Introduction

Our primary goal is to teach you how to think like a computer scientist. You might assume that thinking like a computer scientist is all about learning how to write programs, but really the key is learning techniques for problem solving. This involves developing the ability to express solutions using algorithms, or step-by-step instructions for how to tackle problems. Learning how to use algorithms is an incredibly useful skill that will serve you well in any discipline. We've heard from former students that it even helped them write better papers.

Reading Assignments

In the schedule below there are reading assignments given in the announcements column. For a given date, you should complete the reading before coming to class on that day. Many of the readings are available online as PDFs or as web pages, and have been linked to. We will also be reading some chapters from the book entitled Failure: Why Science is so Successful, by Stuart Firestein. And, when Amy Volmer leads class on July 19, you should have read The Checklist Manisfesto: How to get Things Right by Atul Gawande.