CS160 - Surton Current | Chemeketa CS

Week 1

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

This is the first regular unit of material for CS160. We will explore our first algorithm of the week, indexing, and begin an ongoing exploration of programming. You have already read the first chapter of that programming material while getting started; now it is time to go back and finish the exercises you didn't polish off on first contact and do some additional activities to complete your work in that chapter. You will also read the next chapter to prepare for the programming in Unit 2. In the other half of the Welcome to CS book (the “Computation and Computer Science” chapters, as opposed to the “Exploring Programming” chapters), we will be exploring the history of computing and how people engage with it as a field of study and work.

Begin each unit by perusing all of the items in the module, including a look at the written assignment. You will need to do some reading and practice before you can answer all of the prompts in the written assignment, but you should start with the end in sight.

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Describe, compare and contrast various professions and careers in Computing
Chart educational pathways for entrance into these professions
Identify key developments in the evolution of computing hardware
Explain how a computer makes use of an index to search for information
Make simple modifications to existing Python programs to observe the effects

Computing Fields and History

What is CS? Why study it?

Why learn about CS? What kinds of things do people with CS degrees do? These videos offer an introduction to computing science as a field.

Computing Fields and Careers

Read Computing Related Fields in Welcome to CS.

Here at Chemeketa here is how you get started in the various computing fields:

If you are interested in CS or SE, the CS program is your starting point.
If you are interested in CE you should check out the Engineering program.
If you are interested in a technical-focused IT or IS degree, you should look at the CIS program.
If you are interested in cybersecurity, you probably want to check out the CIS program's cybersecurity degree, unless you are interested in a very code-oriented cybersecurity career (reverse engineering, malware analysis) in which case a CS degree may make sense.

Optionally, you might also want to browse through these sites for more information on various computing career opportunities and the associated educational requirements.

History of Computers

Read History of Computers in Welcome to CS.

Algorithm of the Week: Indexing

In the Nine Algorithms that Changed the Future book, read chapters 1 and 2: the Introduction and our first Algorithm of the Week, indexing. This material will be valuable for working on the written assignment, which you should begin as soon as possible.

Optional Extras: The Birth of the Computer

This is an interesting “behind the scenes” stories about the birth of computing and where it may head in the future from famed inventor George Dyson.

Week 2

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Our study of search indexing from last unit continues into the other main aspect of search with this unit's Algorithm of the Week: ranking. From here on out, we will be exploring two programming chapters per unit, so in addition to the chapter you read last unit to prepare, there is a mid-unit checkpoint for reading another programming chapter; this week we will explore putting numbers and text in Python programs. Additionally, we will explore the famous “ones and zeros” that modern computing is built on.

This unit's written assignment has a new kind of prompt. As we explore various algorithms and the technologies they power, it is important to consider the effects of these new technologies. Read Impacts of Computing in Welcome to CS to learn about a framework we will be using to explore the human effects—the affects—of computing. You will be asked to read an article online about a computational technology and to analyze its impacts for yourself. At the end of the Impacts of Computing chapter are samples of what we are looking for. These impacts questions will reappear every other unit.

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Describe the difference between analog and digital
Use units of information such as bits, bytes, and multiplier prefixes
Convert between binary and decimal numeral systems
Explain how the PageRank algorithm works
Write Python code to do simple computation with numbers and strings
Weigh the benefits and harms of a technology as it affects humans

Binary and Bits

Read Binary and Bits in Welcome to CS. Continue through the first three sections of Data Representation (stop when you reach Binary Addition).

Explore the Binary Practice worksheet. Worksheets like this are provided so you can practice the material and verify that you understand it before doing the written assignment. You will not turn the worksheets in. Do the problems and use the key to check your own work. If you have questions about any of the problems on a worksheet, ask about them!

Algorithm of the Week: PageRank

Read Chapter 3 of Nine Algorithms that Changed the Future. Try out a PageRank simulator to get a feel for the algorithm; the simulator will also come in handy for the worksheet and written assignment.

Explore the the PageRank Practice worksheet. It has a few problems you can use to test your understanding of how link structure influences ranking. You can check your work with the key.

Optional Extras: Programming and Search

Program or be Programmed

What does it mean not to know how programming works in the modern world?

How Google Search Works

Learn some more details about how pages get ranked.

Week 3

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Be sure to take the first quiz while it is open! It will cover material from the first two units (no new material from this unit).

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Perform simple math on unsigned binary numbers
Describe how binary values can be used to represent non-numeric data like text and images
Perform conversion between binary and hexadecimal (base 16)
Calculate values using modular (‘clock’) arithmetic
Describe how the Diffie–Hellman algorithm can be used to generate a shared secret in public
Write simple Turtle programs in Python
Define procedures to reuse Python code and form abstractions

Numbers and Other Data

Read sections 4.4–4.5 in Welcome to CS, which covers doing addition and other arithmetic on binary numerals. Sections 4.6–4.8 are optional.

Read sections 4.9–4.12 in Welcome to CS, to explore representing information beyond just numbers, such as text, colors, and images. You will also learn about hexadecimal (base 16), which is commonly used when describing colors.

