G5AHOC: History of Computers and Computing

Course Outline

1. Th 07-10-1999
   Introduction; early calculation tools
2. Fr 08-10-1999
   Number representations, (binary/octal/hexadecimal) character codes, punched cards, paper tape, ascii/ebcdic
3. Th 14-10-1999
   Date representations and Y2K
4. Fr 15-10-1999
   Who's Who in Computing #1 and #2: Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace
5. Th 21-10-1999
   Assigning of coursework
   Early computer development; mechanical computers, Boole, electronic computers
   
6. Fr 22-10-1999
   (Helen was off sick)
7. Th 28-10-1999
   Development of programming languages
   Who's Who in Computing #3: RADM Grace Murray Hopper
8. Fr 29-10-1999
   WW2 Cryptography (followup lecture). Development of Cryptography, from classical systems to public-key systems
9. Th 04-11-1999
   Who's Who in Computing #4: Alan Turing (Turing video)
10. Fr 05-11-1999
    Turing cont.: WW2 Cryptography (Bletchley video)
11. Th 11-11-1999
    Turing cont.: the Decidability problem, finite automata to Turing machines, paradoxes
12. Fr 12-11-1999
    Turing cont.: the Decidability problem cont.
    
13. Th 18-11-1999
    Development of The PC (video 1)
14. Fr 19-11-1999
    Development of The PC (video 2)
15. Th 25-11-1999
    Development of The PC (video 3)
16. Fr 26-11-1999
    The Internet, hypertext and the WWW.
17. Th 02-12-1999
    The Internet (video 1)
18. Fr 03-12-1999
    The Internet (video 2)
19. Th 09-12-1999
    NO LECTURES TODAY - Visit from the Queen instead
20. Fr 10-12-1999
    The Internet (video 3)

    Christmas break

21. Th 13-01-2000
    No lecture as Helen is absent
    Hand-in date for your coursework!!!
    
22. Fr 14-01-2000
    No lecture as Helen is absent
23. To be scheduled in week beginning 17-01-2000
    Revision lecture - practice for some exam questions
    

There will be one piece of coursework to be assessed. This is a take-home coursework to be handed up either on 15th December 1999 at 4pm, or on Thursday 13th January at 10:00, depending on which coursework you select.

You have a choice of three topics for your take-home coursework:

1. Essay question on the Year 2000 problem
   HAND IN DATE Wednesday 15th December 1999, 4pm
2. computer use influences essay.
   HAND IN DATE Thursday 13th January at 10:00
3. essay question on Alan Turing's "Turing Test" for machine intelligence.
   HAND IN DATE Thursday 13th January at 10:00

Choose only one of the three. You will be awarded 25% for this coursework.

Reference books

Books:

• Robert Cringely, Accidental Empires. This is the book behind the video series The Triumph of the Nerds which we will be watching for the last few lectures.

On-line resources:

• The Machine That Changed the World
• The Alan Turing Home Page, kept by Andrew Hodges.
• The Virtual Museum of Computing
• IEEE Computer Society's History and Timeline