CSC 110 – Intro. to Computing

1. CSC 110 –Intro. to Computing Prof. Matthew Hertz WTC 207D / 888-2436 hertzm@canisius.edu

2. Items to Discuss • Course Goals • Administration • Syllabus • Attendance • Extra credit • Late work/Make-ups • Working together • Grades

3. Course Goals • Learn computer’s history and culture • Better understand how computers work • Work with and develop algorithms and convert into programs • Understand how computers solve problems and their impact on society • Experience the advantages computer usage brings

4. Corequisites • Must be registered in CSC110L • Labs include students from different sections • Lab instructor will talk more about CSC110L • Must complete service learning component • At least 15 hours of volunteer work • More about this later…

5. Textbooks • Bundle: • Nell Dale and John Lewis,Computer Science Illuminated, 2nd ed., Jones and Bartlett, 2004 • Nell Dale,Student Lecture Companion, Jones and Bartlett, 2004 • R. Mark Meyer, Explorations in Computer Science, Jones and Bartlett, 2003. • Available at bookstore

6. Course Website http://blackboard.canisius.edu • Contains handouts, lecture slides, announcements, etc. • Good place to check for information • May not include everything said in class

7. Syllabus • Material covered in order (more or less) • Detailed syllabus on course web pages • Lectures present important details from reading and additional material not in the book • Lab sections focus on practical aspects of material covered in class

8. History of computers Binary encodings Logic, Gates, & Circuits Computer architecture Robots PALGO Information systems Simulation Social reponsibility & Ethics Artificial Intelligence Networks & the World Wide Web Mathematical limits of computation Course Syllabus -- Topics

9. Attendance • Class attendance is mandatory • Daily attendance will not be taken • You are responsible for everything that happens in class • Missing class is not an acceptable excuse • Great way to earn a poor grade: skip class

10. Late work/Make-ups • “Date due” means date due • Late work NOT accepted • Make-ups will not be offered • Not needed since everyone attends class

13. Life happens • When a catastrophe occurs… • Get a note from the Dean • Be prepared to show some documentation • Talk to the instructor as soon as you can • We will find an workable solution

14. Working Together • You must do all your own work • But, please talk to one another about: • Questions you have about the material • What an assignment asks for • What happened in class • Non-specific material you do not understand covered on the homework • When in doubt, ask me

15. Help! • Everyone will fall behind, not understand a detail, and/or have questions • Be mature: ask questions and seek out help • Use all available resources • CSC and academic skills tutors also available • DO NOT leave homework to the last moment • Best way to fail is to remain silent

16. Homework and Grading • Midterm will be given Oct. 13th • Quizzes will be given every other week

17. Writing Skills • Course includes a substantial writing component • Important life skill for everyone • Essays on midterm & final • Also, write an essay during semester about your experiences at the service learning site • Will have opportunity to revise and resubmit • More on this later…

18. Personal Information Sheet Name: Matthew Hertz Year: 1st year Major: Computer Science Previous Computer Experience: Worked for 2 years in industry Why are you in this course: I enjoy working with computers I chose Canisius because… I wanted to be at a school which values teaching & had students with whom I could continue my research.

19. Computer Prehistory • 16th Century BCE – abacus • Simple device used to perform calculations • Relies on training, knowledge of user

20. Computer Prehistory • 17th century CE – Gear-driven machines • Blaise Pascal developed machine performing whole-number addition & subtraction • Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz’s machine could also do multiplication & division • Neither machine was very reliable • Mostly due to lack of precise parts available

21. Computer Prehistory • 18th century CE – Jacquard’s loom • Weave cloth, slik, and other materials • Holes in cards created patterns woven into fabric

22. Early Attempts at a Computer • Early 19th century CE – analytical engine • Designed by Charles Babbage and advanced by Ada, Countess of Lovelace • Used punch cards like Jacquard’s loom • Similar to modern machines: • Had memory to hold intermediate value • Could accept programs • Too complex for the time – never built

23. Adding Machines & Tabulators • Late 19th & early 20th centuries CE • Many mechanical devices created to perform simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, division • Technology sufficient to make reliable machines • Tabulators continued to use punched cards for input

24. First Computers • Mid 20th Century CE – first “computers” • Many long calculations needed • Firing tables for gunners • Bombing runs for pilots • For efficiency, USA and UK used rooms filled with (usually) women • Women were cheaper to hire • Some used mechanical calculators • This was considered a mark of shame!

25. Electronic Computers • War effort started to use up all available “computers” • Electronic computers would reduce demand • ENIAC started during war • Hired 6 women as first programmers • Then the war ended • Luckily, the project continued through 1946