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Computer Science 111

Computer Science 111. Fundamentals of Programming I Introduction. Links to Course Stuff. Course page home.wlu.edu/~lambertk/classes/111 Sakai (projects, quizzes, grades) sakai.wlu.edu. What Is Computer Science?. The study of computers (concrete artifacts) and their uses

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Computer Science 111

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  1. Computer Science 111 Fundamentals of Programming I Introduction

  2. Links to Course Stuff Course page home.wlu.edu/~lambertk/classes/111 Sakai (projects, quizzes, grades) sakai.wlu.edu

  3. What Is Computer Science? • The study of computers (concrete artifacts) and their uses • The study of computing (abstract processes) • The study of what can be computed (automated solutions to problems)

  4. Abacus (5th Century B.C.)

  5. Pascaline (1643)

  6. Jacquard’s Loom (1805)

  7. Babbage’s Difference Engine (1832)

  8. Hollerith’s Census Machine (1890)

  9. Harvard’s Mark I (1947)

  10. Apollo 11 Project (1960s) Margaret Hamilton, director of software engineering at NASA

  11. Microcomputers (1972-)

  12. Robots (2000-)

  13. Embedded Computers (2000-)

  14. Three Fundamental Ideas of CS • Information processing • Algorithms • Automation

  15. Information Processing Began over 2500 years ago with the invention of writing in ancient Mesopotamia and Greece • Rhetoric: use of symbols in ordinary writing • Mathematics: use of symbols to represent abstract systems of ideas and chains of reasoning • Computing: automatic symbolic information processing

  16. An Algorithm Is . . . • A description of a series of steps that leads to the solution of a problem • Examples: • Make a pizza from scratch • Give directions to the soccer field • Change a flat tire on an automobile

  17. Example: Make Pancakes • Beat two eggs • Add 2 Tb. brown sugar • Add 1/2 cup of milk • Add 1 Tb. melted butter • Add 1 cup self-rising flour • Pour batter onto griddle and cook until done

  18. Automation • If we can design an algorithm to solve a problem . . . • . . . then we can (in principle) build a real computer to automate the solution

  19. A Universal Machine • Some computers are highly specialized, others are general purpose • A general purpose computer can (in principle) automate the solution of any algorithmic problem

  20. Algorithms and Programs • Algorithms are abstract ideas, pure thought-stuff • Programs express algorithms in particular programming languages, such as • Basic • FORTRAN • C++ • Java • Python • Lisp

  21. Programs and Computing • A stored program computer can be reused for many different types of problems • Build a general-purpose computer once and then build specialized solutions as needed

  22. Hardware and Software • Hardware consists of the devices - microphones, speakers, processor, and memory storage - necessary to run any programs • Software consists of programs used to solve problems, including the processing of other programs

  23. For Monday Read Chapter 1 of the textbook and start Chapter 2

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