INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE (2026 SPRING)

The course is particularly designed for the College of Management BBA program (excluding the BBA in MIS) and the International Bachelor Program in Agribusiness (IBPA). Their credits earned are accounted for the credits required for graduation.

Students from other programs might not be allowed to take this course and so the credits earned are not accounted for graduation. Please consult your department office for further information.

MUST DOWNLOAD & READ! CLASS SCHEDULE 2026 SPRING & CODE OF CONDUCT

RECOMMENDED! Comments (both good and bad) from former students on DCard!

COURSE OBJECTIVES

MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION

PRE-REQUISITES

1. Able to read, write, speak and listen English.
2. Skillful in using browsers, like Chrome, Safari and Edge, to access Internet searching for information on the web.
3. Able to edit reports using a word processing software in Windows, MacOS or on a cloud, like MS WORD, Latex, PAGES and Google DOCs.

COURSE CONTENTS

1. Computer (Computing Machine) Everywhere
   • Desktop/Notebook computer
     • Personal: Word processing, financial management, file storage, email, information search.
     • Entertainment: Watch video, play music, online games.
     • Social networking: Facebook, LINE, WhatsApp, Weibo.
     • Professional: Photo/Film editing, fashion design, software development, scientific research.
     • Some skills in the use of computer and cell phone - Password setting, log-out, backup.
     • Access large language models, like ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok and Llama; and other AI tools.
     • (*) Some application software require Internet access for connecting to enable their usages.
   • Smartphone
     • Personal: Telephone call, email, information search.
     • Entertainment: Watch video, play music, online games, take photos.
     • Social networking: Facebook, LINE, WhatsApp, Weibo.
     • Access large language models, like ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok and Llama; and other AI tools.
     • (*) Almost all application software require Internet access to enable their usages.
   • Home network
     • Internet connection for the use of advanced features, like voice assistant and web search.
     • Home devices and appliances are connected via wireless communication.
     • Amazon ECHO, Google HOME.
     • (*) Internet access is required.
   • Personal network
     • Cell phone, bluetooth earphone/mic/headset, notebook computer, pad, iWatch, smart glasses, smart wristband and other wearable mobile devices.
     • The samrtphone can be act as a server coordinating those devices.
   • Others
     • In elevator system, a part of its control is conducted by a computer.
     • In a vehicle, computer is used in auto-driving and in-car devices control.
2. History of Computer
   • A demo of Charles Babbage's Difference Engine.
   • BBC Documentary 1991 Edition
     • Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
     • Part 4, Part 5, Part 6
     • Part 7, Part 8, Part 9
   • Computer History ENIAC: Starting up the ENIAC! ENIAC stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer.
   • Computer Pioneers: Pioneer Computers: Part 1, Part 2, from Computer History Museum recorded in 1996.
   • Breaking through products introduced by Steve Jobs.
     • Apple PC (1975): Home affordable computer.
     • Macintosh and MacOS (1984): The first computer its operating system is designed with a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI), as well as the device for GUI control (i.e. Mouse) is introduced.
     • iTune (2001): A new business model for song retail and rental.
     • iPhone (2007): A smartphone which let user connecting to the world via telecommunicating network or Internet.
   • Notes
     • During the WWII, UK, USA and Germany had electronic computers. Besides, radio communication technology playes an important role for message communication.
     • The world first two commercial computers are called LEO (1951) by John Lyon and Co. and UNIVAC (1951) by Remington Rand.
     • LEO stands for Lyon Electronic Office and UNIVAC stands for Universal Automatic Computer.
   • Question: What is(are) the advantage(s) and disadvantage(s) of using radio communication technology for message communication?
3. Industrial Applications of Computer and Internet.
   • Generic application: Data collection and storage, data processing and reporting.
   • Additional application: Word processing and presentation slides preparation.
   • Information Systems. (4.5M, Not updated yet!)
   • E-Commerce.
   • Amazon fulfilment center.
   • Robot powered warehouse.
   • Question: Who is going to collect the data and how?
   • Question: From the generic data collection/processing to information collection/processing, what problems an information system developer has to deal with?
   • Information (Data) Storage and Retrival
     • Challenges in ISR - Minimize the memory stroage of a file (a collection of data) and miximize the efficient of file (or data) retrival
     • Types of information - Text, audio, image, video, hypertext, document, data file, software
     • File extensions - .txt, .mp3, .jpeg, .img, .mpg, .html, .doc (.docx), .ppt (.pptx), .pdf, .xls (.xlsx), .mdb (.accdb) .exe
     • Structural data - Text, number, date/time, currency, yes/no, categorical data
     • Database (Structural data) -> File -> Record -> Field -> Byte -> Bit
     • Giant information base - World Wide Web
4. Hardware
   • Common devices.
     • Computer, iPad, iPhone, iWatch.
     • VR/AR headset, Microsoft Hololens, Apple Glasses.
     • Printer, 3D printer, keyboard, monitor, mouse.
   • Processor: CPU, GPU and XPU.
   • Working principles of a processor.
     • Logic gates (for logical operations) and registers (for temporary data storage) are the key components in a processor.
     • Digital Systems.
     • Processor and Computer.
     • Processor and Computer (Supplementary).
     • ASCII Code - Representations of characters in 8-bit (i.e. 1 byte) binary code.
     • System of units: K, M, G, T, P versus Ki, Mi, Gi, Ti, Pi.
     • Memory (HD/SSD or RAM) size is stated in term of byte (B), like MB or MiB.
   • Note: Numbers can be represented in fix-point format and floating-point format. Different formats will lead to different digital logic circuit designs for the realizations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
5. Operating Systems
6. Software
   • General concepts (Software 01)
   • Program (Software 02)
7. Networking - Communications amongst computers and mobile devices
   • Computer Network (2020)
   • Computer Network (2022)
   • HTML
     • A Beginner's Guide to HTML from UIUC NCSA.
     • Sample HTMLs John Sum Homepage
   • A brief on telecomminication technology (20231127).
   • History of Telephone; History of iPhone (2017 Edition); History of iPhone (2021 Edition)
   • Security - Protection of an information
     • Concept of public key and private key.
     • Information Security by Alan Song
     • Question: Connected or not to be connected?
   • Transmission rate: BPS (bps), bit per second. For example, a telecom firm states that it will support 10M for uplink and 20M for downlink. It means that the firm will provide at most 10 mega bit per second transmission rate for uplink connection and 20 mega bit per second transmission rate for downlink connection.
8. Programming(*) - Building software/apps
   • C Language
     • C Programming (program code)
     • Basic C features - Program structure, variables declaration and data types, IF statement, switch case, loops, File I/O.
     • Source code, object file and executable file
     • C Tutorial from Cprogramming.com, A Little C Primer
     • Introduction to DevC.
     • A collection of sample programs.
     • Bubblesort (bubblesort07.cpp).
     • Abnormal balls (abnormalballs01.cpp).
     • Random character generation (random_character.cpp).
     • Random number related examples: EG 1, EG 2, EG 3.
     • Poker card shuffling.
     • Functions
   • Other programming languages - C++, Java, Python, Scripting language, R Language
   • Programming languages for scientific research - SPSS, SAS, Matlab, Mathematica, Maple
   • Application program interface (API) - Set of instructions for a software to access application programs that are available over the Internet
   • Programming language for database management - SQL (Structured Query Language)
   • Advanced programming - Systems programming and network programming
9. Algorithm(*) - An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem.
   • Problem dependent - Usually, each algorithm can only be designed to solve one problem.
   • An algorithm is the procedure to be implemented by a computer program.
   • The actual implementation of an algorithm is programming language dependent. Some algorithms could be easily be implemented by one programming language but hardly be implemented by another programming language.
   • Some problems
     • Medium access control (MAC), message routing
     • Data storage problem
     • Sorting numbers in ascending order: Program code
     • Finding the roots of a function f(x)
     • Jobs allocation problem (in operating system)
     • Production scheduling problem
     • Traveling salesman problem
     • 9-Ball Problem (One abnormal ball)P1, P2, P3
     • 9-Ball Problem (N abnormal balls)
   • Complexity (Computational compelxity and memory complexity) - Measure for the efficiency of an algorithm and the difficulty of a problem
   • Compared with Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
10. Advanced Topics in Computer Science (TBD)
    • Nanotechnology
    • AI and machine learning
    • Brain machine interface

