| It often seems that mathematicians regularly provide answers well before the rest of the world finds reasons to ask the questions. The operation of the networks of relays used in the first computers is exactly described by Boolean functions. George Boole thereby made his contribution to computer science in the mid-1800s, and Boolean algebra is used today to represent modern TIL (transistor-transistor logic) circuits. In the 1930s, Alan Turing formalized the concept of an algorithm with his presentation of an abstract computing device and characterized the limitations of such machines. In the 1950s, the abstraction of the concepts behind natural language grammars provided the theoretical basis for computer languages that today guides the design of compilers.
These three major foundations of computer science, the mathematical description of computational networks, the limitations of mechanical computation, and the formal specification of languages are highly interrelated disciplines, and all require a great deal of mathematical maturity to appreciate. A computer science undergraduate is often expected to deal with all these concepts, typically armed only with a course in discrete mathematics. |
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| | Handbook of Financial Cryptography and Security
Cryptography has made a peculiar journey to become a modern science. It had long been
associated with the military and with magic. The rst published work in the eld was
Steganographia, by an alchemist named Trithemius. Although written earlier, the book was
published in 1606. Cryptography has continued this connection with the arcane... | | The 60-Second Commute: A Guide to Your 24/7 Home Office LifeThe 60-Second Commute is the start-to-finish sourcebook for everyone with a home office-or a dream. It brings together practical solutions for childcare, balancing work and family, health insurance, managing your time, organizing your office, marketing, technology, budgeting, vacations, taxes, incorporation, and... |
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