CSC103 Weekly Schedule Fall 2012

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--D. Thiebaut 12:05, 21 August 2012 (EDT)


Wikis | Weekly Schedule | Main Page


Office Hours: Tu-Th: 2:00-4:00 p.m. and by appointment.

Weekly Schedule

Week Topics Reading
Week 1
9/6
  • Thursday
    • Introduction to the class and the 1/2 semester
    • Organization of the class
    • a short movie to get the discussion started...
    • some examples of computers:


AbacusWolfram.png


DifferenceEngine.jpg


DifferenceEngineDetail.jpg


DNAComputer.png


Antikythera.jpg
Antikythera mechanism, oldest computer


(start at 1min 47sec)

DoubleHelix.jpg
Harvard research: 1.8 zettabytes in 4 grams of DNA


    • Keywords:
      • code: Translating from one system of values to another system.
    • Electricity
    • The Binary System: a system where the only two numbers available are 0 and 1. Every operation that we can do in decimal, with 10 digits, we can also do in binary.
    • The Transistor: A switch controlled by electricity.
    • Two giants for computer science:
      • George Boole (1779-1848): logic expression = boolean expression. Logic: creating formulas where variables are combined by operators. The variables are boolean variables, the operators are logic operators. Any formula can be represented with a combination of just three operators: AND, OR, and NOT.



Week 2
9/11
World 1
(Logic)
World 2
(Technology)
World 3
(Math)
George Boole (1779-1848)

Expressions that can be True or False
Operators to combine expressions
And, Or, Not

Electricity

Switches (transistors)
ON/OFF
The idea of a code

Number systems

Decimal: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Binary: 0, 1

    • Logic: truth tables for AND, OR, and NOT operators
    • Counting in decimal
    • Counting in base 8: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, ... 76, 77, 100, 101, ...
    • Interesting published research result: U. Penn designs first optical gate


  • Thursday
    • Counting in base 2 (binary)
    • Adding in decimal
    • Adding in base 2
Week 3
9/18
  • Tuesday
    • Q&A
    • Review addition in base 2
    • Claude Shannon (1916-2001): writes a Master's thesis at MIT in 1948, which states that any binary numerical computation can be performed using logic expressions and logic operators. "The whole digital revolution started with [Shannon]"[1]
270KitWithArduino.jpg

Week 4
9/25





Week 5
10/2
  • Tuesday
    • Some comments about the current homework.
    • Creating a Wiki. Demonstration and introduction to the next homework assignment.
    • Quick summary of PC Demolition Lab. What you needed to discover:
      • The processor
      • The Crystal
      • The Random Access Memory (RAM)
      • The power supply
      • The mother board
      • The hard disk
      • The optical disk (DVD/CD player/burner)
      • The Wiring
      • Various Ports
    • How hard disks work:
    • Disassembling a PC:
    • Video about the first personal computer (a bit of history!)


Week 6
10/9
  • Tuesday: Fall Break
CookieMonsterDeleteCookie.jpg


  • Reading
    • Primary
      • Jon von Neumann, who first defined the architecture of modern computers. We are still building computers according to his original unpublished draft
    • Secondary
Week 7
10/16
  • Tuesday
  • Thursday: Take-home Final Exam

  • Reading
Week 8
10/23
  • Tuesday: Final Exam Q&A

  • Reading



References

  1. Bell Labs digital guru dead at 84 — Pioneer scientist led high-tech revolution (The Star-Ledger, obituary by Kevin Coughlin 27 February 2001)








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