252-0856-AAL  Computer Science

SemesterSpring Semester 2021
LecturersF. Friedrich Wicker, M. Schwerhoff
Periodicityevery semester recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish
CommentEnrolment ONLY for MSc students with a decree declaring this course unit as an additional admission requirement.

Any other students (e.g. incoming exchange students, doctoral students) CANNOT enrol for this course unit.


AbstractThe course covers the fundamental concepts of computer programming with a focus on systematic algorithmic problem solving. Taught language is C++. No programming experience is required.
Learning objectivePrimary educational objective is to learn programming with C++. After having successfully attended the course, students have a good command of the mechanisms to construct a program. They know the fundamental control and data structures and understand how an algorithmic problem is mapped to a computer program. They have an idea of what happens "behind the scenes" when a program is translated and executed. Secondary goals are an algorithmic computational thinking, understanding the possibilities and limits of programming and to impart the way of thinking like a computer scientist.
ContentThe course covers fundamental data types, expressions and statements, (limits of) computer arithmetic, control statements, functions, arrays, structural types and pointers. The part on object orientation deals with classes, inheritance and polymorphism; simple dynamic data types are introduced as examples. In general, the concepts provided in the course are motivated and illustrated with algorithms and applications.
Lecture notesEnglish lecture notes will be provided during the semester. The lecture notes and the lecture slides will be made available for download on the course web page. Exercises are solved and submitted online.
LiteratureBjarne Stroustrup: Einführung in die Programmierung mit C++, Pearson Studium, 2010
Stephen Prata, C++ Primer Plus, Sixth Edition, Addison Wesley, 2012
Andrew Koenig and Barbara E. Moo: Accelerated C++, Addison-Wesley, 2000
Prerequisites / NoticeThis virtual self-study course is also offered physically in the autumn semester. We recommend to visit the classes of the course 252-0856-00L (or that of the equivalent course 252-0847-00L). While the classes are only offered in German, there are English spoken Exercises. All exercises and exams are offered bilingual (German and English).