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Computer science is the study of information and computation. Many diverse fields exist within the broader discipline of computer science; some emphasize the computation of specific results (such as graphics), while others (such as computational complexity theory) relate to properties of algorithms used in performing computations. Still others, like computer programming, study the process of formally describing computations (using programming languages) for use in computer systems.
Because of its relative newness, there are some alternative definitions of computer science and its strict definition is often hotly debated. Much of the reason for this debate lies in the diversity of educational programs available in computer science, and in the variety of careers pursued by computer science graduates.
History
Main article: history of computer scienceThe history of computer science predates the modern digital computer, though certain fields within computer science (such as operating systems) developed in parallel with the computer; other fields, such as computer vision, have developed more recently. Early computer scientists like Kurt Gödel, Alonzo Church, Alan Turing, and others studied the computability of algorithms and mathematical functions before they could be easily automated.
Theory and practice
Many universities teach computer science as a theoretical study of computation and algorithmic reasoning. These programs often feature the theory of computation, analysis of algorithms, formal methods, concurrency control, databases, computer graphics and systems analysis, among others. They typically also teach computer programming, but treat it as a vessel for the support of other fields of computer science rather than a central focus of high-level study.
In some colleges and universities, and especially in secondary schools and vocational programs, computer science curricula emphasize the practice of advanced computer programming rather than the theory of algorithms and computation. Such curricula focus on those skills that are important to workers entering the software industry; for this reason, the practice of computer programming is often called software engineering.
Computer science rarely refers to the study of computers themselves. The renowned computer scientist Edsger Dijkstra is often quoted as saying, "Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes." The study of computer hardware is usually called computer engineering, and the study of commercial computer systems and their deployment is often called information technology or information systems.
Fields of computer science
Computer Science has a number of major sub-fields which can be classified by a number of means (for example the ACM classification system).
- Algorithms
- formal processes used for computation, and the efficiency of these processes
- Applications
- design and development software for everyday use
- Artificial intelligence
- implementation and study of systems that exhibit (either behaviourally or seemingly) an autonomous intelligence or behaviour of their own, sometimes inspired by the characteristics of living beings. Computer science is closely tied with AI, as software and computers are primary tools for the development and progression of artificial intelligence
- Compilers
- ways of efficiently translating algorithms from one form (usually a programming language) to another
- Computational complexity theory
- fundamental bounds (esp. time and storage space) on computations
- Computer programming
- the act of writing algorithms in a programming language
- Computer graphics
- algorithms both for generating visual images synthetically and for integrating or altering visual and spatial information sampled from the real world
- Computer vision
- algorithms for extracting three dimensional objects from a two dimensional picture
- Cryptography
- algorithms for protecting private data, including encryption
- Data mining
- study of algorithms for searching and processing information in documents and databases; closely related to information retrieval
- Data structures
- the organization and storage of data
- Networking
- algorithms and protocols for reliably communicating data across long distances, often including error correction
- Operating systems
- systems for managing computer programs and data structures
- Programming languages
- formal languages for expressing algorithms and the properties of these languages
- Robotics
- algorithms for controlling the behavior of robots
- Scientific computing
- algorithms for use in the sciences, especially (but not exclusively) biology (as in bioinformatics), physics, and chemistry
- Software engineering
- the process of designing, developing, and testing programs
- Steganography
- algorithms for covertly hiding data in seemingly unrelated documents, such as graphics
- Type Theory
- formal analysis of the types of data, and the use of these types to understand properties of programs, especially program safety
Careers
Graduates in Computer Science may pursue careers in (among others):
| Computer programming | writing the software that runs on a computer |
| Software engineering | designing, managing, and writing large software systems |
| Systems analysis | solving computer problems and applying computer technology to meet the individual needs of an organization |
| Computer science | performing research, often in a specialized field of computer science |
| Database administration | designing and managing computer database systems and managing the security of those systems, a job often also done by specialists in information technology |
| Web development | design, development, and maintenance of World Wide Web sites, though web development is also frequently the domain of graphic designers and information technology specialists. |
See also
- Computing
- List of basic computer science topics
- List of computer science conferences
- List of open problems in computer science
- List of publications in computer science
- List of prominent pioneers in computer science
References
- Association for Computing Machinery. 1998 ACM Computing Clasification System. 1998.
- IEEE Computer Society and the Association for Computing Machinery. Computing Curricula 2001: Computer Science. December 15, 2001.
External links
- Open Directory Project: Computer Science
- Collection of Computer Science Bibliographies
- Belief that title "science" in "computer science" is inappropriate