109. Digital Film Editing—The use of computing technology has greatly increased the accessibility of film production and the creative potential of the filmmaking process. This course introduces students to the fundamentals of digital editing and explores the wide range of creative and expressive possibilities that can be achieved by applying computing technology in the post-production process.
110-01. Computers, Information, and Society—New information, ranging from gene sequence data to records of oceanic earthquakes to presidential polling results, is growing rapidly each year. The use of information and databases in virtually all aspects of modern life is both an indispensable aspect of modern society and a potential risk to our privacy, security, and even our identity. How do modern databases work? How is database information organized and distributed? How are databases protected from intrusion and other unauthorized uses? We will learn how to build and use databases in order to answer these questions using domains such as biology, economics, and psychology. Basic computational constructs such as variables, functions, parameters, and control structures will be used to solve interesting database problems.
110-02. Computers and Kinetic Content—Many of today’s computing applications are designed to interact with humans, necessitating a change both in how programs are written and how information is presented for human viewing. As computers become ever more integrated into society, it becomes increasingly important to provide content that facilitates the interaction between humans and computers. Kinetic content, whether animation or video, allows information and meaning to be conveyed from computers to humans far more effectively than simple textual content. This course will explore the core computing concepts of event-driven programming, objects, modularity, and control flow in the context of designing and creating computer animation and video, and the programs that utilize this kinetic content as the primary means of human-computer interaction.
110-03. Computational Intelligence and Society—Computers and robots are becoming increasingly powerful and are now capable of solving problems that were once beyond human ability. Computer chess programs routinely beat the best human players. Computers have proved significant mathematical theorems. Autonomous robots explore space, mow the lawn, and take care of the home-bound elderly. Some observers believe that computers will soon exceed human intelligence. What are the implications of computer intelligence on society and individuals? Should intelligent machines have rights? Should we limit computer power? Can we? As we explore these questions, we will learn how to build puzzle-solving and game-playing programs that display rudimentary forms of intelligence. Basic computational constructs such as variables, functions, parameters, and control structures will be covered.
110-04. Principles of Computation—Computers have recently become so powerful that some even believe they will someday exceed human intelligence. However, the underlying basic structure of computers has remained surprisingly simple, and this elegant design is unlikely to change anytime soon. In this course, students will first read a romantic novel that introduces this fundamental concept and the vast world of computer science. Meanwhile, to understand and appreciate basic laws of computation, students will also learn how to program computers elegantly, using the Scheme language in which programs are usually simple functions. Fundamental constructs such as lists, functions and recursion will be covered. This course will thus focus on the simple but beautiful nature of computation, without nonessential technical details.
110-05. Interactive Computer Graphics—Advances in computer technology have made computer graphics one of the most rapid and economical ways of generating digital images. It is not surprising to find computer graphics used in virtually all areas of modern life. Doctors use three-dimensional medical imaging techniques to view a cross section of body tissues and organs during surgery. Sophisticated engineering and architectural systems are now designed with an aid of computer graphics tools. High-resolution imaging of molecular structures allows scientists to study the behavior of highly complex processes. Computer-generated animations, scenes, and special-effects are commonly used in today’s motion pictures and video games. This course introduces fundamental techniques and tools used in computer graphics. The topics will include drawing, coloring, shading, and modeling three-dimensional objects. In addition to lectures on the underlying principles of computer graphics, students will engage in a series of hands-on laboratory exercises which will provide an opportunity to design and generate the various types of digital images. Students will also be introduced to basic concepts of computer programming to manipulate more elaborate images and create computer animations.
110-06. Open Source Software for Humanity—Free and open source software (FOSS) is software that can be modified, customized, and redistributed by users and programmers. From its modest beginnings in the 1970s through the rapid growth of the Internet and the Linux operating system, today's open source software movement is a global enterprise involving hundreds of thousands of programmers working together on thousands of software programs. A growing number of FOSS programs have a humanitarian focus. In this course, we will both learn about and contribute to a real open source project. We will work with the Sahana system, a crisis management system that was built in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami. We will learn to write Web-based application software using FOSS tools. Come and join the open source movement.
115L. Introduction to Computing—A fundamental treatment of computer science topics featuring the study of the high-level programming language Python. Topics discussed will include computer architecture, programming languages, and ethical issues involved in computer use. Problem-solving techniques involved in writing programs will be studied, proper style and documentation will be required, and object-oriented program design will be introduced. A required weekly lab will involve an intensive study of programming techniques in Python. (1.25 course credits)
203. Mathematical Foundations of Computing—An introduction to the principles of logic and discrete mathematics required in the study of computer science. Topics covered may include: propositional and predicate logic and their relationship to general proof techniques used in computing and correctness proofs of programs; mathematical induction applied to recursion and recurrence relations; set theory with an emphasis on infinite sets used in computing; counting principles useful in analyzing graphs and trees; relations and functions and their relationship to databases and functional programming languages. Computer programs will be used to explore concepts examined in the course.
