Difference between revisions of "CSC103 Syllabus 2011"

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<center> [http://tango.csc.smith.edu/classwiki/index.php/CSC103_Page Wikis] |  [[CSC103 Weekly Schedule | Weekly Schedule]] </center>
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<center> [http://tango.csc.smith.edu/classwiki/index.php/CSC103_Page Wikis] |  [[CSC103 Schedule 2011 | Weekly Schedule]] </center>
  
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Dominique Thiébaut<br />
 
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McConnell Hall, 208. <br />
 
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Smith College <br />
 
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Telephone: 3854 <br />
 
  
 
__TOC__
 
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=CSC 103: How Computers Work, Fall 08=
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<center>URL: http://cs.smith.edu/dftwiki/index.php/CSC103_2011</center>
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=CSC 103: How Computers Work, Spring 2011=
  
 
==Overview==
 
==Overview==
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[http://cs.smith.edu/~thiebaut '''Dominique Thiebaut''']<br />
 
[http://cs.smith.edu/~thiebaut '''Dominique Thiebaut''']<br />
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Office: McConnell 208, Clark Science Center<br />
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Office: Ford Hall 356<br />
 
Email: thiebaut@cs.smith.edu<br />
 
Email: thiebaut@cs.smith.edu<br />
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Office Hours: MW 2:30-4:00 p.m.<br />
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Office Hours: M:4-5, T3-4, W3-4, and my appointment<br />
  
 
==Schedule==
 
==Schedule==
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First half of Fall 2008: Sept 4th to Oct. 15th.
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First half of Spring 2011, Jan 24 to March 11.
  
 
==Textbook==
 
==Textbook==
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*Binary system, arithmetic, logic gates (Chaps 1, 2)
 
*Binary system, arithmetic, logic gates (Chaps 1, 2)
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*logic gates, binary adder (Chap 2)
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* Truth tables
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* logic gates, binary adder (Chap 2)
 
* Building a computer (Chap 5)
 
* Building a computer (Chap 5)
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**von Neuman architecture
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* von Neuman architecture
 
**Von Neuman bottleneck
 
**Von Neuman bottleneck
 
** CPU, RAM, Secondary Memory
 
** CPU, RAM, Secondary Memory
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** Case Study: the Suse EEE, and the switch from magnetic to semiconductor storage
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** Taking apart a computer
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* Creating a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki Wiki] page
 
* History of computers (Chap 5)
 
* History of computers (Chap 5)
 
* Programming: Javascript (Chap 6)
 
* Programming: Javascript (Chap 6)
 
** Programming Environment (Chap 7)
 
** Programming Environment (Chap 7)
 
** Program development  
 
** Program development  
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** Other programming languages
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* Programming: Assembly Language
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* Parallel Programming (Chap 10)
 
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** Folding @ home
 
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** SETI
 
 
* The Singularity:
 
* The Singularity:
 
** [http://cs.smith.edu/~thiebaut/research/singularity/ieee_spectrum__signs_of_the_singularity.pdf Signs of the Singularity] by Vernor Vinge.
 
** [http://cs.smith.edu/~thiebaut/research/singularity/ieee_spectrum__signs_of_the_singularity.pdf Signs of the Singularity] by Vernor Vinge.
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==Grading==
 
==Grading==
  
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* Attendance and participation: 10%
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* Attendance and participation: '''10%'''
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* Homework assignments (roughly one weekly assignmnent): 50%
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* Homework assignments (roughly one weekly assignmnent):''' 50%'''
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* Quizzes: 10%
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* Quizzes: '''10%'''
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* Final take-home exam: 30%
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* Final take-home exam:''' 30%'''
  
 
No late assigments will be accepted.
 
No late assigments will be accepted.
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==Teaching Assistants==
 
==Teaching Assistants==
  
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{|
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| '''Lucia Villagara''' lvillagr@smith.edu&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
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* Th 7 - 8 pm
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* Sat 3 - 5 pm
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| &nbsp;
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| &nbsp;
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| '''Lucy Chikwetu'''  lchikwet@smith.edu 
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* Wed 10 pm - 12 am
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|-
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| &nbsp;
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| &nbsp;
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| '''Yinyu(Judy) Liang''' yliang@smith.edu&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
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* TBA
 
* TBA
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|}
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[[Category:CSC103]]

Latest revision as of 08:37, 24 January 2011

--D. Thiebaut 09:07, 7 January 2011 (EST)

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Wikis | Weekly Schedule



URL: http://cs.smith.edu/dftwiki/index.php/CSC103_2011


CSC 103: How Computers Work, Spring 2011

Overview

This course has no prerequisites. It is intended to introduce students to the history, theory and use of digital computers. Students from all majors are welcome - though there is some math and computer programming during the semester, the course is designed assuming students have no previous computer experience. Through the material presented in this course, students will be introduced to:

  1. A brief history of computers
  2. Binary numbers, and understanding how and why computers use them
  3. Logic gates - the basic building blocks of computers
  4. Javascript programming - which you may find you'll like to use beyond this course!
  5. A better understanding of how the computer does everything you direct it to do.
  6. Some important issues about computers in our future

A great number of topics are discussed in this seven week period, with the purpose not to explore any one topic fully or in depth. Rather the purpose is to provide a high level view of how a computer works - from the most fundamental hardware component (the logic gate) through the sophisticated programs we all use every day (such as word processors). Hopefully this first look at all these topics will encourage students to take additional courses in areas that are of most interest.

Instructor

Dominique Thiebaut
Office: Ford Hall 356
Email: thiebaut@cs.smith.edu
Office Hours: M:4-5, T3-4, W3-4, and my appointment

Schedule

First half of Spring 2011, Jan 24 to March 11.

Textbook

MostComplexMachine.gif

The Most Complex Machine., by David Eck, A. K. Peters, Natick Ma [1]. This book should be available at the Greycourt bookstore. ( List of Chapters)

Tentative list of topics covered

  • Binary system, arithmetic, logic gates (Chaps 1, 2)
  • Truth tables
  • logic gates, binary adder (Chap 2)
  • Building a computer (Chap 5)
  • von Neuman architecture
    • Von Neuman bottleneck
    • CPU, RAM, Secondary Memory
    • Taking apart a computer
  • Creating a Wiki page
  • History of computers (Chap 5)
  • Programming: Javascript (Chap 6)
    • Programming Environment (Chap 7)
    • Program development
  • Programming: Assembly Language
  • The Singularity:

Grading

  • Attendance and participation: 10%
  • Homework assignments (roughly one weekly assignmnent): 50%
  • Quizzes: 10%
  • Final take-home exam: 30%

No late assigments will be accepted.

Teaching Assistants

Lucia Villagara lvillagr@smith.edu          
  • Th 7 - 8 pm
  • Sat 3 - 5 pm
   
Lucy Chikwetu lchikwet@smith.edu
  • Wed 10 pm - 12 am
   
Yinyu(Judy) Liang yliang@smith.edu        
  • TBA






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