Great Ideas in Computer Science, Second Edition: A Gentle Introduction

By Alan W. Biermann

Book Overview

In Great Ideas in Computer Science: A Gentle Introduction, Alan Biermann presents the "great ideas" of computer science that together comprise the heart of the field. He condenses a great deal of complex material into a manageable, accessible form. His treatment of programming, for example, presents only a few features of Pascal and restricts all programs to those constructions. Yet most of the important lessons in programming can be taught within these limitations. The student's knowledge of programming then provides the basis for understanding ideas in compilation, operating systems, complexity theory, noncomputability, and other topics. Whenever possible, the author uses common words instead of the specialized vocabulary that might confuse readers.

Readers of the book will learn to write a variety of programs in Pascal, design switching circuits, study a variety of Von Neumann and parallel architectures, hand simulate a computer, examine the mechanisms of an operating system, classify various computations as tractable or intractable, learn about noncomputability, and explore many of the important issues in artificial intelligence.

This second edition has new chapters on simulation, operating systems, and networks. In addition, the author has upgraded many of the original chapters based on student and instructor comments, with a view toward greater simplicity and readability.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0262522233
• ISBN13: 9780262522236
• Release Date: March 1997
• Publisher: MIT Press
• Length: 566 Pages
• Weight: 2.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 8.0" x 9.0"
• 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.