Description
This book presents an introductory survey of computer science. It explores the breadth of the subject while including enough depth to convey an honest appreciation for the topics involved.
Audience
I wrote this text for students of computer science as well as students from other disciplines. As for computer science students, most begin their studies with the illusion that computer science is programming, Web browsing, and Internet file sharing since that is essentially all they have seen. Yet computer science is much more than this. In turn, beginning computer science students need exposure to the breadth of the subject in which they are planning to major. Providing this exposure is the theme of this book. It gives students an overview of computer science—a foundation from which they can appreciate the relevance and interrelationships of future courses in the field. This survey approach is, in fact, the model used for introductory courses in the natural sciences.
This broad background is also what students from other disciplines need if they are to relate to the technical society in which they live. A computer science course for this audience should provide a practical, realistic understanding of the entire field rather than merely an introduction to using the Internet or training in the use of some popular software packages. There is, of course, a proper place for training, but this text is about educating.
Thus, while writing this text, maintaining accessibility for nontechnical students was a major goal. The result is that previous editions have been used successfully in courses for students over a wide range of disciplines and educational levels, ranging from high school to graduate courses. This eleventh edition is designed to continue that tradition.
contents:
- Chapter 0 Introduction
- Chapter 1 Data Storage
- Chapter 2 Data Manipulation
- Chapter 3 Operating Systems
- Chapter 4 Networking and the Internet
- Chapter 5 Algorithms
- Chapter 6 Programming Languages
- Chapter 7 Software Engineering
- Chapter 8 Data Abstractions
- Chapter 9 Database Systems
- Chapter 10 Computer Graphics
- Chapter 11 Artificial Intelligence
- Chapter 12 Theory of Computation
- Appendixes