Explore the ASCII/Hex/Binary worksheet and check your work with its key.

Algorithm of the Week: Diffie–Hellman Key Exchange

Read chapter 4 of Nine Algorithms the Changed the Future, on private-key cryptography and the Diffie–Hellman key exchange protocol.

Read the Diffie–Hellman supplement. It has tips on how to do clock arithmetic and a cool interactive version of the algorithm that can help you understand who knows what information as the computations are performed.

Optional Extras: Cryptography and Numbers

The Introduction to Cryptography on Khan Academy is great if you want to learn more about cryptography and the related math.

Do you want to see the bits from a real image? Or any other file on your hard drive? Programs called Hex Editors allow you to see the raw information in a file and modify it. You can google "hex editor windows" or "hex editor mac" if you want to try one out.

If you are interested in how negative numbers and decimals are represented using bits, read Welcome to CS 4.6–4.8. You can also try these videos for extra insight.

Week 4

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

This unit's written assignment will have your second Impacts of Computing prompt.

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Identify and evaluate the basic Boolean logic rules.
Predict the output of a simple logic circuit
Describe how asymmetric (public-key) cryptography can be used to either authenticate a message or send a secret message
Describe how certificate authorities provide a basis for trust on the Internet
Design a simple program via decomposition
Define a Python function that returns the result of a calculation

Boolean Logic and Circuits

Boolean Logic

Read about Boolean logic rules in sections 5.1–5.4 of Welcome To CS.

Explore the short Boolean Practice worksheet.

Logic Circuits

Read about logic gates and circuits in sections 5.5–5.8 of Welcome To CS. Don't worry about memorizing the details in 5.7 and 5.8. They are examples of how circuits do “real” work in a computer that you should check out, but you are not responsible for knowing them.

Explore the Circuit Practice worksheet. You can use the Circuit Playground to build and test the circuits on the worksheet. This video shows how to use it.

Optionally, watch this video, which does a good job of tying together bits, binary, logic and circuits. If you are still feeling a little fuzzy on how bits and gates and circuits all tie together, I highly recommend checking it out. Don't stress the details from minutes 7–10, just focus on the big picture of how circuits manipulate on/off values to do math in a computer.

Algorithm of the Week: Public-Key Encryption

Read the Authentication and Public-Key Encryption supplement. Make sure to read all the way through until the page titled “RSA”. This material is a replacement for chapter 9 in Nine Algorithms.

Optionally, read chapter 9 of the Nine Algorithms book. It covers similar ground to the reading above. However, the Nine Algorithms chapter has a slightly different focus—feel free to read it as a second perspective on this unit's algorithm.

Optional Extras: Domino Computer and Blockchain

You can build a computer's logic gates with almost anything, even dominoes!

Bitcoin is a digital currency that uses cryptography to record transactions so that they can be verified by everyone who uses Bitcoins. This video explains how it works.

Week 5

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Be sure to take the quiz while it is open!

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Describe the major components of a CPU and their purpose
Discuss the fundamental machine execution cycle (fetch-decode-execute)
Trace the execution of and write simple machine code programs
Perform common error detection and correction tricks used by computers
Use loops to build programs that create or modify images

Architecture and Machine Code

Machine Architecture and the Machine Cycle

Read about the major components of a CPU and the machine cycle in chapter 6 of the computing section of Welcome to CS.

Optionally, watch this video as a secondary source. The first 12.5 minutes do a nice job of showing a processor at work. (From there on it gets into more detail than we are going to worry about, but you may find it interesting.)

Machine Code and the Little Computer

Read about machine languages and the architecture of the Little Computer in sections 7.1–7.2 in Welcome To CS. Don't worry about reading past 7.2; there is more about the Little Computer that we will tackle next unit.

Explore the first Little Computer worksheet and check your work with the key. You will need to make use of the Little Computer simulator.

Algorithm of the Week: Error Detection and Correction

Read chapter 5 of Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future.

Optionally, check out the algorithms that allow for checking credit card numbers and the ISBNs on books.

Week 6

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Describe the goals of higher level programming languages and how they relate to machine code
Uses branches in the Little Computer to make decisions
Use conditionals in Python

Branching, Assembly Code, and Higher-Level Programming Languages

Assembly and the Little Computer

Read about what an assembly language is and how to write assembly for the Little Computer in sections 7.4–7.5 in Welcome to CS.

Explore the Little Computer Assembly Worksheet and check your work with the key. You will need to make use of the Little Computer Assembler.

Little Computer Branching

Last week, we saw how a simple computer would process information and use its memory. This week, we will look at how it could use branch instructions to allow us to say things like “if the number is positive, do this, otherwise do that” and “go back to instruction 4”

Read section 7.3 on the Little Computer in Welcome to CS to learn about the branch instructions.

Explore the Little Computer Branch Worksheet and check your work with the key. You will need to make use of the Little Computer simulator.

Higher-Level Programming Languages

Read the rest of chapter 7 in Welcome to CS. It describes how higher-level programming languages (such as the Python you are learning) relate to assembly and machine languages.

