Chapter 3: What is Computer Science?

Christian Jacob
TOC

1

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1 What is Computer Science? 3
2 Research Areas of Computer Science (CS) 9

2.1 Theoretical Computer Science 15
2.2 Programming Languages 16
2.3 Computer Structures 17
2.4 Operating Systems 18
2.5 Pattern Recognition 19
2.6 Database Systems 20
2.7 Communication Systems 21
2.8 Artificial Intelligence 22
2.9 Computer Graphics 23
2.10 System Simulation 24
2.11 Computers and their Environment 25
2.12 Computational X 26

3 New Frontiers of Computing? 27
4 Learning the Computers Languages 28
5 Conjuring the Spirits of the Computer 29

What is Computer Science?

What is Computer Science?

Christian Jacob
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1 What is Computer Science?

What is Computer Science?

What is Computer Science?

Christian Jacob
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1 What is Computer Science?

to compute:

(French

computer

or Latin

computare

; as COM-,

putare

reckon)

Computer Science = Science of how to

Calculate

???

What is Computer Science?

What is Computer Science?

Christian Jacob
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1 What is Computer Science?

to compute:

(French

computer

or Latin

computare

; as COM-,

putare

reckon)

Computer Science = Science of how to

Calculate

???

computer:


1. a

person who computes

or makes calulations (originally, well-trained mathematicians
performing complex computations to set up logarithmic and trigonometric tables in the
18th century)

What is Computer Science?

What is Computer Science?

Christian Jacob
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1 What is Computer Science?

to compute:

(French

computer

or Latin

computare

; as COM-,

putare

reckon)

Computer Science = Science of how to

Calculate

???

computer:


1. a

person who computes

or makes calulations (originally, well-trained mathematicians
performing complex computations to set up logarithmic and trigonometric tables in the
18th century)
2. a usually electronic device for

storing

and

processing data

(usually in binary form),
according to instructions given to it in a variable program

1

1. The Concise Oxford Dictionary, Ninth Edition

What is Computer Science?

What is Computer Science?

Christian Jacob
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7

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1 What is Computer Science?

to compute:

(French

computer

or Latin

computare

; as COM-,

putare

reckon)

Computer Science = Science of how to

Calculate

???

computer:


1. a

person who computes

or makes calulations (originally, well-trained mathematicians
performing complex computations to set up logarithmic and trigonometric tables in the
18th century)
2. a usually electronic device for

storing

and

processing data

(usually in binary form),
according to instructions given to it in a variable program

1

Computers are machines for the

processing

of

information:

- storage -generation
- retrieval - transformation
- analyzation -

1. The Concise Oxford Dictionary, Ninth Edition

What is Computer Science?

What is Computer Science?

Christian Jacob
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Computer Science
=
Science of Processing Information by Computers
=
Informatics

Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)

What is Computer Science?

Christian Jacob
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2 Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)
Theoretical CS
Programming Languages

Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)

What is Computer Science?

Christian Jacob
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2 Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)
Theoretical CS
Programming Languages
Computer Structures
Operating Systems
Communication Systems

Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)

What is Computer Science?

Christian Jacob
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2 Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)
Theoretical CS
Programming Languages
Computer Structures
Operating Systems
Communication Systems
Computers & their Environment

Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)

What is Computer Science?

Christian Jacob
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2 Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)
Theoretical CS
Programming Languages
Computer Structures
Operating Systems
Database Systems
Communication Systems
Computer Graphics
System Simulation
Computers & their Environment

Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)

What is Computer Science?

Christian Jacob
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2 Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)
Theoretical CS
Programming Languages
Computer Structures
Operating Systems
Pattern Recognition
Database Systems
Communication Systems
Artificial Intelligence
Computer Graphics
System Simulation
Computers & their Environment
Computational X

Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)

What is Computer Science?

Christian Jacob
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2 Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)
Theoretical CS
Programming Languages
Computer Structures
Operating Systems
Pattern Recognition
Database Systems
Communication Systems
Artificial Intelligence
Computer Graphics
System Simulation
Computers & their Environment
Computational X
New Frontiers

Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)

What is Computer Science?

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2.1 Theoretical Computer Science
Theoretical CS
Automata Theory
Formal Languages
Grammars
Computability
Coding Theory
Complexity

Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)

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2.2 Programming Languages
Theoretical CS
Programming Languages
Modern programming languages and concepts
Syntax analysis
Grammars
Compilers
Code optimization
Visual programming
Genetic programming
Efficient Algorithms
Interpreters
Debuggers
Procedural Functional Rule-based Object-oriented Programming
Soft computing:
- neural networks
- fuzzy systems
- evolutionary algorithms
Software Engineering

Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)

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2.3 Computer Structures
Theoretical CS
Computer Structures
Multi-processing systems
Massively parallel computing architectures
Distributed computer architectures
Fault-tolerant computing systems
New Computer Architectures
Massively Parallel Computer Architectures
Alternative Computing
Environments

Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)

What is Computer Science?

