EECS 490: Programming Languages

Winter 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 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 and discussion will meet the first week of class.

Lectures (but not discussions) 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 'Recordings & Zoom' section of the sidebar.

Lecture and discussion recordings will also be available after the fact via the CAEN room capture system, click 'Recordings & Zoom' in the sidebar to the left.

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.

Make sure to have a laptop and a reliable internet connection.

Students may also be interested in the following complementary courses:

EECS 390 (Programming Paradigms), also offered W23, which focuses more on making effective use of various language features, and less on mathematical first principles and program reasoning.
EECS 483 (Compiler Construction), which was offered F22, which 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 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; requests to take 490 instead will generally be denied.

Schedule

Day	#	Lecture Topic	Deadline	Readings
Wed 4 Jan	1	Course Overview
Mon 9 Jan	2	Programming with Mathematical Expressions	Preliminary Survey released	Optional: Cornell CS 3110 Notes, Ch. 2-3 (except 3.1.3)
Wed 11 Jan	3	Recursive Datatypes and Recursion Schemes		Optional: Cornell CS 3110 Notes, Ch. 4
Mon 16 Jan	No Lecture (MLK Jr. Day)
Wed 18 Jan	4	Equational and Inductive Reasoning		Optional: Princeton COS 326 Notes on Reasoning: Basics, Lists
Sat 21 Jan			A1 released
Mon 23 Jan	5	Syntax
Wed 25 Jan	6	Semantics	Preliminary Survey due
Fri 27 Jan		A1 due
Sat 28 Jan		A2 released
Mon 30 Jan	7	Variables and Types
Wed 1 Feb	8	Functions (the Lambda Calculus)
Thu 2 Feb		A2 due
Mon 6 Feb	9	Products	A3 released
Wed 8 Feb	10	Sums
Sat 11 Feb		A3 due A4 released
Mon 13 Feb	11	Recursive Expressions
Wed 15 Feb	12	Recursive Types
Fri 17 Feb		A4 due A5 released (after A4 late deadline)
Mon 20 Feb	13	Universal Types (Parametric Polymorphism)
Wed 22 Feb	14	Constructive Logic (Proofs are Programs)		Optional: Propositions as Types by Philip Wadler
Fri 24 Feb		A5 due Midterm Study Materials released
Sat 25 Feb - Sun 5 Mar	Break
Mon 6 Mar	15	Dynamic Classification, Gradual Typing, and Typed Holes		Optional: What is Gradual Typing by Jeremy Siek
Wed 8 Mar	16	Midterm Exam (during lecture)
Thu 9 Mar		A6 released Mid-Semester Survey released
Mon 13 Mar	17	Imperative Programming I - Side Effects		Optional: TAPL Ch. 13
Wed 15 Mar	18	Imperative Programming II - Mutable Data Structures
Thu 16 Mar		A6 due Mid-Semester Survey due A7 released
Mon 20 Mar	19	Imperative Program Verification I		Optional: CMU 17-654: Hoare Logic: Proving Programs Correct Optional: Washington CSE 331: Reasoning About Code (Hoare Logic)
Wed 22 Mar	20	Imperative Program Verification II
Mon 27 Mar	21	Ownership and Borrowing in Rust I		Optional: Rust Book Ch. 4.1-4.2: Understanding Ownership
Wed 29 Mar	22	Ownership and Borrowing in Rust II
Thu 30 Mar		A7 due A8 released
Mon 3 Apr	23	Parallelism and Cost Semantics I		Optional: PFPL Ch. 37-38
Wed 5 Apr	24	Parallelism and Cost Semantics II
Mon 10 Apr	25	Concurrent Interaction		Optional: PFPL Ch. 39
Tue 11 Apr		A8 due A9 released
Wed 12 Apr	26	Distributed Computation and Module Systems		Optional: PFPL Ch. 40
Mon 17 Apr	27	Special Topic (TBA)	Final Exam Study Materials released
Tue 18 Apr		A9 due End-of-semester Survey released
Mon 24 Apr	Final Exam (1:30-3:30pm) (Location TBA)
Tue 25 Apr		End-of-semester Survey due

Day

Lecture Topic

Deadline

Readings

Wed 4 Jan

Course Overview

Mon 9 Jan

Programming with Mathematical Expressions

Preliminary Survey released

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

Wed 11 Jan

Recursive Datatypes and Recursion Schemes

Optional: Cornell CS 3110 Notes, Ch. 4

Mon 16 Jan

No Lecture (MLK Jr. Day)

Wed 18 Jan

Equational and Inductive Reasoning

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

Sat 21 Jan

A1 released

Mon 23 Jan

Syntax

Wed 25 Jan

Semantics

Preliminary Survey due

Fri 27 Jan

A1 due

Sat 28 Jan

A2 released

Mon 30 Jan

Variables and Types

Wed 1 Feb

Functions (the Lambda Calculus)

Thu 2 Feb

A2 due

Mon 6 Feb

Products

A3 released

Wed 8 Feb

Sums

Sat 11 Feb

A3 due
A4 released

Mon 13 Feb

Recursive Expressions

Wed 15 Feb

Recursive Types

Fri 17 Feb

A4 due
A5 released (after A4 late deadline)

Mon 20 Feb

Universal Types (Parametric Polymorphism)

Wed 22 Feb

Constructive Logic (Proofs are Programs)

Optional: Propositions as Types by Philip Wadler

Fri 24 Feb

A5 due
Midterm Study Materials released

Sat 25 Feb - Sun 5 Mar

Break

Mon 6 Mar

Dynamic Classification, Gradual Typing, and Typed Holes

Optional: What is Gradual Typing by Jeremy Siek

Wed 8 Mar

Midterm Exam (during lecture)

Thu 9 Mar

A6 released
Mid-Semester Survey released

Mon 13 Mar

Imperative Programming I - Side Effects

Optional: TAPL Ch. 13

Wed 15 Mar

Imperative Programming II - Mutable Data Structures

Thu 16 Mar

A6 due
Mid-Semester Survey due
A7 released

Mon 20 Mar

Imperative Program Verification I

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

Wed 22 Mar

Imperative Program Verification II

Mon 27 Mar

Ownership and Borrowing in Rust I

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

Wed 29 Mar

Ownership and Borrowing in Rust II

Thu 30 Mar

A7 due
A8 released

Mon 3 Apr

Parallelism and Cost Semantics I

Optional: PFPL Ch. 37-38

Wed 5 Apr

Parallelism and Cost Semantics II

Mon 10 Apr

Concurrent Interaction

Optional: PFPL Ch. 39

Tue 11 Apr

A8 due
A9 released

Wed 12 Apr

Distributed Computation and Module Systems

Optional: PFPL Ch. 40

Mon 17 Apr

Special Topic (TBA)

Final Exam Study Materials released

Tue 18 Apr

A9 due
End-of-semester Survey released

Mon 24 Apr

Final Exam (1:30-3:30pm) (Location TBA)

Tue 25 Apr

End-of-semester Survey due

Instructor

comar@umich.edu

GSI

dmoo@umich.edu

hejohns@umich.edu

zwgold@umich.edu

Grader

hailunzh@umich.edu

Grader

rajvarun@umich.edu

Grader

ypei@umich.edu

EECS 490: Programming Languages

Schedule

People