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Introduction to algorithms and programming

What is an algorithm?
What is programming?
Programming philosophy
How to think of a programming problem
How to plan the solution to the problem
Problem decomposition
Top-down refinement
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Using an interactive development
environment (IDE)
Types of programming errors
Syntactic
Semantic
structured programming language
What is a programming language?
What is a structured programming language?
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Main language concepts covered:
Simple data types
Numbers (integer, real)
Boolean
Characters
Strings
Input / output statements
Basic statements (assignment, conditionals,
iteration/looping)
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Understand basic components in a computer
architecture
Appreciate the role of programming
languages
Design a top-down solution for solving
problems
Be familiar with an IDE
Edit, compile, debug and run short programs

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Exams (50%)
midterm (7
th
week) 20%
final (end of course) 30%
Quizzes (30%)
measure progress
every 2 weeks
Homework (10%) will say more
Participation (10%)
attendance
will I remember who you are?
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Initially not programming, but thinking about
programs
Small programs, 1 or more, depending on the
complexity
Frequently assigned (each week)
Like a language, you need frequent practice
Do not wait until the last moment to work on
your program
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Computer
one that computes (Websters dictionary)
In other languages:
French: ordinateur (from order)
Italian: cervello elettronico (electronic brain)
Other?
Computer: a programmable device that can
store, retrieve and process data.
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Hardware:
The actual physical machine
Consists of several hardware devices
Software:
The programs that tell the machine what to do,
i.e. give instructions to the machine
Different types of programs written in different
languages

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The relationship between
Hardware and Software
Hardware and
software have a
symbiotic
relationship, this
means that without
software hardware is
very limited; and
without hardware,
software wouldnt be
able to run at all.
They need each
other to fulfill their
potential.
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Input:
Keyboard
Mouse, Touchpad, Joystick
Pen & tablet, Perforated cards
Output:
Printer
Screen (monitor)
Teletype
Input & Output:
Auxiliary Devices:
disks (hard disk, floppies, DVDs/CDs, USB keys, Flash
memories)
tape drives
Touch screen
Network cards (intranet, internet)
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Memory
Permanent: Disks & other I/O devices
Volatile: Main memory, Graphic memories
Virtual
Main memory is like a very large set of
mailboxes, each with its own address.
It stores data encoded as binary numbers.
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Central Processing Unit(s)
One or more
A CPU contains
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
A Control Unit: controls the actions of other components
The CPU controls just about everything else by executing
instructions
stores data in memory
retrieves data from memory
performs computations
sends and gets data from other devices
Not all computational systems rely on a central processing
unit. An array processor or vector processor has multiple
parallel computing elements, with no one unit considered the
"center". In the distributed computing model, problems are
solved by a distributed interconnected set of processors.
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Bus
In computer architecture, a bus is a
communication system that transfers data
between components inside a computer, or
between computers.
covers all related hardware components (wire,
optical fiber, etc.) and software, including
communication protocols.

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Vacuum tubes
Mainframe computers (IBM)
Mini computers (DEC)
Micro computers (IBM, NEC, MacIntosh)
Desktops
Laptops
Blackberry
Supercomputers
Tablets and smartphones
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Every year or two computer power
approximately doubles
Memory size (RAM)
Memory used to execute programs
Secondary storage (permanent storage)
E.g. disk storage, used to to hold programs and data
over time
Processor speeds
Speed at which computers execute their programs
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Applications:
Rapidly increasing hardware power allows
applications to get bigger and more complex
Costs
Hardware costs dropping
Software development costs rising
Software development complexity
Programmer salaries
Cost of slipping schedules
Unanticipated interactions in complex systems
Unpredictability of software development times
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http://www.webopedia.com/
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/A-
level_Computing/AQA/Computer_Component
s,_The_Stored_Program_Concept_and_the_Int
ernet/Fundamentals_of_Computer_Systems/H
ardware_and_software


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