本书系统全面地介绍了计算机科学的内容，向学生展示整个计算机领域的丰富和华美，无需读者有计算机科学、程序设计或数学等背景知识。本书不仅适合用作计算机及相关专业学生的课程，也非常适合用作高中计算机科学课程的教材。

随着计算机应用的普及，“计算机科学导论”课程不再是教授学生使用字处理器、数据库、电子表格、演示软件和电子邮件了，也不是只限于诸如Web页面设计和交互式图形的“娱乐”应用，而是还应包含诸如算法、硬件设计、计算机组织结构、系统软件、语言模型、计算理论以及计算机社会与伦理问题等知识。对这些核心知识的介绍，将向学生展示整个计算机领域的丰富和华美。它不仅使得学生可以高效地使用计算机和软件，而且还可以鉴赏计算机和软件的创建和实现背后的基本思想。本书就是针对“计算机科学导论”课的这种改革而编写的。本书全面地介绍了该学科的内容，无需读者有计算机科学、程序设计或数学等背景知识。本书不仅适合用作计算机及相关专业学生的课程，也非常适合用作高中计算机科学课程的教材。

Chapter 1 An Introduction to Computer Science

 1.1 Introduction

 Special Interest Box: In the Beginning...

 1.2 The Definition of Computer Science

 Speciol Interest Box: Abu Ja' far Muhammad ibn Musa A[-Khowarizmi

 (a.d. 780-850?)

 1.3 Algorithms

 1.3.1 The Formal Definition of an Algorithm

 1.3.2 The Importance of ALgorithmic Problem Solving

 PRACTICE PROBLEMS

 1.4 A Brief History of Computing

 1.4.1 The Early Period: Up to 1940

 Special Interest Box: The Original "Technophobia"

 Special Interest Box: CharLes Babbage (1791-1871) Ada Augusta

 Byron, Countess of Love[ace (1815-1852)

 1.4.2 The Birth of Computers: 1940-1950

 Special Interest Box: John Von Neumann (1903-1957)

 Special Interest Box= And the Verdict Is..,

 1.4.3 The Modern Era: 1950 to the Present

 Special Interest Box: Good Evening, This Is Walter Cronkite

 Spedal Interest Box: The WorLd's First Microcomputer

 1.5 Organization of the Text

 EXERCISES

 CHALLENGE WORK

Level1 The Algorithmic Foundations of Computer Science

Chapter 2 ALgorithm Discovery and Design

 2.1 Introduction

 2.2 Representing Algorithms

 2.2.1 Pseudocode

 2.2.2 Sequential Operations

 PRACTICE PROBLEMS

 2.2.3 Conditional and Iterative Operations

 Special Interest Box: From LittLe Primitives Mighty ALgorithms

 Do Grow

 PRACTICE PROBLEMS

 2.3 ExampLes of ALgorithmic ProbLem Solving

 2.3.1 ExampLe 1: Go Forth and Multiply

 PRACTICE PROBLEMS

 2.3.2 ExampLe 2: Looking, Looking, Looking

 2.3.3 ExampLe 3: Big, Bigger, Biggest

 PRACTICE PROBLEMS

 2.3.4 Example 4: Meeting Your Match

 PRACTICE PROBLEMS

 2.4 ConcLusion

 EXERCISES

 CHALLENGE WORK

Chapter 3 The Efficiency of ALgorithms

 3.1 Introduction

 3.2 Attributes of ALgorithms

 PRACTICE PROBLEMS

 3.3 Measuring Efficiency

 3.3.1 Sequential Search

 3.3.2 Order of Magnitude--Order n

 Special Interest Box: FLipping Pancakes

 PRACTICE PROBLEM

 3.3.3 SeLection Sort

 PRACTICE PROBLEM

 3.3.4 Order of Magnitude--Order n2

 Special Interest Box: The Tortoise and the Hare

 PRACTICE PROBLEM

 3.4 AnaLysis of ALgorithms

 3.4.1 Data CLeanup ALgorithms

 PRACTICE PROBLEMS

 3.4.2 Binary Search

 PRACTICE PROBLEMS

 3.4.3 Pattern Hatching

 3.4.4 Summary

 PRACTICE PROBLEM

 3.5 When Things Get Out of Hand

 PRACTICE PROBLEMS

 3.6 Summary of Level 1

……

Level2 The Hardware World

Level3 The Virtual Machine

Level4 The Software World

Level5 Applications

Level6 Social Issues in Computing