Introduction to computer problem solving

Lecture 1

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, ITER

Siksha ’O’ Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.

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Contents

1 Motivation

2 What Is Computer Science?

3 Basic Aspects of Computer Science

4 Types of Computer

5 Basic Components of a Computer

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Motivation

The way we think about programming has undergone many

changes in the years.
Changes in computing technology provide computer scientists
with a growing number of tools and platforms.
Throughout all of this rapid evolution, a number of basic
principles have remained constant.
Science of computing is concerned with using computers to solve
problems.
You have no doubt spent considerable time learning the basics of
problem-solving.
You have also learned that writing computer programs is often
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What Is Computer Science?

Computer science is not simply the study of computers.

Computer science is the study of problems, problem-solving,

and the solutions that come out of the problem-solving
process.

Computer science can be thought of as the study of algorithms.

Computer science is also the study of abstraction.

Ironically, computer science involves all aspects of problem

solving.

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Computer

The term computer is used to describe a device made up of a

combination of electronic and electromechanical components.

By itself a computer has no intelligence.

A computer system is a combination of three pincipal elements:
Hardware: Hardware refers to the physical components of a
computer and its supporting devices.
Software: Software refers to the programs that execute on
computers.
Theory: Understanding the capabilities and limitations of
computers.

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Algorithm

Algorithm is a step by step procedure, which defines a set of

instructions to be executed in certain order to get the desired
output.
There are five characteristics of Algorithm:
Input: An algorithm has zero or more inputs.
Output: An algorithm has one or more outputs, which have a
specified relation to the inputs.
Finiteness: The algorithm must always terminate after a finite
number of steps.
Definiteness: Each step must be precisely defined.
Effectiveness: All operations to be performed must be sufficiently
basic that they can be done exactly and in finite length.
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Conceptual Tools

All programs basically consists of obtaining the data and running

the instructions that manipulate the data.
There are three kinds of conceptual ideas introduced here for
designing the programs.
Primitives: These are the lowest-level data values and procedures
provided by a programming language.
Composition: This is the idea of taking smaller ideas, and putting
them together to build a larger idea.
Abstraction: This is the idea of focusing on the “big picture” of an
idea, and ignoring the details that implement that big picture.

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Types of Computer

Figure 1: Types of Computer

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Classification based on Type of Data Processed

Analog Computer: An analog computer is a form of computer

that uses electrical, mechanical or hydraulic phenomena to model
the problem being solved.

Digital Computer: A computer that stores data in terms of digits

(numbers) and proceeds in discrete steps fromone state to the
next.

Hybrid Computer: Hybrid computers are computers that

comprise features of analog computers and digital computers.

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Classification based on Purpose of Use

General Purpose Computer: They are designed in such a

manner that they can work in all environments.

Special Purpose Computer: They are designed in such a

manner that they can perform only a specified task.

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Classification based on Processing Capabilities

Micro Computer: It is a small and cheap digital computer that is

designed to be used by individuals.
Mini Computer: It is a multi-user computer system which is
capable of supporting hundreds of users simultaneously.
Mainframe Computer: Mainframe is very large in size and is an
expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds or even
thousands of users simultaneously.
Super Computer: Supercomputers are one of the fastest
computers currently available. Supercomputers are very
expensive and are employed for specialized applications that
require immense amount of mathematical calculations.
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Basic Components of a Computer

Figure 2: Basic Architecture of a Computer

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Input Devices

The Computer system consists of input devices that help the user
to enter raw data to the system.

The input devices are nothing but small electronic devices that
convert the digital signal or logical signals into binary form.

Input devices are responsible for interaction between the outside

world and computer system.

Example: Keyboard, Mouse, Scanner, Joystics, Touch

Screens.

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Output Devices

The output devices of computer system generate output in the

form of text, images and graphics.

The output devices convert data from binary it into

human-readable form.

The output devices act as an intermediate between the outside

world and computer system.

Example: Printer, monitor.

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Central Processing Unit(CPU)

The central processing unit(CPU) is known as “Heart of

Computer” or “Brain of computer”.

The CPU is the most important part of the computer system

without it we cannot imagine the computer to even start.
The CPU is a piece hardware which carries out all arithmetic and
logical operations with high speed and unbelievable accuracy.
Arithmetic Logic Unit(ALU): Arithmetic Logical Unit is used for
processing data after input data is stored into primary memory.
Control Unit(CU): The Control Unit controls all the operations and
tasks performed in the computer system.

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Memory Unit

The data and instructions that are entered into the computer, the
results produced by the computer, and the intermediate results
produced by the computer have to be stored inside the computer.

The memory unit of a computer system is designed to do all these

things.

It provides space for storing data and instructions, space for

intermediate results and also space for the final results.

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References

Y Daniel Liang ‘Introduction to JAVA Programming, Comprehensive Version’,

Pearson, 2014.

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