Computer science is a broad field that focuses on information storage, transfer, and manipulation. The field of computer science is built on a number of different foundations. Algorithms, programming methodologies and languages, data and symbol computation and analysis, and computer elements and hardware are among the foundations of computer science.
Algorithms are one of the most important aspects of computer science. Algorithms are used in almost every aspect of computer science. Algorithms are finite sets of instructions that govern how data is manipulated. They are step-by-step procedures for handling and processing data that are clearly stated. Algorithms are typically written as instructions or flowcharts rather than as computer code.
Programming methodology and programming languages are important foundations of computer science because machines only understand the languages of machines. Algorithms—explicit, step-by-step instructions—are typically converted by computer programmers into languages that the computer can understand. Programming languages are made-up languages that computers can understand and use to carry out various calculations. A program is a set of instructions written in a programming language. Programming languages such as C++, Python, and Visual Basic are widely used.
Computer scientists must be able to apply their data-handling skills to real-world problems. The computation and analysis of data and symbols are important practical foundations of computer science. This frequently entails analyzing, sorting, and drawing conclusions from large amounts of data. This is especially true in fields like computational physics and bioinformatics, where physical and biological phenomena are observed and analyzed after a slew of precise measurements.
All of this data manipulation, transfer, and storage necessitates the availability of resources and a physical location in which to operate. That location can be found in the hardware. Hardware is one of the foundations of computer science because it provides a framework within which all other aspects of the field can function. Without a hard drive to store it and a processor to run the complex algorithms it contains, a program would not be able to run. Computer science would be a purely theoretical field if it didn’t require a physical device to function.
While these computer science foundations are only a few of the many topics covered by the broad field, they are where the majority of the other topics in the field begin. They are, without a doubt, the cornerstones upon which the entire field is built. One’s ability to fully utilize computers for processing and manipulation will be incomplete without a basic understanding of these principles.