Great Ideas in Computer Science with Java

By Alan W. Biermann

Book Overview

This book presents the "great ideas" of computer science, condensing a large amount of complex material into a manageable, accessible form; it does so using the Java programming language. The book is based on the problem-oriented approach that has been so successful in traditional quantitative sciences. For example, the reader learns about database systems by coding one in Java, about system architecture by reading and writing programs in assembly language, about compilation by hand-compiling Java statements into assembly language, and about noncomputability by studying a proof of noncomputability and learning to classify problems as either computable or noncomputable. The book covers an unusually broad range of material at a surprisingly deep level. It also includes chapters on networking and security. Even the reader who pursues computer science no further will acquire an understanding of the conceptual structure of computing and information technology that every well-informed citizen should have.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0262024977
• ISBN13: 9780262024976
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Mit Pr
• Length: 563 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

An excellent compendium of computer science

I bought this book because it was a requirement for a course that I took. I didn't expect such depth of exposition and treatment of the subject, and, at the same time, a presentation in a language completely accessible to students from different, not strictly computer science related backgrounds. The approach is definitely a scientific one but not such that scares away the reader. What I also like about the book is the choice and treatment of the topics it presents. The author has given key ideas from the theory and application of computer science in both classic and contemporary areas covering almost everything significant. If you don't need very rigorous mathematical exposure when taking your first steps to the field of computer science, but still don't want to have your intelligence insulted by reading second-hand texts, this is definitely the book for you.