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Computers
touch everything we do today. In
this class we’ll look at computer systems from the ground up. We’ll see how they work and what
we can all do to exploit them more effectively.
Topics
will include:
·
How
fast is the world of computing changing (alternatively, what should you
expect will happen over the next 50 years)?
·
What
is “computational thinking”?
Put another way: how do we have to specify solutions to problems if we
want computers to do the work?
·
How
is it that computers manipulate not just numbers but also things like all the
text out there on the Web and all the videos on your iPod? Answer: everything is a binary number.
·
If
computers are so fast, why are some problems still hard? Solving them could take more seconds
than there have been since the Big Bang.
One answer: exponential growth.
·
Are
there provable limits to what we can compute? We’re asking about problems that
no cloud computing or quantum computing will ever be able to solve.
·
Will
computers ever rival humans at what we do best? Are they getting close even now?
Prerequisites
None.
What You’ll Do
·
Come
to class. There will be lectures
(including many that cover material that is not in the book). We’ll also have demonstrations
and sessions where we work problems.
·
Work
homework problems that reinforce what we’ve talked about in class.
·
Write
four or five short programs (in Python).
·
Build
a simple website about yourself and your interests.
More Information
Click on the tabs to the
left for more information.
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