CS 227 meeting -*- Outline -*-

* What is Computing?

	ask them! (important to establish rapport)
		(protocol: ask them to raise hands, so can have time to think)
		tabulate their opinions on the board,
			discuss them

** questions that define the field
	perhaps should use the board for this...
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Computing trys to answer the questions:

1. how can we make these machines
   better, faster, less expensive, etc.?

2. what can we do with them?

3. how can we do these things
   better, faster, less expensive, etc.?
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	Computing is exciting because we don't have a very good understanding
		of the answers to these questions (only about 40 years old)

** divisions of the field:
	Two parts:
		hardware (roughly C.E.)
		software (roughly C.S.)
	C.E. is engineering, building elegant things economically
	C.E. is not just about computers (hardware)
		-- more about building systems involving software and hardware
		many levels of software in any
		computer system (microprogramming, for example)
	C.S. is not a science, more an art, (or better: applied math)
		look for the most elegant, economical processes
	C.S. not mainly about computers (hardware)
		-- more about the processes that run on computers
		geometry (means "earth measure") not about surveying
			more about the nature of space and time

	this course is about software (process) concerns

** Process
	series of steps that the computer takes

*** example
	in math square root of x is
			 y s.t. y*y=x and y > 0
		(declarative, what is true)
	in C.S. talk about how to find the square root of a number
		e.g. Heron of alexendria: successive approximation
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Finding Square Root of x
by Successive Approximation

1. Start with a guess G.
2. Improve the guess by averaging
   x and x/G
3. Repeat until the guess is good enough
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	this *algorithm* describes a process
		like a receipe for a cook describes a series of cooking steps

** programming
	many think that computing is about using computers
		that is not it

	the user of a program is like a cook,
		following a receipe someone else designed
	you will be the author of cookbooks

	the user of a progarm is like a musician
		performing in the basic guidelines set up by the composer
	you will be the composer of music

** curriculum
	show the CE and CS curricula and how they relate to this class