General Computer Science 320201 GenCS I & II Lecture ... - Kwarc
General Computer Science 320201 GenCS I & II Lecture ... - Kwarc
General Computer Science 320201 GenCS I & II Lecture ... - Kwarc
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Chapter 1<br />
Getting Started with “<strong>General</strong><br />
<strong>Computer</strong> <strong>Science</strong>”<br />
Jacobs University offers a unique CS curriculum to a special student body. Our CS curriculum<br />
is optimized to make the students successful computer scientists in only three years (as opposed<br />
to most US programs that have four years for this). In particular, we aim to enable students to<br />
pass the GRE subject test in their fifth semester, so that they can use it in their graduate school<br />
applications.<br />
The Course 320101/2 “<strong>General</strong> <strong>Computer</strong> <strong>Science</strong> I/<strong>II</strong>” is a one-year introductory course that<br />
provides an overview over many of the areas in <strong>Computer</strong> <strong>Science</strong> with a focus on the foundational<br />
aspects and concepts. The intended audience for this course are students of <strong>Computer</strong> <strong>Science</strong>,<br />
and motivated students from the Engineering and <strong>Science</strong> disciplines that want to understand<br />
more about the “why” rather than only the “how” of <strong>Computer</strong> <strong>Science</strong>, i.e. the “science part”.<br />
1.1 Overview over the Course<br />
Plot of “<strong>General</strong> <strong>Computer</strong> <strong>Science</strong>”<br />
Today: Motivation, Admin, and find out what you already know<br />
What is <strong>Computer</strong> <strong>Science</strong>?<br />
Information, Data, Computation, Machines<br />
a (very) quick walk through the topics<br />
Get a feeling for the math involved ( not a programming course!!! )<br />
learn mathematical language (so we can talk rigorously)<br />
inductively defined sets, functions on them<br />
elementary complexity analysis<br />
Various machine models (as models of computation)<br />
(primitive) recursive functions on inductive sets<br />
combinational circuits and computer architecture<br />
Programming Language: Standard ML (great equalizer/thought provoker)<br />
Turing machines and the limits of computability<br />
1