Back to Computer Science: Algorithms, Theory, and Machines
Learner Reviews & Feedback for Computer Science: Algorithms, Theory, and Machines by Princeton University
691 ratings
About the Course
This course introduces the broader discipline of computer science to people having basic familiarity with Java programming. It covers the second half of our book Computer Science: An Interdisciplinary Approach (the first half is covered in our Coursera course Computer Science: Programming with a Purpose, to be released in the fall of 2018). Our intent is to demystify computation and to build awareness about the substantial intellectual underpinnings and rich history of the field of computer science.
First, we introduce classic algorithms along with scientific techniques for evaluating performance, in the context of modern applications. Next, we introduce classic theoretical models that allow us to address fundamental questions about computation, such as computability, universality, and intractability. We conclude with machine architecture (including machine-language programming and its relationship to coding in Java) and logic design (including a full CPU design built from the ground up).
The course emphasizes the relationships between applications programming, the theory of computation, real computers, and the field's history and evolution, including the nature of the contributions of Boole, Shannon, Turing, von Neumann, and others.
All the features of this course are available for free. People who are interested in digging deeper into the content may wish to obtain the textbook Computer Science: An Interdisciplinary Approach (upon which the course is based) or to visit the website introcs.cs.princeton.edu for a wealth of additional material.
This course does not offer a certificate upon completion.
Top reviews
DC
Jun 11, 2020
I feel the course does a great job in laying out an introduction to "Computer Science", familiarising and motivating the topics, to be covered deeply in the sophomore-junior year.
MA
Nov 9, 2019
I loved this course. If you want to know in depth how your computer works and what you can compute in general, this course is for you. Thank you very much for this amazing course.
Filter by: