Objectives
 Develop problem-solving skills
Computer Science 1
(1E3)
Lucy Hederman
Lucy.Hederman@cs.tcd.ie
Room G.13, O’Reilly Institute
1 Introduction
Computers are Pervasive
 When did you last interface with a
computer?
 Or with a device that interfaces with a
computer?
 Or with a human service provider who
depended on a computerised device to
deliver that service?
1 Introduction
 Useful to all engineers
 Develop basic programming skills
 Useful in some CAE applications
 Necessary for computer and other engineers.
 Introduce main themes of computer
science
 Of general interest to all ???
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Problem-Solving
 Compute the shortest route that visits a
list of cities?
 Find the web pages most likely to satisfy a
query?
 Produce monthly paychecks for TCD
employees.
 Identify a car from an image of its number
plate.
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1
 Programming and Problem Solving An Algorithm
Determine how many times a name occurs in a list of
 Algorithm names.
 A sequence of precise instructions which 1. Input the list of names.
leads to a solution
2. Input the name being checked
 Program 3. Set a counter to zero.
 An algorithm expressed in a language the 4. For each name on the list
computer can understand If the list name is the same as the name being
checked
Add 1 to the counter.
5. Output the counter value as the answer.
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Pseudocode Algorithm A program fragment in C++

Computes the sum of even numbers from 1 to
Determine how many times a name occurs in a list of an entered number
names.
1. Input the name-list.
2. Input the test-name.
3. Set a counter to be 0.
4. FOR EACH name on name- list
IF name is the same as test-name
THEN Add 1 to the counter.
5. Output counter. firstexample.cpp
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2
 Other things you might learn Practicalities
 Computers are “stupid”.  Lectures
 Wed 12-1 Hamilton 3 theatre
 Programming is easy, a bit tedious  Fri 9-10 Ed Burke, Arts block
 Problem solving is challenging and fun.  Labs
 Some things can’t be computed.  Start week 3 (20th October)
 1.5 hours per week
 Attendance compulsory
 Coursework
 Completed in labs
 Contributes 20% to overall mark.
 Marks posted weekly
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Textbook & Webpage Programming Language

 C++ Programming: Program Design Including Data
Structures, D.S. Malik, Fourth Edition, Thomson,
ISBN 978-1-4239-0222-5
 We’ll cover Chapters 1- 7, 9 and possibly 11.
 Will also be used in 2E3
 Strongly recommend that you buy it.
 TCD library Call No. 500.16424P69 (Third Ed.)
 http://www.tcd.ie/Engineering/Courses/BAI/
JF_Subjects/1E3/
 We’ll use C++
 C++ is an object-oriented (OO) language
 We’ll focus on the procedural aspects.
 C++ is the OO extension of C
 C is a high-level language but allows low-
level control of machines.
 C is the language used by UNIX
programmers.

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3
 Environment Next …
 iMacs running Mac OS X “Jaguar”  Next day we’ll look briefly at
 SubEthaEdit text editor  Computer architecture
 To type in and edit your program files  Programming languages
 Terminal utility  Problem-solving.
 Gives UNIX interface
 “make myprog.cpp”
 Make compiles (and link) programs
 “./myprog”
 To run the compiled program myprog

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