First-Year Seminar, Winter 2013

Great Ideas in Computer Science

Instructor:
Zhaojun Bai
3005 Kemper Hall
530-752-4874
bai at cs.ucdavis.edu

Meeting time:
4:10pm - 5:00pm, Wed..
1007 Giedt

Office Hours :

Catalog Description
This seminar begins with first and most important of the great ideas of computer science: the algorithm - a procedure or recipe that can be given to a person or machine for doing a job. We will then discuss other great ideas revolve around this central one, and experiment few processes of computer simulation to try our ideas. The class will condense a great of deal of complex material into a manageable, accessible form to all students who have a curiosity to learn about computing. The object is to let students gain basic understanding and appreciation some intellectual ideas in computer science.

Textbook
The instructor will provide lecture notes and reading materials taken from a variety of sources.

Homework assignment and grading:
The seminar meets one hour each week. The meetings will be consisted of classroom lecture and discussion. Students will be given a letter grade based on two short assignments (30%), participation in classroom discussions (30%), and a report on a pre-approved, relevant topic of their choosing (40%).

On-line Info:
Lecture schedule, handouts and assignments
  1. 1/9 and 1/16
    • The idea of recursion: a simple idea to solve large problems
    • Reading: Chap. 1 and 3 of ``Thinking Recursively'' by Eric Roberts
    • Additional reading assignment: the tower of Hanoi
  2. 1/23 and 1/30
    • Induction and complexity
    • Reading: Chap. 2 of ``Thinking Recursively'' by Eric Roberts
  3. Next: abstraction
Questions sent to bai at cs.ucdavis.edu.