ASSIGNMENTS/TEST PAPERS/REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Assignment 01 Due Date: March 06, 2026.
2. Assignment 02 Due Date: March 13, 2026.
3. Assignment 03 Due Date: March 27, 2026.

EXERCISES

1. Review Questions: Networking and Network Security
2. Review Questions: The Internet Behind the Web
3. Review Questions: History of Computer, Inforamtion Systems, E-Commerce, Digital Systems
4. Review Questions: Digital Systems, Software, Operating Systems
5. Review Questions: C Programming

ASSESSMENTS

1. Assignments (Bonus) [-13% to 13%]
2. Class Tests (Bonus) [-6% to 6%]
3. Mid-term Examination [50%]
4. Final Examination [50%]

TEACHING MATERIALS

1. Lecture Notes available on Course Homepage
2. Lecture Notes written on Blackboard
3. Handouts to be distributed in the class
4. Video on Youtube
5. Articles on Wikipedia
6. Articles from magazines
7. Past Papers (Very useful for your examination!)
   • 2012 Fall: Mid-term Examination, Final Examination.
   • 2013 Fall: Mid-term Examination, Final Examination.
   • 2014 Fall: Mid-term Examination, Final Examination.
   • 2015 Fall: Mid-term Examination, Final Examination.
   • 2016 Fall: Mid-term Examination, Final Examination.
   • 2017 Fall: Mid-term Examination, Final Examination.
   • 2018 Fall: Mid-term Examination, Final Examination.
   • 2019 Fall: Mid-term Examination, Final Examination.
   • 2020 Spring: Final Examination.
   • 2020 Fall: Mid-Term Examination, Final Examination.
   • 2021 Fall: Mid-Term Examination, Final Examination.
   • 2022 Fall: Mid-Term Examination, Final Examination.
8. Model answers for the past exam papers.