Great Ideas in Computer Science, second edition

A Gentle Introduction

By: Alan W. Biermann

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Paperback | 6 March 1997 | Edition Number 2

At a Glance

Paperback
566 Pages

Edition Type
Revised

Age
18+

Dimensions(cm)
0.1 x 0.1 x 0.1

Paperback

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In "Great Ideas in Computer Science: A Gentle Introduction," Alan Biermann presents the "great ideas" of computer science that together comprise the heart of the field. He condenses a great deal of complex material into a manageable, accessible form. His treatment of programming, for example, presents only a few features of Pascal and restricts all programs to those constructions. Yet most of the important lessons in programming can be taught within these limitations. The student's knowledge of programming then provides the basis for understanding ideas in compilation, operating systems, complexity theory, noncomputability, and other topics. Whenever possible, the author uses common words instead of the specialized vocabulary that might confuse readers. Readers of the book will learn to write a variety of programs in Pascal, design switching circuits, study a variety of Von Neumann and parallel architectures, hand simulate a computer, examine the mechanisms of an operating system, classify various computations as tractable or intractable, learn about noncomputability, and explore many of the important issues in artificial intelligence. This second edition has new chapters on simulation, operating systems, and networks. In addition, the author has upgraded many of the original chapters based on student and instructor comments, with a view toward greater simplicity and readability.

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Non-Fiction Computing & I.T.Computer Science Computer Hardware Personal Computers

Preface to the Second Edition
Preface
Studying Academic Computer Science: An Introduction
An Introduction to Programming: Coding Decision Trees	p. 1
Text Manipulation and Algorithm Design	p. 41
Numerical Computation and a Study of Functions	p. 81
Top-Down Programming, Subroutines, and a Database Application	p. 125
Simulation	p. 189
Software Engineering	p. 209
Electric Circuits	p. 221
Machine Architecture	p. 259
Language Translation	p. 273
Virtual Environments for Computing	p. 315
Computer Communications	p. 349
Program Execution Time	p. 365
Parallel Computation	p. 391
Noncomputability	p. 425
Artificial Intelligence	p. 451
Appendix A	p. 511
Appendix B	p. 515
Readings	p. 523
Index	p. 525
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.

Great Ideas in Computer Science, second edition

A Gentle Introduction

At a Glance

Paperback

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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