CS 1104 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE

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CS 1104INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE

• J.A.N. Lee
• Professor of Computer Science

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(No Transcript)
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The Components

• Computers and computing only just over 50 years
  old
• Computer Science is about 40 years old
• Still developing and expanding

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6 Blind Men and an Elephant
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5 Faculty and a Science
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What Computer Science is NOT! (Totally)

• Programming in C or Java.
• Text editing or word processing.
• Using spread sheets or any other applications.
• Browsing the web.
• Developing interactive arcade games

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Definition of Computer Science

• Computer Science is the study of
  algorithms, including their
• Formal and mathematical properties
• Hardware realizations
• Linguistic realizations
• Applications
• And one more ...

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Lees Law

• The Law Everything in Computer Science can be
  categorized into groups of five components
  (otherwise known as quintuples).
• Corollary If not fix it!

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The Missing Item

• Computer Science is the study of
  algorithms, including their
• Formal and mathematical properties
• Hardware realizations
• Linguistic realizations
• Applications
• Ethical Usage and Social Impact

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Alternate Definition of Computer Science

• The study of information, its representation,
  organization, manipulation, and
  transformation to accomplish some end.
• The manipulation and transformation is
  accomplished by computation, which is specified
  as algorithms.

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Is Computer Science REALLY a Science?

• The systematic observation of natural events and
  conditions in order to discover facts about them
  and to formulate laws and principles based on
  these facts.
• The organized body of knowledge that is derived
  from such observations and that can be verified
  or tested by further investigation.
• Any specific branch of this general body of
  knowledge, such as biology, physics, geology, or
  astronomy. (From the Latin word meaning
  knowledge.)

Source Academic Press Dictionary of Science
Technology
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Comparison to Physics - I
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Comparison to Physics - II
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We can make other comparisons

• Biology - has many scales of size from
  microbiology to environmental biology
• Engineering - has many levels of concept from
  electronics to construction
• Mathematics - has synthesis and decomposition
• Philosophy - has fundamental truths

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Or Is Computer Sciencean APPLIED Science?

• Our work is dependent on more fundamental
  sciences
• Our objects of study are man-made
• Our laws are the laws of application
• The laws of CS are frequently violated by human
  error!

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Computer Science Builds on Other Disciplines
Mathematics
Philosophy
Physics
Computer Science
Sociology
Chemistry
Engineering
Linguistics
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HIERARCHIES OF
INTEREST

• There are other levels of interest in CS. For
  example, there is a hierarchy of languages
• High level languages
• Assembly language
• Machine language
• Microcode

What is missing?
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A hierarchy of computerscience

• 1. Algorithmic foundations
• 2. Hardware world
• 3. Virtual machines
• 4. Software world
• 5. Social issues
• This is the general hierarchy that we will use in
  this course

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Computer Science At Virginia Tech

• The courses we teach
• http//courses.cs.vt.edu
• The course requirements for graduation
• http//www.cs.vt.edu/academics/ugrad/2003checkshe
  et.html
• The interests and research of our faculty

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The Lower Division Courses

• CS1044 Introduction to Programming
• CS1104 Introduction to Computer Science
• CS1204, 2204 Operating System Tools I, II
• CS1604 Computers and Networked Information
• CS1704 Introduction to Data Structures
  Software Engineering
• CS2604 Data Structures and File Processing
• CS2704 Object-Oriented Software Design and
  Construction

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The Junior Courses

• CS3204 Operating Systems
• CS3304 Comparative Languages
• CS/Math 3414 Numerical Methods
• CS3604 Professionalism in Computing
• CS3704 Software Engineering
• CS3724 Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction

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The Senior Courses - I

• CS4104 Data and Algorithm Analysis
• CS4114 Formal Languages
• CS4124 Theory of Computation
• CS4204 Computer Graphics
• CS4214 Simulation and Modeling
• CS4234 Parallel Computation
• CS4414 Issues in Scientific Computing
• CS4504 Computer Organization

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The Senior Courses - II

• CS4304 Compilers and Translators
• CS4604 Introduction to Database Management
  Systems
• CS4624 Multimedia, Hypertext and Information
  Access
• CS4704 Software Engineering
• CS4804 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
• CS4984 WWW - The Underlying Technology

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Research Interests

• Center for Human-Computer Interaction
• Digital Libraries Research Laboratory
• Internet Technology Innovation Center
• Parallel Computation Laboratory
• Network Research Group
• Problem Solving Environments Group
• Simulation and Software Engineering Laboratory
• Systems Research Center

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The Textbook Hierarchy
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REVIEW

• http//courses.cs.vt.edu/cs1104/Introduction/Cha
  pter1.010.htm