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2.4 Operating Systems
Theoretical CS
Operating Systems
Multiprocessor and Network Configurations
Object-oriented Distributed Control
Computational Processes
System Processes
Synchronisation
Resource Allocation
Resource Sharing
Time-shared Processing
Multi-User Processing
Multi-Threaded Processing
Quasi-Parallel Computation

Research Areas of Computer Science (CS)

What is Computer Science?

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2.5 Pattern Recognition
Theoretical CS Pattern Recognition
Computer Vision
Image Analysis
Speech Understanding
Knowledge Processing
Data Mining
Speech Recognition
Voice Recognition
Research Areas of Computer Science (CS) What is Computer Science? Christian Jacob
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2.6 Database Systems
Theoretical CS
Database Systems
Information Storage and Retrieval
Distributed Database Systems
Scientific Database Management
Workflow Management
Electronic Trading
E-commerce
Data Mining
Sorting
Searching
Research Areas of Computer Science (CS) What is Computer Science? Christian Jacob
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2.7 Communication Systems
Theoretical CS Communication Systems
Performance evaluation
Analytical Simulation
Measurement Techniques
Communication Networks
SIMD Machines
MIMD Machines:
Multiple Input Multiple Data
Simple Input Multiple Data
Unconventional Computer Architectures
Design and Evaluation of
Research Areas of Computer Science (CS) What is Computer Science? Christian Jacob
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2.8 Articial Intelligence
Theoretical CS
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Knowledge and Reasoning
Planning
Uncertain Knowledge and Reasoning
Communicating
Robot Control
Alternative Programming Paradigms
Neural Networks
Evolutionary Algorithms
Perceiving
Acting
Fuzzy Logic
Symbolic Computation
Research Areas of Computer Science (CS) What is Computer Science? Christian Jacob
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2.9 Computer Graphics
Theoretical CS Computer Graphics
Scientific Visualization
Rendering Techniques
Modelling of 3D Scenes
Animation
Computer Games
Virtual Reality
Research Areas of Computer Science (CS) What is Computer Science? Christian Jacob
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2.10 System Simulation
Theoretical CS System Simulation
Self-Organizing Systems and Parallel Computation
High-Performance Programming Techniques
Continuous Simulation
Discrete Simulation
Multi-Level Methods
Numerical Simulation of Fluids
Parallel Finite Elements Algorithms for High-Performance Computers
Simulation in Science and Engineering
Stochastic Simulation and Modeling
Research Areas of Computer Science (CS) What is Computer Science? Christian Jacob
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2.11 Computers and their Environment
Theoretical CS Computers & their Environment
Human-computer interaction
Design of intelligent computers Interface design
Research Areas of Computer Science (CS) What is Computer Science? Christian Jacob
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2.12 Computational X
Theoretical CS
Computational X
Computational Biology, Bioinformatics
Computational Physics
Computational Mechanics
Computational Chemistry
Computational Mathematics
Computer Algebra
Symbolic Computation
New Frontiers of Computing? What is Computer Science? Christian Jacob
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3 New Frontiers of Computing?
Quantum Computing
DNA Computing
Evolutionary Computing
Agent-based, Distributed Computing
Massively Parallel Computing

Learning the Computers Languages What is Computer Science? Christian Jacob

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4 Learning the Computers Languages
I always worked with programming languages because it seemed to me that
until you could understand those, you really couldnt understand computers.
Understanding them doesnt really mean only being able to use them.
A lot of people can use them without understanding them.
Christopher Strachey (1916-1975)
1
1. Christopher Strachey was the rst leader of the Programming Research Group (PRG), part of the Oxford University Computing Laboratory (OUCL),
founded in 1965. He was the rst Professor of Computation at Oxford, succeeded by Tony Hoare in 1977 after his untimely death. With Dana Scott he
founded the eld of denotational semantics, providing a rm mathematical foundation for programming languages.
Conjuring the Spirits of the Computer What is Computer Science? Christian Jacob
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5 Conjuring the Spirits of the Computer
We are about to study the idea of a computational process.
Computational processes are abstract beings that inhabit computers.
As they evolve, processes manipulate other abstract things called data.
The evolution of a process is directed by a pattern of rules called a program.
People create programs to direct processes.
In effect, we conjure the spirits of the computer with our spells.
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1. H. Abelson and G. J. Sussman, Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, MIT Press, 1991.