Algorithm of the Week: Compression

Read chapter 7 of Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future. Then, read the Compression supplement. It demonstrates how to build a Huffman code—a version of the shortest-symbol trick from Nine Algorithms.

Explore the Compression Practice worksheet and check your work with the key.

Optional Extras: Medical Data

See how Big Data and computation are transforming medicine.

Week 7

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Be sure to take the quiz while it is open!

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Describe the requirements of an algorithm
Execute basic searching and sorting algorithms by hand
Conduct a “best first” heuristic search of a graph
Use logical operators to express complex conditions

Searching And Sorting

Searching and sorting are two fundamental tasks that any program dealing with lists of data generally needs to do. We will be studying some algorithms for accomplishing these tasks in this unit. Next unit, we will use these algorithms as the basis to learn about how we compare the efficiencies of algorithms.

Start by reading sections 8.1–8.8, on Algorithms, in Welcome to CS. (Stop when you get to Efficiency in section 8.9.)

Explore the Search and Sort Practice worksheet, and check your work with the key.

Optionally, watch these videos on how Selection and Insertion sort work.

Algorithm of the Week: AI Search

Read the AI Search supplement. There is no corresponding material in Nine Algorithms; we will resume working out of it next unit.

Explore the AI Search Practice worksheet, and check your work with the key.

Optional Extras: Insertion Sort, the Dance

Insertion Sort, the new dance craze!

Week 8

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Rank common classes of algorithm based on relative complexity
Identify what class the basic search and sort algorithms fall into
Identify pattern recognition algorithms and predict the behavior of simple decision trees and neural networks
Write code that uses lists to store data, loops through lists, and manipulates them

Algorithmic Efficiency

This unit we are looking at how computing scientists typically measure the efficiency of algorithms. The algorithms we studied last unit will be the main focus of our analysis.

Read sections 8.9–8.14, on Algorithms, in Welcome to CS. (Stop when you hit Merging in 8.15.)

Explore the Efficiency worksheet and check your work with the key.

Algorithm of the Week: Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning

Read chapter 6 of the Nine Algorithms book, along with the Pattern Recognition supplement.

Explore the Pattern Recognition Practice worksheet, and check your work with the key.

Optional Extras: ChatGPT and MarI/O

One of the more famous recent examples of machine learning is ChatGPT. How is something like ChatGPT trained?

Machine learning has also been put to use to train computers to do more trivial things…like play Super Mario!

Closed captioned version of the video

Week 9

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

There is no quiz in this unit. Instead, the next unit will have a quiz covering Units 7–9.

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Discuss and describe the jobs of an operating system and the major resources it handles
Explain the advantages and challenges of parallel processing
Describe how databases are designed to maintain consistency in the face of failures and concurrent changes
Write simple SQL queries

Operating Systems and Parallel Processing

Read about Operating Systems and Parallel Processing in Welcome to CS.

Optionally, watch this video to reinforce the big ideas of the Operating Systems material.

Algorithm of the Week: Databases and Consistency

Read chapter 8 of the Nine Algorithms book. You can skip the entire section titled “The Prepare-Then-Commit Trick For Replicated Databases”; start reading again at “Relational Databases And The Virtual Table Trick”.

These videos cover what a database is and how they work, which might be useful background to make the reading easier.

Optional Extras: GPUs

Video cards (GPUs) are different from CPUs because they are optimized for parallel processing. They are designed to process hundreds or thousands of similar jobs at the same time. Traditionally, they were mostly used for graphics, but they are also good at the kinds of tasks that machine learning requires. This video explains more.

Week 10

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Be sure to take the last quiz while it is open!

You will want to start preparing for the final now. The final is cumulative, covering all of the material from the course. If you want to get a head start on studying, the best thing to do is go back and review the earlier quizzes and assignments.

Upon finishing this learning module, you should be able to:

Describe what quantum computing is and why we are interested in it
Argue why some problems cannot be solved by an algorithm
Write python code to do simple data processing

To enable timely grading, new submissions of late work will not be accepted after the deadline for the last written assignment.

Algorithm of the Week: Computability

Read chapter 10 of the Nine Algorithms book. It explores the idea of computability and how we know some things are uncomputable—and have known since before there were computers!

Then, read the Computability supplement, which has a video that briefly recaps the Halting Problem and has an optional video with more information about Turing machines.

The Future of Computing

Read chapter 11 in Welcome to CS, on the Limits and Future of Computing. It discusses the algorithmic and engineering limitations computation faces, as well as one possible future technology: quantum computing.

Optionally, read this more detailed description of how quantum computing works.

Final

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Thank you for your work throughout this term! Here are a few things to keep in mind as we wrap everything up.

After the deadline for the last written assignment, it is too late to submit late work. Turn your attention to the final. Remember, I will replace your lowest quiz score with your score on the final if that helps your grade.

There is no in-person final; the final will be delivered through Canvas similarly to how you took the quizzes. Double-check in Canvas for the availability dates during which you can take it. The final will have more questions than the quizzes, and will be cumulative over the material from the entire course, and you will have longer to work.

Last but not least, give us your feedback by completing the CS Course Exit Survey. I'm eager to see your thoughts.