215L. Data Structures and Algorithms—A study of data structures and algorithms using a high-level programming language. The basic data structures (lists, stacks, queues, trees, and files) and basic algorithms (searching, sorting, and file management) will be introduced and implemented. Data and procedural abstraction, software design principles, and the analysis of the complexity of algorithms will be discussed. Details related to programming will be covered in a required weekly lab. Prerequisite: C- or better in Computer Science 115L. (1.25 course credits)
219. Theory of Computation—A selection of topics intended to serve as an introduction to formal languages and automata theory. The topics will be chosen from among finite state machines, pushdown automata, Turing machines, the Chomsky language hierarchy and related questions of computability. Prerequisite: C- or better in Computer Science 115L and either Computer Science 203 or Mathematics 205.
225. Topics in Application Programming—The study of a specific topic related to the application of principles of programming to real-world problems. Topics will vary from year to year depending on current issues in programming or interests of the instructor. This course will be open to CS students from Connecticut College and Wesleyan University under the Mellon grant and will be taught as a seminar/project course using the video conferencing technology for weekly class meetings. The course will involve analyzing, designing, and implementing open-source software. The focus of the project will be Sahana, an award-winning open-source disaster recovery information system that has been deployed internationally in several natural disasters, including the 2005 Asian Tsunami and the 2005 Pakistani earthquake. In terms of software tools, we will use the LAMP platform (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP). Students can expect to work in teams on real-world tasks. Class meetings will address standard software engineering practices and principles, such as refactoring, unit testing, design and documentation standards, and other related topics. Prerequisite: C- or better in Computer Science 115L.
304. Computer Graphics—An introduction to geometric and computer graphics principles needed for developing software with graphical output. General principles of designing and testing of software systems with reusable components will be emphasized. Geometry and computer graphics topics covered will include coordinate systems, geometric transformations, windowing, curves, fractals, polyhedra, hidden lines, surfaces, color, and shading. Graphical programs that model phenomena from the natural sciences or aid the visualizing of conceptual models in computer science and mathematics will be used for examples and assignments. Prerequisite: Mathematics 132 and a C- or better in Computer Science 215L.
315. Systems Software—A study of the organization and implementation of computer operating systems. Topics include operating systems organization, file systems, memory and process management, resource allocation, recovery procedures, multiprogramming, and distributed processing. The Unix operating system will be used and emphasis will be placed on how various system functions have been implemented in the Unix environment. Prerequisite: C- or better in Computer Science 215L and either Computer Science 203 or Mathematics 205 (or concurrent enrollment in 203 or 205).
316. Foundations of Programming Languages—A study of the organization, specification, and behavior of programming languages. The course will focus on five different programming language paradigms: imperative, object-oriented, functional, logic, and concurrent. Programming assignments using example languages from each of these paradigms will be required. Emphasis will be placed on learning C++, PROLOG, and LISP in a Unix environment. Other topics covered include language syntax, control structures, objects, and functions. Prerequisite: C- or better in Computer Science 215L and either Computer Science 203 or Mathematics 205 (or concurrent enrollment in 203 or 205).
320. Analysis of Algorithms—A continuation of the study begun in Computer Science 215 of the complexity of algorithms used in computing. The notions of P, NP, and NP-complete problems and of noncomputability will be covered. The algorithms studied will include examples involving sorting, graphs, geometry, and combinatorics. Theoretical aspects of algorithms will be studied as well as practical aspects useful in writing programs. Prerequisite: C- or better in Computer Science 215L and either Computer Science 203 or Mathematics 205 (or concurrent enrollment in 203 or 205).
333. Computer Networks—An introduction to the principles and practices of local area and wide area networking. Topics include the study of the layers of computer networking, network configurations, protocols, security, and reliability. Issues related to implementing networking configurations will be studied. Prerequisite: C- or better in Computer Science 215L and either Computer Science 203 or Mathematics 205 (or concurrent enrollment in 203 or 205).
340. Principles of Software Engineering—The study of issues involved in developing large-scale software systems. Topics covered include software life cycle, system design and specification, advanced programming concepts and techniques for software testing, debugging and maintenance. The issues studied will be applied to team projects. Prerequisite: C- or better in Computer Science 215L and either Computer Science 203 or Mathematics 205 (or concurrent enrollment in 203 or 205).
