What is Computer science: Definition and 581 Discussions

Computer science is the study of algorithmic processes, computational machines and computation itself. As a discipline, computer science spans a range of topics from theoretical studies of algorithms, computation and information to the practical issues of implementing computational systems in hardware and software.Its fields can be divided into theoretical and practical disciplines. For example, the theory of computation concerns abstract models of computation and general classes of problems that can be solved using them, while computer graphics or computational geometry emphasize more specific applications. Algorithms and data structures have been called the heart of computer science. Programming language theory considers approaches to the description of computational processes, while computer programming involves the use of them to create complex systems. Computer architecture describes construction of computer components and computer-operated equipment. Artificial intelligence aims to synthesize goal-orientated processes such as problem-solving, decision-making, environmental adaptation, planning and learning found in humans and animals. A digital computer is capable of simulating various information processes. The fundamental concern of computer science is determining what can and cannot be automated. Computer scientists usually focus on academic research. The Turing Award is generally recognized as the highest distinction in computer sciences.

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  1. GLD223

    A sophomore student studying Physics and CS

    Hey, I'm in my second year at university and hope to find help (and offer my help) with solving difficult physics questions.
  2. KittyPaine

    Courses I can't figure out what field I should study

    I'm looking at Computer Science and IT but I'd like to narrow it down. As far as I can tell CS is programming software, IT delves into different areas of technology. I thought about accounting but I struggled with advanced mathematics and I also thought about database management, but what...
  3. Y

    What is the best way to learn logic of computer language?

    Hi I want to give an introduction of programming to my grand daughter who's going to college next year. She never learn any language. I want to play with Audino Kit with her. It's mostly C++. But it's too difficult for her to learn as first language and she doesn't have time as she's still very...
  4. P

    I Feynmann's connection machine model

    Lowly engineer here. I am struggling - I think like many - to develop intuition on DEs. From looking at the history and applications of DEs, general themes that come to mind are, conservation, energy (eg. isochrone problem), causality, feedback (control systems), etc. However, I can't seem to...
  5. zero00

    What is the Connection Between Computer Science and Physics?

    Hello guys, I'm new here. Currently I am majoring in Computer Science and I am interested in Physics.
  6. Brief-Wishbone

    Comp Sci Why is there so much bluff in computer science textbooks?

    I'm reading operating system concepts the dinosaur book as a linuxadmin to understand operating system concepts, but I find most stuffs there to be bluffly written. Total garbage. I'm currently reading about file system. Do have a look at it. It feels like authors are intentionally wanting to...
  7. G

    Hi! Excited to learn and share my knowledge

    I'm an undergrad physics and computer science student most of the way done with my degrees. I have a background in math (calculus, linear algebra, a little bit of group theory). Machine learning and data science are also areas that I'm actively studying. For anyone interested, my name is based...
  8. shivajikobardan

    Studying How do I overcome learning plateau?

    I'm facing learning plateau currently in computer science learning. I know an only way to get out of this. It is finding a great teacher who teaches not considering any preriquisites. I'm studying synchronization at this moment as I find it interesting. But I'm unable to devise a general...
  9. P

    Do you want to build a website?

    I wrote this in response to a recent thread start here which is now deleted, but this is close enough to a common question that I don't think has been answered (recently) here, so here goes... A variety of services exist to create websites such as Wordpress.com, Squarespace and Shopify where...
  10. shivajikobardan

    Character pattern program -- Print large words using "X" characters

    I want to make a program that takes strings as input. eg: physicsforums. And writes that using x'es. example c of physicsforums should look like this. I've written the program for this. #include <iostream> using namespace std; int main() { int size; cout << "Enter the size of the...
  11. S

    Curious learner, Currently a home maker

    Hi there, my name is Sindhuja. I am a home maker and I am going to start my PhD in Computer Science soon. To prepare myself for the upcoming challenges, I am currently revisiting my undergraduate math concepts. I have always been a curious learner, someone who is keen on understanding things...
  12. cwill53

    Quantum Workforce Elements, Toolbox for QIS Programs at Universities

    TL;DR Summary: Imagine you have infinite funds and cooperation to build a very ideal curriculum and student organization, both dedicated to quantum information science, at a university. What does this look like pedagogically? How would this be structured? What resources do students need access...
  13. J

    What programming languages/pathways should I focus on?

    I am a Senior in High School looking to go to college for Computer Science. Since Freshmen year I have been learning Front End Development (HTML, CSS, and Javascript), albeit somewhat slowly and staggered due to school getting in the way and whatnot. In the past year, I have learned some more...
  14. S

    2’s Complement Hexadecimal Addition

    The solution (green arrow) states that for example : 0xD + 0x9 = 0x16 Details : 0xD = 13, 0x9 = 9, 13 + 9 = 22, 22 = 0x16 Where does the 0x16 come from? I do get to add D + 9 = 13 + 19 = 22 so how come 22 is equal to 16 (assuming D + 9 = 16 is correct) How am I suppose this solution?
  15. John Bernier

    Towards a new theory of information kinematics

    The physical world is highly parallel; many things are happening side by side simultaneously. This is true not only at the macroscopic scales that we can see but as far as we know down to the subatomic scales. This is referred to as the principle of locality [1], which states that an object is...
  16. John Bernier

    Can Parallel and Dataflow Models Revolutionize Computing?

