Introduction
Basically, when you hear the word science, you think of the study of principles and how to figure out a certain idea. Just like General Science, Social Science, etc., Computer Science is the study of how a computer system works. It's all about theoretical study and how it works in practice. It covers all the parts of a computer system, from the hardware to the software. From the simplest to the most complex, it explains every related concept. It covers every part and process of a computer system from the basics to more advanced topics. It helps us understand how algorithms work, how programs work, how data is represented, and how to compute digital information. Computer Science introduces different algorithms, data structures, network design, programming, modelling, and AI. It covers everything from math and engineering to electronic circuit design techniques and probability and statistics.
The disciplines of computing
Computer science is related to and part of the family of five distinct but interrelated disciplines known as the “Discipline of Computing”. While these disciplines are separated, they are interrelated in the sense that, although they cover different fields of research, their goal is the same.
These five disciplines are
1. Computer Engineering
2. Computer Science
3. Information Systems
4. Information Technology
5. Software Engineering
Since 1991, associations and societies such as IEEE-CS (International Electrotechnical Commission on Standards) and ACM (Association for Computer Machinery) and AIS (Association for Information Systems) (Association for the Improvement of the Taxonomy of the Discontents of Computing) have worked together to develop and improve the taxonomy of the disciplines and guidelines for educational institutions around the world that use these disciplines in research, postgraduate and undergraduate programs.
Computer science fields
Computer science is a field of study that focuses on the theory of computing and designing software systems. It's divided into two main parts: theory and practical disciplines. Theoretical disciplines focus on concepts like computational complexity, programming language theory, human-computer interaction, computer architecture, and engineering. Practical disciplines focus on how to apply these concepts to real-world problems.
History and Development of Computer Science
The origins of Computer Science can be traced back to certain distinct areas, which include:
1. Mathematics: It introduced the concepts of "binary number system" and "stored program" and demonstrated that information can be represented in numerical forms, such as zeros and ones, and stored in the system.
2. Physics and Electrical Engineering: The concept of Boolean Algebra in Physics and Electrical Engineering was influential in the design of circuits, as it enabled the production of arbitrary outputs (true or false) by combining Boolean Algebraic inputs of electrical impulses into a circuit. This allowed the design of circuits with binary value inputs, resulting in the production of a desired combination of 0s and 1s as its output. This was the foundation for the development of the transistor, as well as the development of optical, electronic and magnetic media for transmitting and storing information.
3. Management information systems: Management information systems (MIS) are data processing systems (DPS) that describe the process of data processing. This has resulted in the emergence and extension of terms such as retrieval, search, sorting, database, and graphical user interface (GUI) concepts.
All of these areas contributed to the creation of Computer Science.
In 1623, a scientist named William Schickard created the mechanical computer which was the first functioning calculator.
Then, in 1673, Gottfried Leibniz showed off his digital mechanical calculator called the Stepped Reckoner. He was considered one of the first computer scientists and information theorists.
In 1820, de Colmar created the Arithmetometer, which was the first powerful and dependable calculating machine that was used in offices. This was also the start of the mechanical calculator industry.
In 1822, Charles Babbage started designing the Difference Engine, which gave the idea for Analytical Engine - it was the first computer that could be programmed. He started working on it in 1834 and by 1843, he had sketched out many of the features of modern computers. He also published a French article called 'Analytical Engine', which was the first algorithm to be published on a computer - it was based on Bernoulli's numbers.
In 1885, Herman Hollerith came up with the idea of the Tabulator, which used punched cards to process statistical information. This eventually led to Herman's company becoming part of IBM. Howard Aiken then convinced IBM to develop the ASCC / Harvard Mark I, which was a giant programmable calculator. It was based on Charles's Analytical Engine and could use punched cards and a CPU. It was thought that after a century of Babbage's dream being impossible, it was finally made a reality.
