FOUNDATIONS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE A - E

The course aims at providing the learner with:

1) knowledge and understanding of: information represenation in computers, computer architecture, operating systems, algorithms, programming languages, compilers and interpreters, conputer networks.

2) Knowledge and understanging of the methodologies for solving problems computationally and of structured programming.

3) Ability to develop autononomously a program in the C language, dealing with the typical data structures involved in medium complexity software programs.

Lectures, demonstrations, laboratories

Fundamentals of algorithms and programs

- Automatic information processing. Algorithms and programs. Programming languages. Code Design. Structured programming. Flowcharts and pseudocode.

Information Representation

- Coding systems. Numbering systems and conversion algorithms. Full and floating point arithmetic. Representation of multimedia data.

Computer Architecture:

- Computer components: central memory, central unit, basic operation of the computer (machine cycle). Peripheral devices and memories.

Computer networks and the Internet
- Local networks. Geographical networks. Network protocols. Overview of the Internet and the most widespread network applications.

Operating Systems

- Programming Environment. Compilers vs. interpreters. Architecture and functionality of an Operating System. Process management. Memory management. File system.

The C programming language: syntax and semantics

- Instruction set. Control structures. Data types in C: int, char, float, double, arrays and strings, structures. The C pointer. Functions.

Sorting and searching algorithms

- Sequential and binary search. Sorting algorithms.

Data structures

- Dynamic data structures. Dynamic allocation of memory. Stacksm Queues and Trees. Example codes.

1) Bellini, A. Guidi - "Linguaggio C - guida alla programmazione", 4a ed. McGraw-Hill

2) D. Sciuto, G. Buonanno, L. Mari, , "Introduzione ai sistemi informatici" 5a ed. McGrawHill

3) Instructor's teaching materials