CS0001A

Introduction to Computing
Lecture 1: Introduction and Overview

Dr Malcolm Clarke

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 Lecture Outline

• Why are you here?

• Why computer?
• What are computer science?
• Why study computer science?
• Overview of the study guide

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 Learning Outcomes
After this lecture you will be able to
• understand the concepts of
– Computer science
– Computation
– Algorithms
– Implementation
• have an idea how to analyse algorithms

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 Why are you here
Do you want to become a computer scientist?
Yes? Congratulations!
You have come to the right place!
Good news No. 1: Computing is the core and
interesting part of computer science.
“Good” news No. 2: Computing is
mathematically beautiful!
So enjoy 

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 Why computer?
Importance Challenges
• Computers are • Theoretical
ubiquitous – underlying power of
– Mobile phones, fridges, computers, difficulty of
cars, aircraft, solving problems, novel
televisions, power types of computers …
stations … • Engineering
• Computers involved in – how to build correct
critical systems systems
– Power, hospitals, cars, • People
air traffic control, … – systems that help people
• „knowledge economy‟ and are easy to use

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 What is Computer Science?
• Computer science is the study of computation
 A discipline that studies computable problems
and computational structures (HyperDictionary
computer dictionary)
 A discipline that involves the understanding and
design of computers and computational
processes
 Is it a mathematical, scientific or engineering
discipline?
Interdisciplinary!
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 What is Computation? What is
computability theory?
• Computation is the • Computability is about
procedure of calculating – what computers can do
i.e. determining something and cannot do
by mathematical or logical  Characterise problems
methods (HyperDictionary) that can be solved
 “In natural science, Nature algorithmically
has given us a world and  Exhibit problems that
we’re just to discover its cannot be solved (e.g.
laws. In computers, we can the proof of the
stuff laws into it and insolvability of the
create a world”, by A. Kay “halting problem”)

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 What is an Algorithm?

An algorithm is any well-defined computational procedure that takes

some value, or set of values, as input and produces some value, or
set of values as output
An algorithm can be seen as a tool for solving a well-specified
computational problem.

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 What is implementation?
• Implementation is the task of turning
an algorithm into a computer program.
• Depending on the level of abstraction
of the description of the algorithm,
implementation can be anything
between a straightforward translating
task and a lengthy, difficult job.

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 Why study computer science?
Test: how do you write a program to calculate
the sum of 1,2,3,4, until n? n=1000 or10000?
What makes the difference between the truly
skilled programmers and the average?
• Strong algorithmic knowledge and technique!
• It might be that one can perform certain
programming tasks without knowing much
about algorithms; however with a good
grounding in algorithms, one can accomplish
much more.

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 Core topics of this module
• Provides an overview of basic computing concepts
– Hardware, architecture, operating systems,
networks and secruity, HCI, software,
programming languages, database, etc
• Allows you to develop and/or improve some
practical skills
– Problem solving, thinking, writing, ……
Textbook:
– Glenn Brookshear, J. 2011, Computer Science:
An Overview, Publisher: Pearson - Addison Wesley.

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 Followed by
• Next term you will have a module on
programming.

• It will be important that you

understand how a computer works.

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 Practical details - Lectures
• Lectures:
– Monday, 9.00-10.00 (one hour), LC-C,
weeks 1-12
– Will introduce the material covered in
the exam.
– You should also read around the topic.
– Some things will be immediately obvious,
others will not be!

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Practical details – Labs/seminars
• Timetables:
Lab:
– For weeks 1-12: Friday, HB223, 9.00-11.00 (two hours)

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Practical details – Labs/seminars
• Labs/seminars:
– Develop/improve the practical skills
– Receive guidance from the tutors.
– Note that tutors will not do your exercise for you.
– Expect to do reading on your own. You will need to know
more than is in lecture notes to gain high marks.
– What to read is given online

– Exam topics are covered in the lectures

– Exam questions are highly related to the lab exercises
– It is extremely important to attend labs and finish the exercises
– The tutors will take the register.
– You do NOT need to hand in your exercises.

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Practical details – Assessment
Assessment:
• 100% two-hours written exam,
• In week 12 (no lecture in week 12)
• Two parts:
– A multiple choice part A for Grade D
– An essay-type question part B for Grades C, B, A
• Please refer to Lab exercises
 You don‟t need luck to pass the module!
 But, still, best of luck!
 Enjoy!

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 Materials
• Details available via Brunel Blackboard Learning (BBL)
– http://www.brunel.ac.uk/blackboard
• These will include:
– Study guide
– Lecture slides (uploaded on Friday for Monday lectures)
– Lab instructions (uploaded on Friday for coming week‟s
labs)
– Lab answers (uploaded one week after)
– Links to additional material (reading materials,
timetable, student handbook, etc)
• Important to check frequently

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 Problems with your study
• You can use the labs to discuss
technical material.
• Use the BBL (Brunel Blackboard
Learning) online discussion forum.
• Ask the lecturer after the lecture
• For personal problems, contact your
tutor in Mathematics.

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 Next Lecture

• Computer hardware

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