352. Artificial Intelligence—A study of basic principles and research methods in artificial intelligence. The course exposes students to selected topics in the field including pattern recognition, problem solving, theorem proving, knowledge representation, and natural language understanding by computers. The course will draw on recent advances made by cognitive scientists in each of these applications. Students are expected to study the theoretical background of an application. They will also complete several programming and simulation assignments during the semester. Prerequisite: C- or better in Computer Science 215L and either Computer Science 203 or Mathematics 205 (or concurrent enrollment in 203 or 205).
371. Compiler Theory—A study of the use of language theory and automata theory in the design and construction of compilers. Topics to be discussed include lexical analysis, parsing, symbol tables, syntax trees, storage allocation, error recovery, translation systems, code generation, and optimization. Students will practice programming by writing a portion of a compiler for a subset of ALGOL, Pascal or some other language.
372. Database Fundamentals—Principles of database systems, including such topics as data independence, storage structures, relational data models, network data models, security, and integrity. A programming project may be required. Prerequisite: C- or better in Computer Science 215L and either Computer Science 203 or Mathematics 205 (or concurrent enrollment in 203 or 205).
375. High-Performance Computing—This course will introduce various programming models and techniques for multiprocessors. Students will design, implement, and evaluate parallel algorithms for solving complex problems that demand high computational speed. Topics covered include parallel machine architecture, analysis of parallel algorithms, load balancing, and various parallel algorithms including sorting, searching, linear systems, and image processing. Prerequisite: C- or better in CPSC 215 and one semester of calculus (MATH 131)
399. Independent Study—Independent work to develop maturity and initiative in the solution of a problem in the area of the student's special interests. This course may require concurrent registration in Computer Science 403 or 404. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar's Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. (0.5-1 course credit)
403-404. Computer Science Seminar—Students engaged in research (Computer Science 419) or independent study (Computer Science 399) and senior exercise students will meet with computer science faculty for oral presentations and critical discussions of journal papers, research plans, and research progress. Seniors using this course to satisfy the senior exercise requirement will be expected to complete a research or design project and make a formal presentation on its results to the seminar. The project may be an extension or revision of a project conducted in one of their other major courses. (0.5 course credit)
415. Special Topics in Computing—This study of a specific intermediate or advanced topics in computer science. A specific topic may involve a specialized area of computer science or applications of computer science principles to other disciplines. Topics will vary from year to year depending on current developments in computing or interests of the instructor. This course may be repeated for credit.
Course will introduce students to the key concepts in evolutionary computing and give a broad overview of the field by looking at some of the more common evolutionary algorithms employed in the field. Topics will include genetic algorithms, genetic programming, a number of selection schemes, crossover operators, mutation operators, representation schemes, and exaptation. We will look at multi-objective genetic algorithms, evolution strategies, artificial life, and other types of evolutionary algorithms as well.
419. Research in Computer Science (Library)—Students will conduct original research projects, culminating with a final formal paper, under the direction of an individual faculty member. Students electing this type of independent study should plan on initiating the work no later than the fall of their senior year. Honors candidates should plan on no less than two semesters of study; others may enroll in one or more semesters. A written research plan must be submitted during the semester prior to taking this course. Prerequisites: permission of the instructor and concurrent enrollment in Computer Science 403 or 404. This course may be repeated for credit. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar's Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. Concurrent registration in Computer Science 403 (fall term) or Computer Science 404 (spring term) is required. (0.5 course credit)
425. Research in Computer Science (Laboratory)—Students will conduct original research projects, culminating with a final formal paper, under the direction of an individual faculty member. Students electing this type of independent study should plan on initiating the work no later than the fall of their senior year. A written research plan must be submitted during the semester prior to taking this course. Prerequisites: permission of the instructor and concurrent enrollment in Computer Science 403 or 404. This course may be repeated for credit. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar's Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. Concurrent registration in Computer Science 403 (fall term) or Computer Science 404 (spring term) is required. (0.5 course credit)
466. Teaching Assistantship—Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar's Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. (0.5-1 course credit)
498-499. Senior Project—This course is comprised of a research or implementation project and a final written report. This course is open to all senior majors who intend to complete a two-semester project and is required of all students who wish to earn honors in computer science. A student who intends to complete a year-long project must locate a project adviser and must submit a preliminary proposal to the project adviser by the last day of classes in the spring semester of the junior year. In addition to the proposal, submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar's Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for each semester of this year-long project. (0.5 course credits are considered pending in the first semester; 0.5 course credits will be awarded for completion in the second semester.)