Great Ideas in Computer Science with JAVA

This book presents the “great ideas” of computer science, condensing a large amount of complex material into a manageable, accessible form; it does so using the Java programming language.

The book is based on the problem-oriented approach that has been so successful in traditional quantitative sciences. For example, the reader learns about database systems by coding one in Java, about system architecture by reading and writing programs in assembly language, about compilation by hand-compiling Java statements into assembly language, and about noncomputability by studying a proof of noncomputability and learning to classify problems as either computable or noncomputable.

The book covers an unusually broad range of material at a surprisingly deep level. It also includes chapters on networking and security. Even the reader who pursues computer science no further will acquire an understanding of the conceptual structure of computing and information technology that every well-informed citizen should have.

It is a serious, fast-paced first course in computer science, designed for students who plan to work extensively with computers (for example, engineers, biologists, physicists, and economists), as well as future concentrators who plan to take more advanced courses in the field. Using the Java programming language, students learn problem-solving strategies through the development of algorithms that emphasize modern, object-oriented designs. Topics include iteration, recursion, parameter passing, and array processing. Problem sets require a minimum of 20 hours of programming each week in a Unix environment.

The Authors
Alan W. Biermann is Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science at Duke University, and is the author of the first two editions of Great Ideas in Computer Science (MIT Press, 1990, 1997)

Dietolf Ramm is Associate Professor of the Practice of Computer Science at Duke University, and he is also Director of Undergraduate Studies at Duke.