In 1940, ENIAC and ATanasoff-Berry computers were developed, which were the first powerful computing machines. It was proven that computers could do more than just calculations - they could also be used for other types of computing. This led to the development of Computer Science as a separate academic discipline.
1945 saw the founding of IBM's Watson Scientific Computing Laboratory, which was located at Columbia University in New York. In the 1950s and 1960s, Computer Science began to take off.
In 1953, the UK's first computer degree program was launched at Cambridge's Computer Laboratory. Two years later, the Transistor Computers were built at Manchester University, the first of its kind. In the 1960s, the first department of computer science was created at Purdue University in the US.
In 1959, Atalla and Kahng at Bell Labs came up with the idea of the Metal-Oxy-Silicon Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET). This was the first really compact transistor that could be made into miniaturized chips for mass production, and it paved the way for the computer and microcomputer revolution.
Computer Science Etymology
In 1959, the concept of Computer Science was first introduced in an article in the Journal of Communication of the American College of Medicine (ACM). The author, Louis Fein, proposed the establishment of a Graduate School of Computer Sciences. Subsequently, in 1962, this proposal was approved, with the help of the writer's collaborator, the numerical analyst, George Forsythe. Subsequently, universities began to establish Computer Science Departments, with Purdue being the first to do so. A Danish scientist, Peter Naur, proposed the terms Datalogy and Data Science. The University of Copenhagen (Copenhagen) introduced the term Datalogy in its Department of Datalogy in 1969, with Peter Naur becoming the first Professor of Datalogy. A variety of terms for the field of Computer Science were proposed to practitioners in the Communications of the ACM.
The names were Flow-Charts-Man, Turologist, Turingineer, Applied Meta-Mathematician, Applied Epistemologist, Comptologist, Hypologist, and finally Computers. After 3 months, ACM came up with the term Comptology. Computer science was supposed to be closely related to maths because it was heavily influenced by the works of Mathematicians such as Alan Turing and others. Later on, there was a controversy about the relationship between computer and software engineering. David Parnas argued that the goal of studying computer science was to understand the properties of computing, while the goal of studying software engineering was to design specific computations to achieve practical goals. This caused the academic, financial, and political aspects to depend on whether to form math as a department or engineering as a department. Ultimately, both departments worked hard to make the computer science field accessible to everyone around the world.
Disciplines of Computer Science
If you're looking to pursue a computer science degree, you need to get the most out of it. There have been a lot of changes in the field over the years, and now there are lots of new disciplines out there. So if you're an aspiring computer science student, you need to make sure you know the ins and outs of each one. To help you out, here are some of the areas of specialization you can focus on.
- Computer Engineering
- Web Development
- Computer Game Development
- Robotics
- Software Development
- Simulation And Modeling
- Computer Programming
- Software Systems
- Digital Image/ Sound
- Data Management
- Operating Systems
- Design Databases
- Computer Graphics
- Parallel Programming
- iOS Development
- Mobile Development
- Memory Systems
- Artificial Intelligence
- Bioinformatics
- Applied Mathematics
- Computational Physics
- Microprogramming
- Networks And Administration
- Computer Architecture Networks
- Cryptography
Students can specialize in any of the sub-disciplines of computer science, and they can also have great career prospects. Computer science has changed a lot over the years, and it's become so popular that it's become an addiction for 70-80% of people around the world.
Career Options in Computer Science
Computer science has really taken the world by storm with its cool theories, tech, and experimentation. It's revolutionized the way people work, saving them a ton of time and giving them a helping hand. There are lots of different degrees in computer science, so if you're interested, you can get a degree in computer science from a college or university and pursue a career in one of the following fields.
- Database Administrator
- Web Developer
- Software Analyst
- Software Engineer/ Hardware Engineer
- Computer System Operator
- Tester
- Coder
- Computer Graphics Designer
- Computer Networking Engineer and lots more.
Identify your interests, form an opinion, take action, and take advantage of the chances presented to you.
