EECS 490: Programming Languages

Fall 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 -- see the schedule below.

Lectures attendance is required. Lectures will be live-streamed via Zoom for your occasional use when you cannot make it in person, but I expect you to come in person most of the time -- this is not a large class, so we want it to be interactive! 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! You are responsible for what is covered in lecture even if it is not legible in the recording.

Exams will be held in person. 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 or your internet connection is bad.

Students may also be interested in the following complementary courses:

EECS 390 (Programming Paradigms), which focuses more on making effective use of various language features, and less on mathematical first principles and program reasoning.
EECS 483 (Compiler Construction), 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) 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.

Schedule

Day	#	Lecture Topic	Deadline	Readings
Tue 27 Aug	1	Course Overview		Required: EECS 490 Syllabus
Thu 29 Aug	2	Programming with Mathematical Expressions	Preliminary Survey released	Optional: Cornell CS 3110 Notes, Ch. 2-3 (except 3.1.3)
Tue 3 Sep	3	Recursive Datatypes and Recursion Schemes	A1 released	Optional: Cornell CS 3110 Notes, Ch. 4
Thu 5 Sep	4	Equational and Inductive Reasoning		Optional: Princeton COS 326 Notes on Reasoning: Basics, Lists
Tue 10 Sep	5	Syntax
Thu 12 Sep	6	Semantics
Fri 13 Sep		Preliminary Survey due A1 due A2 released
Tue 17 Sep	7	Variables and Types
Thu 19 Sep	8	Functions (the Lambda Calculus)
Fri 20 Sep		A2 due A3 released
Tue 24 Sep	9	Products and Isomorphisms
Thu 26 Sep	10	Sums
Fri 27 Sep		A3 due A4 released
Tue 1 Oct	11	Recursive Expressions
Thu 3 Oct	12	Recursive Types
Fri 4 Oct		A4 due A5 released Midterm Study Materials released
Tue 8 Oct	13	Universal Types (Parametric Polymorphism)
Thu 10 Oct	14	Constructive Logic (Proofs are Programs)		Optional: Propositions as Types by Philip Wadler
Fri 11 Oct		A5 due
Tue 15 Oct	No Lecture - Fall Study Break
Thu 17 Oct	Midterm Exam (in class)
Tue 22 Oct	15	Dynamic Classification, Gradual Typing, and Typed Holes	Mid-Semester Survey released	Optional: What is Gradual Typing by Jeremy Siek
Thu 24 Oct	16	Imperative Programming I - Side Effects		Optional: TAPL Ch. 13
Fri 25 Oct		A6 released Mid-Semester Survey due
Tue 29 Oct	17	Imperative Programming II - Mutable Data Structures 😱
Thu 31 Oct	18	Imperative Program Analysis I		Optional: CMU 17-654: Hoare Logic: Proving Programs Correct Optional: Washington CSE 331: Reasoning About Code (Hoare Logic)
Fri 1 Nov		A6 due A7 released
Tue 5 Nov	19	Imperative Program Analysis II
Thu 7 Nov	20	Memory Management + Ownership in Rust		Optional: Rust Book Ch. 4.1-4.2: Understanding Ownership
Tue 12 Nov	21	Borrowing in Rust
Thu 14 Nov	22	Parallelism and Cost Semantics I		Optional: PFPL Ch. 37-38
Fri 15 Nov		A7 due A8 released
Tue 19 Nov	23	Parallelism and Cost Semantics II
Thu 21 Nov	24	Concurrent Interaction		Optional: PFPL Ch. 39
Fri 22 Nov		A8 due A9 released Final Exam study materials released
Tue 26 Nov	No Lecture - Happy Thanksgiving!
Thu 28 Nov	No Lecture - Happy Thanksgiving!
Tue 3 Dec	25	Distributed Computation and Module Systems		Optional: PFPL Ch. 40
Thu 5 Dec	26	Special Topic: TBA
Fri 6 Dec		A9 due End-of-semester Survey released
Fri 13 Dec		End-of-semester Survey due
Wed 18 Dec	Final Exam (10:30am-12:30pm) (Location: TBD)

Day

Lecture Topic

Deadline

Readings

Tue 27 Aug

Course Overview

Required: EECS 490 Syllabus

Thu 29 Aug

Programming with Mathematical Expressions

Preliminary Survey released

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

Tue 3 Sep

Recursive Datatypes and Recursion Schemes

A1 released

Optional: Cornell CS 3110 Notes, Ch. 4

Thu 5 Sep

Equational and Inductive Reasoning

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

Tue 10 Sep

Syntax

Thu 12 Sep

Semantics

Fri 13 Sep

Preliminary Survey due
A1 due
A2 released

Tue 17 Sep

Variables and Types

Thu 19 Sep

Functions (the Lambda Calculus)

Fri 20 Sep

A2 due
A3 released

Tue 24 Sep

Products and Isomorphisms

Thu 26 Sep

Sums

Fri 27 Sep

A3 due
A4 released

Tue 1 Oct

Recursive Expressions

Thu 3 Oct

Recursive Types

Fri 4 Oct

A4 due
A5 released
Midterm Study Materials released

Tue 8 Oct

Universal Types (Parametric Polymorphism)

Thu 10 Oct

Constructive Logic (Proofs are Programs)

Optional: Propositions as Types by Philip Wadler

Fri 11 Oct

A5 due

Tue 15 Oct

No Lecture - Fall Study Break

Thu 17 Oct

Midterm Exam (in class)

Tue 22 Oct

Dynamic Classification, Gradual Typing, and Typed Holes

Mid-Semester Survey released

Optional: What is Gradual Typing by Jeremy Siek

Thu 24 Oct

Imperative Programming I - Side Effects

Optional: TAPL Ch. 13

Fri 25 Oct

A6 released
Mid-Semester Survey due

Tue 29 Oct

Imperative Programming II - Mutable Data Structures 😱

Thu 31 Oct

Imperative Program Analysis I

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

Fri 1 Nov

A6 due
A7 released

Tue 5 Nov

Imperative Program Analysis II

Thu 7 Nov

Memory Management + Ownership in Rust

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

Tue 12 Nov

Borrowing in Rust

Thu 14 Nov

Parallelism and Cost Semantics I

Optional: PFPL Ch. 37-38

Fri 15 Nov

A7 due
A8 released

Tue 19 Nov

Parallelism and Cost Semantics II

Thu 21 Nov

Concurrent Interaction

Optional: PFPL Ch. 39

Fri 22 Nov

A8 due
A9 released
Final Exam study materials released

Tue 26 Nov

No Lecture - Happy Thanksgiving!

Thu 28 Nov

No Lecture - Happy Thanksgiving!

Tue 3 Dec

Distributed Computation and Module Systems

Optional: PFPL Ch. 40

Thu 5 Dec

Special Topic: TBA

Fri 6 Dec

A9 due
End-of-semester Survey released

Fri 13 Dec

End-of-semester Survey due

Wed 18 Dec

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

Instructor

comar@umich.edu

GSI

gregtc@umich.edu

Grader

lmulcahy@umich.edu

EECS 490: Programming Languages

Schedule

People