Once upon an algorithm : how stories explain computing
(Book - Regular Print)
Author
Published
Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, [2017].
Physical Desc
xii, 319 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Status
Yavapai College Prescott - STORAGE - Storage
QA76.9.A43E78 2017
1 available
QA76.9.A43E78 2017
1 available
More Details
Published
Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, [2017].
Format
Book - Regular Print
Language
English
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 303-311) and index.
Description
"Picture a computer scientist, staring at a screen and clicking away frantically on a keyboard, hacking into a system, or perhaps developing an app. Now delete that picture. In Once Upon an Algorithm, Martin Erwig explains computation as something that takes place beyond electronic computers, and computer science as the study of systematic problem solving. Erwig points out that many daily activities involve problem solving. Getting up in the morning, for example: You get up, take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast. This simple daily routine solves a recurring problem through a series of well-defined steps. In computer science, such a routine is called an algorithm. Erwig illustrates a series of concepts in computing with examples from daily life and familiar stories. Hansel and Gretel, for example, execute an algorithm to get home from the forest. The movie Groundhog Day illustrates the problem of unsolvability; Sherlock Holmes manipulates data structures when solving a crime; the magic in Harry Potter's world is understood through types and abstraction; and Indiana Jones demonstrates the complexity of searching. Along the way, Erwig also discusses representations and different ways to organize data; "intractable" problems; language, syntax, and ambiguity; control structures, loops, and the halting problem; different forms of recursion; and rules for finding errors in algorithms. This engaging book explains computation accessibly and shows its relevance to daily life. Something to think about next time we execute the algorithm of getting up in the morning" -- From the publisher.
Awards
Winner of 2018 PROSE Award Honorable Mention, Computing and Information Science 2018.
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Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Erwig, M. (2017). Once upon an algorithm: how stories explain computing . The MIT Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Erwig, Martin. 2017. Once Upon an Algorithm: How Stories Explain Computing. The MIT Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Erwig, Martin. Once Upon an Algorithm: How Stories Explain Computing The MIT Press, 2017.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Erwig, Martin. Once Upon an Algorithm: How Stories Explain Computing The MIT Press, 2017.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
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