I’m reading Glenn Brookshear’s book (5th edition). Some notes I took goes here:

Introduction:

“… the level of intelligence displayed by machines is limited by the intelligence that can be conveyed through algorithms.”

“… rather than allowing the dictates of technology to determine machine design and thus the way we represent algorithms, we would like our knowledge of algorithms to be the driving force behind modren machine architecture.”

“… in the early 1900s with the publication of Kurt Godel’s imcompleteness theory. This theorem essetionally states that in any mathematical theory encompassing our traditional arithmetic system, there are statesments that can be neither proved nor disproved. In short, any complete study of our arithmetic system lies beyond the capabilities if algorithmic activities.”

“… some questions that define the science of computing and provide the focus of its study.

• which problems can be solved by algorithmic processes?
• how can the discovery of algorithms be made easier?
• how can the techniques of representating and communicating algorithms be improved?
• how can our knowledge of algorithms and technology be applied to provide better algorithmic machines?
• how can the characteristics of different algorithms be analyzed and compared?

Note that the theme common to all of these questions is the study of algorithms.”

“Abstraction is an important simplification technique with which our society has created a lifestyle that would otherwise be impossible.”

“What is the difference between the presence of intelligence behavior and the presence of intelligecen itself?”

“Likewise, to determine whether governments and companies should be allowed to develop large, integrated databases containing information about its citizens or customers, members of that society must have a basic understanding of the capabilities, limitations, and ramifications of databases technology.”

This book’s latest version is 7th edition.