Demystifying Computation: A Hands-on Introduction

"The erudition of the author, and the extreme amount of work that must have gone into the annotated bibliographies and the overviews of extremely current developments in computing, are truly impressive. The work will be an admirable reference book for courses in computing and also an excellent source for general readers in public libraries. These individuals will gain a sound understanding of the fundamentals of computer science, current developments, and where these developments are likely to lead." CHOICE Problem solving in computing is referred to as computational thinking. The theory behind this concept is challenging in its technicalities, yet simple in its ideas. This book introduces the theory of computation from its inception to current form of complexity; from explanations of how the field of computer science was formed using classical ideas in mathematics by Gödel, to conceptualization of the Turing Machine, to its more recent innovations in quantum computation, hypercomputation, vague computing and natural computing. It describes the impact of these in relation to academia, business and wider society, providing a sound theoretical basis for its practical application. Written for accessibility, Demystifying Computation provides the basic knowledge needed for non-experts in the field, undergraduate computer scientists and students of information and communication technology and software development.