Teaching code

4S007327

Teacher

Fabio Aurelio D'Asaro

Coordinator

Fabio Aurelio D'Asaro

Credits

3

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

INF/01 - INFORMATICS

Period

Sem. 2A dal Feb 17, 2025 al Mar 29, 2025.

Erasmus students

Not available

Courses Single

Not Authorized

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars 0

Learning objectives

Workshop on IT and multi-media
The workshop aims to provide students with an updated, rigorous and analytical framework on the professional applications of information technology and multimedia in contemporary society, with a specific focus on education and teaching, taking into account both the recent evolution of Instructional Design techniques, both of the progressive affirmation of e-learning, of the diffusion of the LIM (Multimedia Interactive Whiteboard) and of m-learning (mobile-learning). Therefore, at the end of the workshop, students must be able to list and describe on a regular basis the various information and multimedia technologies to support teaching, through the adoption of scientific terminology and the constant reference to examples, case studies and best practices (national and international), all in the perspective of communication within the job environment.

Prerequisites and basic notions

No specific prerequisites are required.

Program

The course will explore Alan Turing's fundamental contributions to mathematical logic, computability theory, and artificial intelligence, providing students with the critical tools necessary to understand the meaning of computation and its role in the contemporary world. The course will follow a path that begins with the foundations of logic and computability and leads to the philosophical implications of Turing’s thought.

Initially, some elementary concepts of propositional logic will be introduced to acquire the skills needed to understand the notions of decidability and computability. The formalist theories of David Hilbert will be examined, particularly the *Entscheidungsproblem* ("decision problem")—formulated by the German mathematician in 1928 within the then-vibrant debate on the foundations of mathematics—and the subsequent limiting results, which clarify the properties that formal systems cannot possess. These results were demonstrated in various ways by Kurt Gödel (1930), Alonzo Church (1936), Alan Turing (1936), and, several years later, by Paul Cohen (1963), with a spectacular proof of the independence of the continuum hypothesis from the axioms of Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory. These results will be discussed with an emphasis on their philosophical underpinnings before delving into the emergence of the concept of computability through Turing’s ideas, which are historically linked to these findings.

Next, the focus will shift to the Turing Machine, a theoretical model essential for understanding how algorithms work and the structural limits of computation. The Church-Turing Thesis, the Halting Problem, and the concept of computable functions will be examined. Students will have the opportunity to engage directly with the logic of Turing machines through targeted simulations aimed at reinforcing their practical understanding of computation.

Finally, the topic of AI will be introduced in relation to the philosophical debate sparked by Turing’s work. The *Imitation Game*, the *Turing Test*, and the theme of morphogenesis—developed in Turing’s final and lesser-known essay, *The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis* (1952), which describes how natural patterns (stripes, circles, spirals, etc.) can spontaneously arise from a homogeneous and uniform state—will be discussed in relation to modern AI, exploring the ethical, aesthetic, and speculative issues that emerge from the comparison between computational and human intelligence.

The lessons will alternate between theoretical moments and spaces for discussion and debate. This course aims to move beyond a reductive view of Turing’s work as merely that of a computer inventor, restoring his complexity as a multifaceted and versatile thinker, capable of making a lasting impact across different fields of knowledge.

Didactic methods

The teaching approach will consist of lectures (for approximately 2/3 of the time) and practical/laboratory activities (for about 1/3 of the time), such as reading articles, collaborative design and analysis of Turing machines, and debates among students.

Learning assessment procedures

The final evaluation of the students will be carried out through their participation in class activities.

Evaluation criteria

Students' participation in classroom activities will be assessed based on their linguistic, analytical, dialectical, and collaborative skills.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

Class participation (70%)

Exam language

Italiano