本书是计算机科学导论课程的一本经典教材,全书对计算机科学做了精彩的百科全书式的全面阐述,全景式地展现了计算机科学的发展历程、现状及其新的技术发展趋势。
本书首先介绍的是信息编码及计算机体系结构的基本原理(第1章和第2章);进而是操作系统(第3章)和计算机网络(第4章)的内容,接着探讨了算法、程序设计语言及软件开发(第5章~第7章),然后探索了数据结构和数据库(第8章和第9章)方面的问题,第10章通过图形讲述计算机技术的主要应用,第11章涉及人工智能,第12章阐述了计算机抽象理论。
本书在内容编排上遵循由具体到抽象推进这样一种很利于教学的顺序,每一个主题自然而然地引导出下一个主题。此外,书中还有大量的图、表和实例,增强了读者对知识的了解与把握。
本书既适合作为高等院校计算机以及相关专业本科生教材,也可以供有意在计算机方面发展的非计算机专业读者作为入门参考。

Chapter 0 Introduction
0.1 The Role of Algorithms
0.2 The Origins of Computing Machines
0.3 The Science of Algorithms
0.4 Abstraction
0.5 An Outline of Our Study
0.6 Social Repercussions
Chapter 1 Data Storage
1.1 Bits and Their Storage
1.2 Main Memory
1.3 Mass Storage
1.4 Representing Information as Bit Patterns
1.5 The Binary System
1.6 Storing Integers
1.7 Storing Fractions
1.8 Data Compression
1.9 Communication Errors
Chapter 2 Data Manipulation
2.1 Computer Architecture
2.2 Machine Language
2.3 Program Execution
2.4 Arithmetic/Logic Instructions
2.5 Communicating with Other Devices
2.6 Other Architectures
Chapter 3 Operating Systems
3.1 The History of Operating Systems
3.2 Operating System Architecture
3.3 Coordinating the Machine's Activities
3.4 Handling Competition Among Processes
3.5 Security
Chapter 4 Networking and the Internet
4.1 Network Fundamentals
4.2 The Internet
4.3 The World Wide Web
4.4 Internet Protocols
4.5 Security
Chapter 5 Algorithms
5.1 The Concept of an Algorithm
5.2 Algorithm Representation
5.3 Algorithm Discovery
5.4 Iterative Structures
5.5 Recursive Structures
5.6 Efficiency and Correctness
Chapter 6 Programming Languages
6.1 Historical Perspective
6.2 Traditional Programming Concepts
6.3 Procedural Units
6.4 Language Implementation
6.5 Object-Oriented Programming
6.6 Programming Concurrent Activities
6.7 Declarative Programming
Chapter 7 Software Engineering
7.1 The Software Engineering Discipline
7.2 The Software Life Cycle
7.3 Software Engineering Methodologies
7.4 Modularity
7.5 Tools of the Trade
7.6 Quality Assurance
7.7 Documentation
7.8 The Human-Machine Interface
7.9 Software Ownership and Liability
Chapter 8 Data Abstractions
Chapter 9 Database Systems
Chapter 10 Computer Graphics
Chapter 11 Artificial Intelligence
Chapter 12 Theory of Computation
Appendixes
Index