Introduction to Computing and Computation
Introduction to Computing and Computation
About the Book
This book presents a breadth-first introduction to computing. Intended for college freshman, it introduces the reader to the fields of computing and computation that may lead to further studies in computer science, information systems, or as a standalone introduction to the subject. The necessary mathematics, problem solving strategies, algorithm development, and introductory C++ programming are integrated into various computer topics throughout the book, thus fulfilling many of the ACM’s recommendations for a breadth-first introduction to computing. Unlike many breadth-first introductions, this book provides sufficient rigor to act as a prerequisite to computer programming, computer architecture, discrete mathematics and programing languages.
About the Author
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preface................................................................................................................. vii
1. Introduction to Computing................................................................................ 1
1.1. Introduction............................................................................................ 2
1.1.1 Early Computing Devices ........................................................ 3
1.1.2 Modern Computers.................................................................. 4
1.2 How do computers work?...................................................................... 4
1.2.1 Electronic circuits and hardware............................................. 4
1.2.2 Communicating with a Machine.............................................. 5
1.3 Algorithms............................................................................................... 7
1.4 Summary................................................................................................. 7
1.5 Exercises.................................................................................................. 8
1.6 Projects.................................................................................................... 8
2 Introduction to Computation.......................................................................... 11
2.1 Introduction............................................................................................ 12
2.2 Numbering Systems................................................................................ 12
2.2.1 Positional Numbering Systems................................................ 12
2.2.2 Converting from Binary to Decimal......................................... 14
2.2.3 Converting from Decimal to Binary......................................... 15
2.2.4 Hexadecimal Numbers............................................................. 16
2.2.5 Converting from Hexadecimal to Decimal.............................. 17
2.2.6 Converting from Decimal to Hexadecimal.............................. 18
2.2.7 Converting Between any Base and Base Ten.......................... 19
2.3 Introduction To C++............................................................................... 19
2.3.1 The program that does nothing.............................................. 19
2.3.2 Output and the endl................................................................ 21
2.3.3 Input and variable declaration................................................ 22
2.3.4 Code Tracing............................................................................. 26
2.3.5 Assignments and arithmetic expressions............................... 27
2.4 Algorithms............................................................................................... 29
2.5 Three Control Structures........................................................................ 32
2.5.1 Combining structures............................................................... 33
2.6 Summary................................................................................................. 38
2.7 Exercises.................................................................................................. 38
2.8 Projects.................................................................................................... 41
2.9 Solutions to Activities............................................................................ 42
3
3. The Art of Problem Solving................................................................................ 47
3.1. Introduction to Problem Solving................................................................ 47
3.1.1 Heuristic Solutions to problems.............................................. 48
3.1.2 Algorithmic Solutions to problems......................................... 48
3.2 The 5 steps to problem solving............................................................. 49
3.2.1 Prime Numbers......................................................................... 52
3.3 C++ Sequence, Selection, and Loop Structures..................................... 55
3.4 Problem Solving Strategies..................................................................... 60
3.4.1 Brute Force............................................................................... 60
3.4.2 Divide and Conquer................................................................. 61
3.5 C++ Logical Operators and Truth Tables............................................... 62
3.6 Solving Problems.................................................................................... 66
3.6.1 Sequential Search..................................................................... 67
3.6.2 Selection Sort............................................................................ 68
3.7 Exercises.................................................................................................. 71
3.8 Projects.................................................................................................... 73
3.9 Solutions to Activities............................................................................ 75
4 Data and Data storage .................................................................................... 79
4.1 Types of data.......................................................................................... 79
4.2 Data hierarchy........................................................................................ 80
4.3 Capacity – How much data do we store?.............................................. 81
4.4 Data in C++.............................................................................................. 82
4.4.1 C++ Arrays................................................................................. 83
4.4.2 C++ for-loops ........................................................................... 87
4.4.3 C++ Multidimensional Arrays.................................................. 88
4.4.4 C++ Sequential Search and Selection Sort Revisited.............. 92
4.5 Types of storage devices........................................................................ 93
4.5.1 Internal storage........................................................................ 95
4.5.2 External storage ....................................................................... 96
4.6 Representing Data ................................................................................. 98
4.6.1 Storing Characters in Computers............................................ 98
4.6.2 Integers .................................................................................... 98
4.6.3 Floating-Point Numbers........................................................... 106
4.7 Exercises.................................................................................................. 112
4.8 Projects.................................................................................................... 114
4.9 Solutions to Activities............................................................................ 116
5 Computer Architecture and Assembly Language Programming................... 123
5.1 Introduction to Computer Architecture................................................ 123
5.2 The Central Processing Unit................................................................... 124
5.2.1 The Machine Cycle................................................................... 126
5.2.2 Processor Design and Registers............................................... 126
5.3 Instruction Sets....................................................................................... 129
5.3.1 A Simple ISA.............................................................................. 130
5.3.2 Memory Access......................................................................... 131
5.3.3 Program Execution Example.................................................... 136
5.4 Assembly language................................................................................. 141
5.4.1 Assembly Language Programming........................................... 142
5.5 C++ Strings.............................................................................................. 144
5.6 Controllers and External Devices........................................................... 146
5.7 Exercises.................................................................................................. 148
5.8 Projects.................................................................................................... 151
5.9 Solutions to Activities ........................................................................... 153
6 The Notion of Computation............................................................................. 159
6.1 Introduction............................................................................................ 160
6.2 Sets and Relations.................................................................................. 160
6.3 C++ struct ............................................................................................... 163
6.4 Finite State Machines............................................................................. 166
6.5 Context Free Languages......................................................................... 180
6.6 C++ Libraries and External Files............................................................. 183
6.6.1 C++ Library Functions............................................................... 184
6.6.2 C++External Files...................................................................... 186
6.7 Exercises.................................................................................................. 191
6.8 Projects.................................................................................................... 195
6.9 Solutions to Activities............................................................................ 195
7 Languages: Talking with a Machine................................................................ 199
7.1 Types of Languages................................................................................. 200
7.2 Connecting Hardware to Software........................................................ 200
7.3 The Operating System............................................................................ 201
7.4 Programming Languages Syntax and Semantics................................... 202
7.4.1 Compilers.................................................................................. 203
7.5 C++ Functions......................................................................................... 204
7.5.1 Local data and scope................................................................ 206
7.5.2 static variables.......................................................................... 208
7.5.3 Arguments and parameters..................................................... 208
7.5.4 return statements.................................................................... 209
7.5.5 Reference parameters.............................................................. 210
7.6 Modules in a Compiler........................................................................... 212
7.6.1 The scanner.............................................................................. 213
7.6.2 The symbol table...................................................................... 215
7.6.3 The parser................................................................................. 218
7.6.4 The code generator.................................................................. 224
7.7 More about C++ Functions*.................................................................. 226
7.7.1 Mathematical functions........................................................... 227
7.7.2 Top-down design and function stubs..................................... 229
7.8 Summary................................................................................................. 232
7.9 Exercises.................................................................................................. 234
7.10 Projects.................................................................................................... 237
7.11 Solutions to Activities............................................................................ 239
8 Appendix A: ASCII Table.................................................................................. 243
9 Appendix B: Glossary.......................................................................................
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