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To	:	CSD Faculty


From	:	John McCarthy


Subject	:	Course offerings in theory of computation.


	I don't agree with the recommendations of the curriculum committee
and Bob Floyd concerning courses in this area.  The recommendations
for course content say that formal languages, mechanical theorem proving
by resolution, Godel theorems, program schemata, automatic program
construction, computational complexity, decision problems, and philosophy
of computability are fundamental to computer science and should be
expanded to two quarters and that proving assertions about computer
programs is specialized and should be given once every two years.

	I think this emphasis is backwards both from the theoretical point
of view and in view of applications.

	I sympathize with the Committee's point of view concerning
opportunities to teach research courses, but I disagree with Bob Floyd's
point of view about what material is basic to computer science.