What Is Computer Science?
I've been thinking about the meaning of the January "What is CS" thread on the SIGCSE email list, and was afraid as I caught up that it might degenerate into that special hell demonstrated on so many newsgroup and Slashdot threads.
Abstract
the current president of IFIP, suggests four main problem areas as central to computer science: (1) a theory of programming, with emphasis not mainly on the problems of distinguishing the computable from the noncomputable, but rather on practical theory of algorithms concerned with the construction of economical and efficient programs; (2) a theory of process a~d processor organization, which takes into account the finite dimensions of ('xisting memories, the availability of storage hierarchies of varying access speeds and costs, and the desire for a reduction in computation and program production time; (3) a theory of description for processes and computational structures in terms acceptable to the processor; and (4) a tl~eory of computer applications which would include all features common to most numeric and nonnumeric applications. In the light of these proposed specifications for the computer science field, it may b(. of inter('st to investigate whether any major changes may have occurred in the computer literature over the past few years. Consider, as an example, the materia.ls The following trends are immediately noticeable: (1) the papers on formal language theory, parsing, and compiler design have largely been replaced by material on program organization and operating systems, including, in particular, parallel processing methods, scheduling, paging, and general process organization; (2) the work on automata and abstract machine theory is reduced in scope and replaced by material dealing with the theory of computation, including the design of efficient or correct programs, the complexity and completeness of algorithms, and the mathematical analysis of algorithms; (3) a continued emphasis-some would say overemphasis-on numerical mathematics is apparent, including materials concerned with techniques of nu-m(,rical analysis, theorem proving, and the execution of computerized mathematics; (4) the continued near-total absence of material dealing with nonnumeric applications-including systems for management and administration, applications to science and the humanities, and technological applications-is obvious; and (5) the area of hardware and processor organization continues to be neglected. How do these d~,v(,lopments match Dr. Zemanek's prescription for a computer sci(.nc(, disciplin(,? In part, the match is quite close. A great deal of progress is certainly apparent in programming and complexity theory, leading to a better un. (;c~wral permission to republish, but not for profit, all or part of this material is granted m,vided ~hat reference is made to this publication, to its da~e of issue, and to the fact that :'primi~g privileges were granted by permission of the Association for Computing …