    Hello. I am a software developer and computer scientist. I am interested in studying parallel, distributed, and dataflow models of computation and their use in making computers a better match for physical reality.
  17. C

    Comp Sci How can 1's complement, and 2's complement have different ranges?

    How can 1's complement, and 2's complement have different ranges? For 1's complement range is for 8 bit register(where first is for sign +, -) from - 127 to 127 and for 2's complement range is from - 128 to 127. I came accros the fact that for 1's complement we have +0 and - 0, why is that and...
  18. yezia

    Which MSc to do after BSc physics if you love to code?

    Hi everyone! Merry christmas first and I hope you're getting great rest with close ones around :) Well, as title may suggest it, I will graduate soon in physics and I'm not sure of the next step in my academic curriculum. I like theoretical physics, I've touched upon most fondamental physics...
  19. Quantour

    Admissions BS Physics to Ph.D. in Computer Science

    I am currently a final-year undergraduate student whose primary major is Physics. I double major in Computer Science, and my grade is currently near-top in my department from a prestigious university (non-US, top in my country). My research experience during undergrad has primarily been about...
  20. J

    The future of mobile computing forensics analysts

    Hi there! I am a student in my first semester of undergrad studies for computer science. The first assignment in my CSC class is to write a paper on the future of computer science, which can be broad or niche. My end goal is to get a job in mobile computing forensics analysis, so this is what I...
  21. L

    Studying Should I take up electrical engineering or computer science?

    I am currently in my final year of high school in India, and slightly confused as to which course I should take. I've always been interested in physics, and would eventually like to do research in quantum computing. I'm not sure whether to take a B.S. in Physics, or engineering (a BTech) in...
  22. L

    Job Skills Is it too late to pursue a career in computer science at 47?

    I'm 27 and I'm currently attending an online university for compsci. I did the math recently and I won't get my degree until I'm almost 30. Is it still possible for me to find jobs once I graduate?
  23. R

    Can I manage to do both: Computer Science and Research in Physics?

    I'm a physics graduate from Delhi University, India. Aspirant of Theoretical Physicist . Right now , cleared Clerk in Govt. of India exam. About to get Job. I want to go for some top notch college in USA/Europe for Graduate physics. But also interested in Computer Software Engineering. Want to...
  24. D

    I have a question about learning Computer Science if someone could help (OSSU)

    Im 14 years old and in the future I want to study computer science, I have found the OSSU course, it would be a good start?Thanks
  25. E

    Programs Distance/Remote Masters in Computer Science while working before PhD

    Hi all, I just finished my undergrad degree in CS. I did reasonably well and would like to pursue a PhD at some point in the next 6 years, however I am not ready to do so immediately. I have taken a job as a software engineer and intend to work there for a year or two to save up some money. I...
  26. Monsterboy

    Comp Sci Using Single Source Shortest Path Algorithm to find the longest path

    This is the weighted, directed acyclic graph I created in JavaScript class WeightedDirectedGraph { constructor() { this.adjacencyList = {}; } addNode(node) { if(!this.adjacencyList[node]) { this.adjacencyList[node] = []; } } addEdge(node1, node2, direction, weight) {...
  27. esolol

    Other Why do I perform badly at the Informatics Olympiad?

    I am a girl and I like computer science and I always do a variety of things, e.g., artificial intelligence, web development, but when it comes to competitive programming or informatics olympiad competitions, i just suck at them, i participated in them for like 2 years already and I never enter...
  28. megapiano

    Need help with N-body simulation

    Many years ago, for my high school senior project, I wrote a solver for the N-body problem that is performance-optimized using the Barnes-Hut algorithm. (the optimization algorithm is not relevant to my question.) In one particular simulation, I simulated a spiral galaxy. The simulation is not...
  29. rudransh verma

    Analog to digital signal converter in digital cameras

    I am reading How computers work and I don’t grasp it. So how is light ultimately get transformed into a beautiful picture on screen in a digital camera? I have got D5200 Nikon. It’s a nice begineers camera.
  30. M

    Other Is physics, computer science, or engineering the right path for me?

