Description
The class is a tour of the big ideas that make computer science an
academic discipline. We tour the architecture of modern computers
from bits and logic all the way up to programming languages and
software libraries. We probe the insights in computability and
algorithm design that make possible massive search engines like Google
and help us understand the relation between computation and
intelligence. Coursework primarily involves paper-and-pencil problem
solving and a very small amount of programming to provide students
with hands-on-experience with the concepts we introduce.
Credits: 3*
01:640:026 or 01:640:027. This course may not be used for major credit.
Please note that courses for which a student has received a grade of D cannot be used to satisfy prerequisite requirements.
Semesters Offered:Spring and fall
Core Curriculum Goals Met by this Course:x and aa
Topics: Boolean algebra,
binary numbers,
computation and algorithms,
secret codes,
robotics and machine learning
Expected Work: Lectures, in class clicker quizzes, hands-on demonstrations, written homework, short online activities, written midterm and final
Exams: Midterm and final
* - Cannot be taken for credit toward the Computer Science Degree
