Comp 200: Elements of Computer Science

COMP 200

Elements of Computer Science

Fall 2005

MWF, 10AM, Symonds 2 PC Lab

Comp 200 is an introduction to Computer Science, as opposed to an introduction to programming computers. The course provides a broad overview of computation. It focuses on the conceptual underpinnings of Computer Science rather than the detailed art of programming. Comp 200 is intended for students who want to understand what Computer Science is and why people study it, without necessarily majoring in it.

Because much of the work in Computer Science finds its expression in a program, students in Comp 200 will develop some programs as part of their homework. However, the amount of programming practice in the course will not be sufficient to turn a novice into a skilled programmer. Students who want to develop addition skill in programming should also take one of the programming courses: Comp 210, Comp 110, or Caam 210.

Comp 200 is a Group III Distribution course and an optional core requirement for the Cognitive Sciences major. While the course will differ somewhat in content from previous years, you can see how it went last two times it was taught by looking at the following web pages:

Teaching Staff

Instructor: Dung "Zung" Nguyen
Graduate TA: Yi Guo (yguo@)
- Office DH 2068, Phone x2732
- Office Hour: Friday 3-4 PM
Labbie: Daniel Weidman (dweidman@...)

Course Material

Textbooks:
- Turing (A Novel About Computation), by Christo H. Papadimitriou, ISBN 0-262-66191-8 (paperback version).
- The New Turing Omnibus 66 Excursions in Computer Science, by A.K. Dewdney, ISBN 0-8050-7166-0 (paperback)
Lecture notes and handouts The lecture notes and handouts serve to elucidate the materials discussed in the above textbooks. I post lecture notes and accompanying handouts soon after class.
You are responsible for the contents of the lectures. Of course, the best way to learn this material is to attend lecture. The notes are not a substitute for attendance. In particular, they may be incomplete.

General Information on the administration of Comp 200 (hours, homework policy, etc.)
How to get a PC/Mac Password
You can download DrScheme for your personal computer.
Download the latest version of DrJava (for Rice students only).

Connecting to WebCT:

Using WebCT, you can participate in general discussions of class materials, use chat rooms to communicate live with others, in particular the teaching staff, check your grades and find out about other details of the course. Follow the discussion boards on WebCT regularly). In order to use WebCT, you will need to have a WebCT account.

If you do not have a WebCT account,

go to the Rice WebCT home page,
click the link Getting Started Information for Students and follow the instructions there.

This page is maintained by the professor; see contact information above

Comp200 Home Page Maintained by Nick Collins (rubanec@cs.rice.edu) Last modified 2005.Sep.07.