thu 26 Oct	16	Imperative Programming I - Side Effects		Optional: TAPL Ch. 13
Sat 28 Oct		A6 released
Tue 31 Oct	17	Imperative Programming II - Mutable Data Structures 😱	Mid-Semester Survey due
Thu 2 Nov	18	Imperative Program Verification I		Optional: CMU 17-654: Hoare Logic: Proving Programs Correct Optional: Washington CSE 331: Reasoning About Code (Hoare Logic)
Mon 6 Nov		A6 due A7 released
Tue 7 Nov	19	Imperative Program Verification II
Thu 9 Nov	20	Ownership and Borrowing in Rust I		Optional: Rust Book Ch. 4.1-4.2: Understanding Ownership
Tue 14 Nov	21	Ownership and Borrowing in Rust II
Thu 16 Nov	22	Parallelism and Cost Semantics I		Optional: PFPL Ch. 37-38
Fri 17 Nov		A7 due A8 released
Tue 21 Nov	23	Parallelism and Cost Semantics II	Final Exam Study Materials released
Thu 23 Nov	No Lecture (Thanksgiving)
Tue 28 Nov	24	Concurrent Interaction		Optional: PFPL Ch. 39
Thu 30 Nov	25	Distributed Computation and Module Systems		Optional: PFPL Ch. 40
Fri 1 Dec		A8 due A9 released
Tue 5 Dec	26	Special Topic: Macro Systems (presented by Andrew Blinn)
Fri 8 Dec		A9 due End-of-semester Survey released
Thu 14 Dec	Final Exam (10:30am-12:30pm) (Location: 1013 DOW)
Fri 15 Dec		End-of-semester Survey due

Day

Lecture Topic

Deadline

Readings

Tue 29 Aug

Course Overview

Thu 31 Aug

Programming with Mathematical Expressions

Preliminary Survey released

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

Tue 5 Sep

Recursive Datatypes and Recursion Schemes

Optional: Cornell CS 3110 Notes, Ch. 4

Thu 7 Sep

Equational and Inductive Reasoning

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

Fri 8 Sep

A1 released

Tue 12 Sep

Syntax

Thu 14 Sep

Semantics

Fri 15 Sep

Preliminary Survey due
A1 due
A2 released

Tue 19 Sep

Variables and Types

Thu 21 Sep

Functions (the Lambda Calculus)

Fri 22 Sep

A2 due
A3 released

Tue 26 Sep

Products and Isomorphisms

Thu 28 Sep

Sums

Fri 29 Sep

A3 due

Mon 2 Oct

A4 released

Tues 3 Oct

Recursive Expressions

Thu 5 Oct

Recursive Types

Mon 9 Oct

A4 due
A5 released

Tue 10 Oct

Universal Types (Parametric Polymorphism)

Thu 12 Oct

Constructive Logic (Proofs are Programs)

Optional: Propositions as Types by Philip Wadler

Fri 13 Oct

Midterm Study Materials released

Mon 16 Oct

A5 due

Tue 17 Oct

No Lecture (Fall Study Break)

Thu 19 Oct

Midterm Exam (in class)

Tue 24 Oct

Dynamic Classification, Gradual Typing, and Typed Holes

Mid-Semester Survey released

Optional: What is Gradual Typing by Jeremy Siek

Thu 26 Oct

Imperative Programming I - Side Effects

Optional: TAPL Ch. 13

Sat 28 Oct

A6 released

Tue 31 Oct

Imperative Programming II - Mutable Data Structures 😱

Mid-Semester Survey due

Thu 2 Nov

Imperative Program Verification I

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

Mon 6 Nov

A6 due
A7 released

Tue 7 Nov

Imperative Program Verification II

Thu 9 Nov

Ownership and Borrowing in Rust I

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

Tue 14 Nov

Ownership and Borrowing in Rust II

Thu 16 Nov

Parallelism and Cost Semantics I

Optional: PFPL Ch. 37-38

Fri 17 Nov

A7 due
A8 released

Tue 21 Nov

Parallelism and Cost Semantics II

Final Exam Study Materials released

Thu 23 Nov

No Lecture (Thanksgiving)

Tue 28 Nov

Concurrent Interaction

Optional: PFPL Ch. 39

Thu 30 Nov

Distributed Computation and Module Systems

Optional: PFPL Ch. 40

Fri 1 Dec

A8 due
A9 released

Tue 5 Dec

Special Topic: Macro Systems (presented by Andrew Blinn)

Fri 8 Dec

A9 due
End-of-semester Survey released

Thu 14 Dec

Final Exam (10:30am-12:30pm) (Location: 1013 DOW)

Fri 15 Dec

End-of-semester Survey due

Instructor

comar@umich.edu

GSI

blinnand@umich.edu

zzhaoe@umich.edu

Grader

tingtind@umich.edu

Grader

weixiao@umich.edu

EECS 490: Programming Languages

Schedule

People