Class 1:

Introduction

CS150: Computer Science

University of Virginia
Computer Science

CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

David Evans
1

http://www.cs.virginia.edu/ev
ans

What is
Computer Science?

CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

Let AB and CD be the two given

numbers not relatively prime. It is
required to find the greatest common
measure of AB and CD.

If now CD measures AB, since it also

measures itself, then CD is a common
measure of CD and AB. And it is
manifest that it is also the greatest, for
no greater number than CD measures
Euclids Elements, Book VII, Proposition 2 (300B
CD.
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

The note on the inflected line

is only difficult to you, because it
is so easy. There is in fact
nothing in it, but you think there
must be some grand mystery
hidden under that word inflected!
Whenever from any point
without a given line, you draw a
long to any point in the given
line, you have inflected a line
upon a given
line. (age 19), letter to
Ada Byron
Annabella Acheson (explaining
Euclid), 1834
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction
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By the word operation, we mean any

process which alters the mutual relation
of two or more things, be this relation of
what kind it may. This is the most
general definition, and would include all
subjects in the universe... Supposing, for
instance, that the fundamental relations
of pitched sounds in the science of
harmony and of musical composition
were susceptible of such expression and
adaptations, the engine might compose
elaborate and scientific pieces of music
of any degree of complexity
extent.1843
AdaorByron,
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

What is the
difference
between
Euclid and
Ada?
It depends on what
your definition of is is.
Bill Gates (at Microsofts
anti-trust trial)

CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

Geometry vs. Computer

Science
Geometry (mathematics) is about
declarative knowledge: what is
If now CD measures AB, since it also measures
itself, then CD is a common measure of CD and
AB

Computer Science is about

imperative knowledge: how to
Computer Science has little to do
with beige (or translucent blue)
boxes called computers and is not
a real science.

CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

Computer Science
How to knowledge:
Ways of describing information
processes (computations)
Language
Ways of predicting properties of
information processes
Logic
What kinds of things do we want to predict?
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

Science, Engineering,
Other?

CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

Science?
Understanding Nature through
Observation
About real things like bowling balls, black
holes, antimatter, electrons, comets, etc.

Math and Computer Science are

about fake things like numbers,
graphs, functions, lists, etc.
Computer Science is a useful tool for
doing real science, but not a real science
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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Engineering?
Engineering is design under
constraint Engineering is
synthetic - it strives to create
what can be, but it is constrained
by nature, by cost, by concerns of
safety, reliability, environmental
impact, manufacturability,
maintainability and many other
such 'ilities.' ...
William Wulf
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

11

Apollo Guidance Computer,

1969

1 Cubic Foot

CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

Why did they need to fit

the guidance computer in
the rocket?
12

Measuring Computers
1 bit = smallest unit of information
True or False
0 or 1
If we start with 2 possible choices, and
get 1 bit, we can eliminate one of the
choices

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How much power?

Apollo Computer: 30720 bits of changeable
memory
Lab machines have 512 MB (RAM)
1 Megabyte = 1024 Kilobytes,
Kilobyte
= this
1024
You1
will
understand
notation soonbut dont worry
Bytes, 1 Byte = 8 bits
if you dont now
512 MB
> (* 512 1024 1024 8)

4294967296 ~ 4.3 Billion bits

> (round (/ You
(* 386
1024
8)more
30720))
have1024
105 404
times
power than AGC
139810
If Apollo Guidance Computer power is 1 inch, you have 2.2
miles!
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Computing Power 1969-2005

(in Apollo Control Computer
Units)
Moores Law: computing
power doubles every 18
months!

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Constraints Computer Scientists

Face
Not like those for engineers:
Cost, weight, physics, etc.
If ~8 Million times what people had in 1969
isnt enough for you, wait until 2007 and
you will have 20 Million times

More like those for Musicians and Poets:

Imagination and Creativity
Complexity of what we can understand

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So, what is computer

science?
Science
No: its about fake things like numbers,
not about observing and understanding
nature

Engineering
No: we dont have to deal with
engineering-type constraints

Liberal Art
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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Liberal Arts: ~1100

Illiberal Arts
arts for the non-free: pursued for economic reasons

Liberal Arts
arts for the free: pursued for intrinsic reasons

CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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The Liberal Arts

e
g
a
u
g
n
la

nu
mb
ers

Trivium (3 roads) Quadrivium (4 roads

Grammar
study of meaning Rhetoric
in written
comprehensi
expression
on of
discourse

Logic Arithmetic
argument
for
discoverin
g truth

Geometr
y
quantificatio
n of space

Music
number
in time

Astronomy

We will see all of these in this class!

CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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Course
Expectations
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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Course Roadmap

CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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Liberal ArtsIlliberal Arts

(Intellectual) ($$$$)

Computer Science st
1 Class
from Euclid and
Ada
PS 1-5
to
Lecture
Quantum
PS
6-7
Computing and
the World Wide
Web

What You Should Expect

The fourth (?) coolest class at UVa
Less cool than PHYE162, PHYE163, PHYE164

You should expect these

of all your classes!

This course will be consistent with

the original notion of a Liberal Arts
education
This course will be as consistent
as possible with Mr. Jeffersons
vision for the University
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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Like Drinking from a

Firehose
Dont be overwhelmed!
You will do fine.

It may hurt a little bit, and a lot of water

will go by you, but you wont go away
thirsty!
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Help Available
Me: David Evans (Call me Dave or
Coach)
Office Hours will be posted (after your surveys)
Always available by email, if I dont reply in 24
hours, send again and complain
Assistant Coaches: David Faulkner and Dan Upton
Web site: http://www.cs.virginia.edu/cs150
Everything goes on the web, you should visit it often

Your classmates (read the course pledge

carefully!)

CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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What I Expect of You

1. Everything on the Course Pledge

You should actually read it not just

sign it
(you will lose points on PS1 if your
submission reveals that you didnt read
it!)
1.Believe knowledge is powerful
2. You
are a Jeffersonian
Student
2.Interested
in lots of things,
ahead of your
time
3.Want to use what you learn to do good
things
4.Care more about what you learn than
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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Background Expected
Language:
Reasonable reading and writing in English
Understanding of subject, verb and object

Math:
Whole numbers, add, subtract, multiply, divide
Exponentiation, logarithms (we will review)

Logic: and, or, not

Computer Literacy: read email, browse
web
If I ever appear to expect anything else, stop me!
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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A Course for Everyone!

CLAS, SEAS, Commerce, Arch, etc.

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Years, Community
Scholars, Faculty
No background expectedbut
challenging even for students with lots
of previous CS courses (if youve
already taken CS415 talk to me first)
Computer Science (future-) majorsbut
worthwhile even if you dont take
another CS course
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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Shameless Pitch
We need more students in this class!
Recruit your friends
Recruit your enemies
Recruit random CLAS students

I will course action anyone who

comes Friday into the class.
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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First Main Theme:

Recursive Definitions

CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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What is the longest word

in the English language?

CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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According to Guinness
floccipoccinihilipilification
the act of rendering
useless

CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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Making Longer Words

antifloccipoccinihilipilification
the act of rendering not useless

antiantifloccipoccinihilipilificat
ion the act of rendering useless

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Language is Recursive
No matter what word you think is the
longest word, I can always make up a
longer one!

word ::= anti-word

If you have a word, you can always make
up a new word by adding anti in front.
Since the result is a word, you can make a
longer new word by adding anti- in front
again.
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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Recursive Definitions
We can define things in terms of
themselves
Recursive definitions are different from
circular definitions: they eventually end
with something real
word ::= anti-word
word ::= floccipoccinihilipilification
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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Recursive Definitions
Allow us to express
infinitely many things
starting with a few.
This is powerful!
We will see lots of
examples in this course.
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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Charge
Before 5pm Thursday:
Registration survey (see course web
site)

Before Friday:
Read GEB p. 3-41
Anyone who can produce MU, gets
an automatic A+ in the course

Read SICP p. 1-21

Dont floccipoccinihilipilificate
CS150 Fall 2005: 1. Introduction

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Thanks!
2003 CS 200 students, 2002 CS200 students, 2001 CS655
students
2002 Assistant Coaches: Jon Erdman, Dante Guanlao, Stephen
Liang, Portman Wills
2003 Assistant Coaches: Rachel Dada, Jacques Fournier,
Spencer Stockdale, Katie Winstanley
2004 Assistant Coaches: Sarah Bergkuist, Andrew Connors,
Patrick Rooney, Katie Winstanley
Guest Speakers: Radhika Nagpal (2002), Tim Koogle (2003)
6.001 teachers: Gerry Sussman, Bob Berwick
CS Department: Jim Cohoon, Ginny Hilton, Anita Jones, John
Knight, Worthy Martin, Chris Milner, Brenda Perkins, Gabe
Robins, Mary Lou Soffa, Jack Stankovic
Teaching Resource Center: Marva Barnett, Freda Fretwell
2001-2 UTF Fellows: Phoebe Crisman, John Lach, Debra Lyon,
Emily Scida, Brian Smith, David Waldner; UTF Mentor: Judith
Shatin
Anna Chefter, Chris Frost, Thad Hughes, Jerry McGann, Shawn
OHargan, Mike Peck
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