Overview
- Explains the fundamental topics in computer science using a set of easily identifiable examples and applications
- Provides a unified approach, offering exercises that can be reproduced by the reader without the need for any prior programming experience
- Presents each topic in the form of a "mini" lecture course, demonstrating how it allows us to solve real problems
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: Undergraduate Topics in Computer Science (UTICS)
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About this book
This engaging and accessible text addresses the fundamental question: What Is Computer Science? The book showcases a set of representative concepts broadly connected by the theme of information security, for which the presentation of each topic can be treated as a "mini" lecture course, demonstrating how it allows us to solve real problems, as well as how it relates to other subjects. The discussions are further supported by numerous examples and practical hands-on exercises. Features: presents a concise introduction to the study of algorithms and describes how computers work; introduces the concepts of data compression, and error detection and correction; highlights the role of data structures; explores the topic of web-search; reviews both historic and modern cryptographic schemes, examines how a physical system can leak information and discusses the idea of randomness; investigates the science of steganography; provides additional supplementary material at an associated website.
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Keywords
Table of contents (10 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Foundations of Computer Science
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Reviews
From the reviews:
“The main audience of this textbook is students (either currently studying subjects related to CS or thinking about enrolling in that area of study) as well as teachers (who might use the book when preparing and developing courses and teaching materials). … The book can facilitate independent learning. … the book walks its readers through relevant and reasonably detailed examples, providing relatable ideas that will help them grasp these concepts.” (Budi Arief, Computing Reviews, May, 2014)Authors and Affiliations
About the authors
Dr. Daniel Page and Prof. Nigel Smart are lecturers in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Bristol, UK, affiliated to the Cryptography and Information Security Group. Daniel Page is also the author of the Springer textbook A Practical Introduction to Computer Architecture.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: What Is Computer Science?
Book Subtitle: An Information Security Perspective
Authors: Daniel Page, Nigel Smart
Series Title: Undergraduate Topics in Computer Science
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04042-4
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Computer Science, Computer Science (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-04041-7Published: 15 January 2014
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-04042-4Published: 31 December 2013
Series ISSN: 1863-7310
Series E-ISSN: 2197-1781
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XVIII, 232
Number of Illustrations: 84 b/w illustrations
Topics: Computer Science, general, Cryptology, Algorithm Analysis and Problem Complexity, Computers and Education