Limits of Computation: From a Programming Perspective: 0 (Undergraduate Topics in Computer Science) - Softcover

Reus, Bernhard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3319278878 ISBN 13: 9783319278872

Publisher: Springer, 2016

Synopsis

This textbook discusses the most fundamental and puzzling questions about the foundations of computing. In 23 lecture-sized chapters it provides an exciting tour through the most important results in the field of computability and time complexity, including the Halting Problem, Rice's Theorem, Kleene's Recursion Theorem, the Church-Turing Thesis, Hierarchy Theorems, and Cook-Levin's Theorem. Each chapter contains classroom-tested material, including examples and exercises. Links between adjacent chapters provide a coherent narrative.

Fundamental results are explained lucidly by means of programs written in a simple, high-level imperative programming language, which only requires basic mathematical knowledge. Throughout the book, the impact of the presented results on the entire field of computer science is emphasised. Examples range from program analysis to networking, from database programming to popular games and puzzles.  Numerous biographical footnotes about the famous scientists who developed the subject are also included.

"Limits of Computation" offers a thorough, yet accessible, introduction to computability and complexity for the computer science student of the 21st century. 

About this title

About the Author

Dr. Bernhard Reus is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Informatics at the University of Sussex, with 15 years experience in teaching computability and complexity. 

From the Back Cover

This textbook discusses the most fundamental and puzzling questions about the foundations of computing. In 23 lecture-sized chapters it provides an exciting tour through the most important results in the field of computability and time complexity, including the Halting Problem, Rice's Theorem, Kleene's Recursion Theorem, the Church-Turing Thesis, Hierarchy Theorems, and Cook-Levin's Theorem. Each chapter contains classroom-tested material, including examples and exercises. Links between adjacent chapters provide a coherent narrative.

Fundamental results are explained lucidly by means of programs written in a simple, high-level imperative programming language, which only requires basic mathematical knowledge. Throughout the book, the impact of the presented results on the entire field of computer science is emphasised. Examples range from program analysis to networking, from database programming to popular games and puzzles.  Numerous biographical footnotes about the famous scientists who developed the subject are also included.

"Limits of Computation" offers a thorough, yet accessible, introduction to computability and complexity for the computer science student of the 21st century.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3319278878
• ISBN 13: 9783319278872
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 366