School of Engineering and Applied Science
Department of Computer Science
CSci 41 -- Introduction to Computer Science
Fall 2001 Semester
Prof. Michael B. Feldman
mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu

Class meeting times:
Lectures: Tue-Thu, 12:30-1:45 PM, MPA 309
Labs: various times
Lab Instructors:
Kristin Heckman (cs411@seas.gwu.edu)
Howard Sherman (cs413@seas.gwu.edu)
class website: http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~csci41/fall01

This page can be found at http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~csci41/fall01/41f01syll.html

Course Schedule

Dates Lecture Topics Assigned Readings
Week 1 8/28-8/30 What is computer science? DH, Module 1
Week 2 9/4-9/6 Computer applications DH, Module 2
Week 3 9/11 Class was Cancelled DH, Module 3
9/13 Computing History
Week 4 9/18 ROSH HA-SHANAH - NO CLASS
9/20 Computing History
Week 5 9/25 Computing History
9/27 Class was cancelled NO LABS THIS WEEK!
Week 6 10/2 Class was cancelled Handout
10/4 What Is Design? DH, Module 4
Week 7 10/9-10/11 Algorithms
Week 8 10/16 REVIEW FOR MIDTERM EXAM Come prepared with your own questions
10/18 MIDTERM EXAM open book; covers all material so far
10/19 (FRIDAY) TRIP TO SMITHSONIAN, Meet at Foggy Bottom Metro, 10 AM! no regular labs this week
Week 9 10/23-10/25 Software: Operating Systems, Machine, Assembly, and High-Level Languages DH, Module 6
Week 10 10/30-11/1 Hardware: Physical Computers DH, Module 7
Week 11 11/6-11/8 Computability: the BIG Questions in Computer Science DH, Module 8
Week 12 11/13-11/15 Artificial Intelligence: Can Machines Think? DH, Module 9
Week 13 11/20 Ethics and Professionalism
11/22 THANKSGIVING - NO CLASS
Week 14 11/27-11/29 Real-time and Safety-critical Systems Handout
Week 15 12/4-12/6 Computers in Society DH, Module 10
12/11 (makeup day) REVIEW FOR FINAL EXAM Come prepared with your own questions
12/20 FINAL EXAM, 11:00 AM -1:00 PM Open book, covers all course material

Required Textbook

The required text is Decker and Hirschfield, The Analytical Engine. The reading load is not very heavy for this course, but you must do it on time! You will be expected to read each chapter before the first lecture of the week it is assigned. The book discusses much more than I can cover in class, and I will also cover things not in the book. You are responsible, for lecture and for exams, for all assigned reading. There may be unannounced quizzes on the reading.