Computer Science Fundamentals
Mithat Konar
What is computer science?
- Webster: The study of computers and their uses.
- Oxford: The study of the principles and use of computers.
- University at Buffalo: The systematic study of algorithmic methods for representing and transforming information.
What is computer science?
- computer science: The science of what can be computed.
- computational science
- What is computation?
Major branches of computer science
- algorithms
- theory of computation
- computer architecture
- software systems
- artificial intelligence
Computer science topics
- computer graphics
- databases
- networks and protocols
- numerical methods
- operating systems
- parallel computing
- simulation and modeling
- software engineering.
Application fields
What about programming?
Algorithms
- The word algorithm is derived from the name of 9th-century mathematician and astronomer Al-Khwarizmi.
- Worked under the caliphate of al-Ma'mun in Baghdad.
- Also introduced “al-jabr”, which in English is called “algebra”. (The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing)
- First appears in European texts in 17th century.
- Modern usage in 19th century.
Algorithms
- Webster: A set of steps that are followed in order to solve a mathematical problem or to complete a computer process.
- Oxford: A process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer.
Algorithm example
- “Long” cardinal number multiplication:
A * B
let C equal 0
repeat the following B times:
add A to C
the desired result is C
What is a computer?
Hardware
- The physical stuff.
Software
- computer software: a set of program instructions and its related data and documentation that can be executed by computer.
Kinds of software
Fin
<html> <script> var uls = document.getElementsByTagName('ul'); for(var i=0,j=uls.length;i<j;++i){uls[i].setAttribute('class','incremental')} </script> </html>