CSC151.02 2016S, Class 01: An Introduction to Algorithms

Overview

Preliminaries

Welcome to CSC 151!
Five handouts (please take when you enter the room).
- A playing card.
- Assignment 1
- Departmental academic honesty policy.
- Reading: Linux
- Reading: Algorithms
We are your support team: Sam, Sarah, Evan, Renn, and Zachary
Reminder: CSC 151 meets on Tuesdays (as well as Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays).
Office hours: MTWF 10-11, Tu 1-2. Sign up at http://rebelsky.youcanbook.me.
Attendance!
- Hi, I'm FIRST NAME LAST NAME. You can call me PRIMARY NAME or Mr./Ms./Mx. LAST NAME. My PGPs are ....
- I think Grinnell's mascot should be ... Upcoming Work:
Readings for class 2: Linux, Algorithms.
Assignment 1 due Tuesday at 10:30 p.m.

Computer science is solving algorithms in order to make a machine perform a certain function.
- What's an algorithm?
- What does it mean to solve one?
Solving problems by writing algorithms to solve problems.
An algorithm is a set of instructions of accomplishing a task. [Abraham Lincoln, YouTube Video 2014]
Design maintenance and advancement of cyberinfrastructure
To most computer scientists, CS is the study of algorithms (instructions) and information (organization)
Usually, computers follow these instructions
- Computers are machines that do math and other kinds of instructions
- Used to be a job title
This course is about writing clear and unambigious instructions for accomplishing a variety of tasks.