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Concepts of Computation

Overview

  • Credit value: 15 credits at Level 7
  • Module convenor and tutor: Oded Lachish
  • Assessment: online quizzes (20%) and a three-hour examination (80%)

Module description

Discrete mathematics, mathematical logic and algorithms form the underlying language of computer hardware and software. Digital computers are machines literally built out of memory and logic (logical gates). The same elements appear in all programming languages; hence the importance of this knowledge for understanding information technology. In this module we introduce these areas. The focus will be not just on the technical aspects but also on how these abstract concepts manifest themselves in reality.

Indicative module syllabus

  • Numbers through the digital computer point of view (Binary, Hexadecimal, 2s Complement, Floating Point, Integers)
  • Binary logic
  • Indices and logarithms
  • Sets and the universal and existential quantifiers
  • Mathematical expression simplification
  • Relations and functions
  • Graphs: basic concepts
  • Graph algorithms
  • Basic probability

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will have learnt the basic mathematical and algorithmic tools of computer science.