CMSC 105: Introduction to Computer Science

Changes for 1997: In 1997, this course will be more strongly focused on a set of classic problems that will illustrate approaches to developing algorithms. We hope that these problems will prove to be interesting, and give students insight into one of the fundamental intellectual activities of computer scientists: looking for connections between algorithms for apparently unrelated problems. We will also be using C++ for the first time, and have a new textbook.

Instructor: David Wonnacott

Semester & Year: Fall 1997
Schedule: Lecture WF 12:30-2:00 in Stokes 10, Lab M 12:30-2:00 in Stokes 8 (starting September 8)

Text: "A Computer Science Tapestry", by Owen L Astrachan (available at the Haverford book store)

Requirements: 1 midterm & 1 final exam, weekly labs, and a final programming project

Prerequisites: A strong background in high school mathematics is strongly recommended. Experience with programming or C++ is not required; we will discuss, in the lecture or lab, all of the programming techniques and language features that we expect you to know and use. However, this is a challenging and time consuming course, and some familiarity with programming should reduce the amount of time you need to spend on labs.

Description: A general introduction to computer science, this course focuses on

• informal and formal ways of specifying what a program or program fragment accomplishes,
• techniques for developing algorithms to meet a given specification,
• the expression of an algorithm in a programming language (C++),
• the use of abstraction to "encapsulate" an algorithm or data structure, and
• the use of recursion in specifications and algorithms.

The approach used by this course is best suited for (a) those wishing to continue in computer science, mathematics, or a related field, and (b) those wishing a detailed, theoretical understanding of computer science. If you want a less mathematical introduction that still counts as a prerequisite to other computer science courses, you should consider CS 110 at Bryn Mawr. If you do not plan to continue with computer science, and are interested in taking a course that surveys the basic concepts, you should consider CMSC 100.

A syllabus is available on-line.

The schedule for the Stokes 8 computing lab is available in text (only open hours are listed), gif, or postscript format.

Text of some of the labs is also on-line.

You can get an introduction to the Metrowerks CodeWarrior C++ compiler from the Bryn Mawr CS department. This covers the previous version of the compiler, so a few things have changed, but it should serve as a guide to get you started.

This page maintained by davew@cs.haverford.edu