The Analytical Engine

Rick Decker and Stuart Hirshfield's THE ANALTYICAL ENGINE describes the discipline of Computer Science from a variety of perspectives, and gives students--majors and nonmajors--a broad and realistic feeling for what computer scientists do and how they do it. Covering major topics, from history and systems design to software, hardware, and the effect of computing on society, this fresh and interactive study of computer science also develops problem-solving skills. It does so in a hands-on, lab-oriented approach, providing students with both directed and open-ended exercises that allow them to consider a variety of global issues. Throughout this integrated text/CD-ROM/Internet package, the authors encourage students to make connections between specific modules and other disciplines. Overall, THE ANALTYICAL ENGINE serves as an excellent model for a contemporary "CS0" course.

Rick Decker is a Professor of Computer Science at Hamilton College. In addition to authoring numerous textbooks, Dr. Decker's research interests include computer science education, algorithms and computability, and topological graph theory. He has won teaching awards from Ohio State, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and Hamilton College.

Stuart Hirshfield is a Professor of Computer Science at Hamilton College. He was an original member of the Liberal Arts Computer Science consortium, and continues to conduct research in the fields of computer science education, software engineering, and artificial intelligence.