School of Engineering and Applied Science
Department of Computer Science
CSci 41 -- Introduction to Computer Science
http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~csci41/fall05
Prof. Michael B. Feldman
mfeldman@gwu.edu

Class meeting times:
Lectures: Tue-Thu, 12:45-2:00 PM, 1957 E St., Rm. 113
Labs: Thu, 2:10-4:00 PM and 4:10-6:00 PM, Tomp 405
Lab Instructors:
Darakhshan Mir (mir_d@gwu.edu)
Darby Thompson (darbyt@gwu.edu)
 
class website: http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~csci41/fall05

This page can be found at http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~csci41/fall05/41f05syll.html

Course Schedule


 Dates Lecture Topics Assigned Readings (additional  material will be distributed as appropriate)
Week 1 9/1 What Is Computer Science? DH, Module 1
Week 2 9/6-9/8 Computing History
 DH, Module 2
Week 3 9/13 Evolution of the Internet
 DH, Module 3

9/15 What Is Design?
 DH Sections 4.1-4.5
Week 4 9/20-9/22 Algorithms
Week 5 9/27-9/29 Software and Translation
 DH, Module 6
Week 6 10/4 ROSH HASHANAH - NO CLASS

10/6
 Hardware
 DH, Module 7
Week 7 10/11 Hardware

10/13
 YOM KIPPUR - NO CLASS
Week 8 10/18 REVIEW FOR MIDTERM EXAM Come prepared with your own questions

10/20 MIDTERM EXAM open book; covers all material so far
Week 9 10/25 CS@GW: Curriculum

10/27
 Ethics and Professionalism
Week 10 11/1 Computability: the BIG Questions in CS DH, Module 8

11/3
 Artificial Intelligence: Can Machines Think? DH, Module 9
Week 11 11/8 CS@GW: Bioinformatics

11/10
 CS@GW: Computer Security and Information Assurance
Week 12 11/15 CS@GW: Digital Media

11/17
 CS@GW: Biomedical Computing
Week 13 11/22 Real-time and Safety-critical Systems

11/24 THANKSGIVING - NO CLASS
Week 14
 11/29-12/1
 Computers in Society
 DH, Module 10
Week 15 12/6 So What IS Computer Science?

12/8 REVIEW FOR FINAL EXAM

Required Textbook

The required text is Decker and Hirshfield, The Analytical Engine, 2nd ed. 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.