    I am 18 and currently in the middle of taking a gap year from high school to college. I am going to college this fall, and I want to go into college with a better grip on what I want to do than I have now. I absolutely love physics, science, and math. I also have a huge attachment to the idea of...
  31. mathbalduino

    Algorithms for Traveling Purchaser Problem (TPP)

    Hey guys, how you doing? Im here to ask for you help. I am writing my bachelor paper as an implementation/review of the TPP algorithms out there. Almost every paper that I read references the Ramesh algorithm, that returns an exact solution for TPP problems, but I just can't find the algorithm...
  32. E

    This is the most advanced and lifelike robot that I've ever seen

    At first, I thought that this humanoid robot was just really good CGI, but it's actually real. The facial movements and expressions are eerily realistic and lifelike.
  33. D

    Computer Science Help C# or Java

    I succeded to do the first method, but I could not do the second one. The first method: public static Node<int> Delete(Node<int> lst, int num) { Node<int> p = lst.GetNext(); for (int i = 1; i < num; i++) { p = p.GetNext()...
  34. D

    A question about lists in C# or Java :)

    I could not understand the question, I have really tried to solve it but I could not. I will appreciate any direction to the solution. Thanks in advance:)
  35. J

    Mathematics for computer science

    Summary:: I need to learn the deepest information I just started computer science. I have to learn computer basics and then what maths should I learn? What math should I learn after I've learned basic math?
  36. porton

    I I found an interesting math result, but now I see a contradiction

    I found an interesting math result ("halting problem is essentially solvable") yesterday, but now I see a contradiction (it follows "halting problem is solvable"). Participate in finding my error. Here is my short yesterday article (with links to other yesterday articles): [Unacceptable...
  37. E

    Programs I chose math instead of physics. Was it a mistake?

    Long story short, my career goals are to work as a researcher/research scientist in machine learning or to develop models/algorithms for forecasting such as in financial markets or otherwise. Fundamentally, I find think this is quite similar to physics as a science, but that is for another...
  38. M

    What is Fermat's Theorem on Light?

    Hi, I'm Michael, a high schooler very passionate about physics. My favorite physics theorem is Fermat's Theorem on light. I'm also very into computer science and math. I run a physics blog. I look forward to discussions on physics forum!
  39. A

    Query about my Computer Science Project -- VPN Design

    Hello Everyone, I am a final year B.tech student and I am looking for some latest computer science projects for my major project. I am shortlisted one project which is Virtual Private Network, The objective is project demands creating an application that allows users to convert their public...
  40. DanjoJojo

    Comp Sci Writing a Little Man Computer program to compare 2 integers

    I've attempted and I can retrieve a 0 when the first input is greater than the second using BRP. I can't seem to get the output of 1 if the first input is equal to the second input. I also don't get a 2 output with the first input being less than the second. I also have no idea how to loop a...
  41. tensor0910

    Job Skills Alternative methods to making $$ w/ a computer science degree?

    Ok, so here's where I am at: I'll be 35 this year. Was an engineering major way back when, but switched to comp. sci. and enjoying it very much. I should graduate in 2-2.5 years. Its all paid for through the company I work for now. I'm set. Except...I like where I'm at. I have a decent paying...
  42. G

    Looking for forums about computer science books -- explanations and errata

    Hello Does anyone know any computer science forum that has a focus on the following topics? - questions about the understanding of particular explanations provided by computer science books, papers, etc - the possible errors these documents' contents might have and the corrections they might...
  43. I

    Comp Sci Searching Array for an Element using Linear Search

    I write a Linear Search code,then ı decided ask to user "r" and "int arr".I mean,User decide their r and arr numbers.I tried scanf("%d",r); command but doesn't work This code my first code before the decide Ask user : #include <stdio.h> int search(int arr[], int n, int r) { int i; for...
  44. P

    Comp Sci Answer: Fixing Error in TextAnalyzer Java Code

    My current attemp is: import java.io.BufferedReader; import java.io.FileNotFoundException; import java.io.FileReader; import java.io.IOException; public class TextAnalyzer { private int lineCount; private int wordCount; private int[] frequencies = new int[26]; public int...
  45. R

    What books should I read to start learning computer science?

    Dear friends I am new for this forum. I have a plan to begin studying computer science very soon. My qualification at the this moment is MSC in Accounting and Finance. I want to study computer science! Here there is a university working in collaboration with one of universities in USA providing...
  46. G

    Math Should I do a computer science or math major?

    I am currently pursuing a computer science degree and am considering if I should switch to a math major. I just finished sophomore year of college , but I am transferring universities, and the way the credits transfer, it would take me 3 more years to get the CS degree but only 2 more for the...
  47. S

    Moving from Computer Science to a PhD in Computational Astrophysics

    Hi I am planning to do phd in computational astrophysics or planetary science or scientific computing simulation (least preferred in case i am not allowed to the other two). Right now I have bachelors in computer science and planning to do masters in the same. My query is should i join...
  48. K

    Programs Associate Degree in Computer Science?

    I wanted to know has anyone here heard about associate degrees in computer science or software/systems engineering and if so are there worth pursuing?
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