Programs and Courses

Source: https://programsandcourses.anu.edu.au/course/COMP3630 Parent: https://programsandcourses.anu.edu.au/program/AACOM

• Code COMP3630

• Unit Value 6 units

• Offered by School of Computing

• ANU College ANU College of Systems and Society
• Course subject Computer Science

• Areas of interest Computer Science, Advanced Computing, Computational Foundations

• Academic career UGRD

• Course convener
• Dr Pascal Bercher
• Mode of delivery In Person
• Co-taught Course
• COMP6363
• Offered in

First Semester 2026\

See Future Offerings - STEM Course

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Theory of Computation (COMP3630)

• Introduction
• Learning Outcomes
• Indicative Assessment
• Workload
• Inherent Requirements
• Requisite and Incompatibility
• Prescribed Texts
• Other Information
• Fees
• Offerings and Dates

This course covers the theoretical computer science areas of formal languages and automata, computability and complexity. Topics covered include the following: regular and context-free languages; finite automata and pushdown automata; Turing machines; computability - halting problem, solvable, and unsolvable problems; space and time complexity; classes P, NP and PSPACE; NP-Completeness.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of formal computation and its relationship to languages
2. Distinguish different computing languages and classify their respective types
3. Recognise and comprehend formal reasoning about languages
4. Demonstrate a competent understanding of the basic concepts of complexity theory

Other Information

COMP3630 Website

Indicative Assessment

1. Assignments, quizzes, in-class activities (50) [LO 1,2,3,4]
2. Final Exam and/or during semester assessments (50) [LO 1,2,3,4]

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Workload

Lectures, tutorials, assignments, self-study & exam prep for a total of 130 hours.

Inherent Requirements

None.

Requisite and Incompatibility

To enrol in this course you must have completed: 24 units of COMP coded courses AND (6 units of MATH OR COMP1600) Incompatible with COMP6363.

Prescribed Texts

See COMP3630 Resources

Fees

Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.

Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students\ If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. 

Student Contribution Band: : 2

Unit value: : 6 units

If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) placeor international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.

Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.

Course fees

Domestic International

Domestic fee paying students

International fee paying students

Note: Please note that fee information is for current year only.

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Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

The list of offerings for future years is indicative only. \

Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.

2026

2027

First Semester

First Semester