The study of Computer Science isn't really the study of the science of computers. Some computer topics include hardware, programming, and algorithms. Some science topics include Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Although different, computers are used in these science topics in real-life situations. It would make sense to call this Computer Science, the study of usage of computers in different sciences, but it isn't. It can, however, be thought of as
computational science, which, again, is "concerned with constructing
mathematical models and quantitative analysis techniques and using computers to analyze and solve
scientific problems." Some real-life computational sciences include computational physics, chemistry, and biology.
Computational physics is "the study and implementation of numerical
algorithms to solve problems in
physics for which a quantitative theory already exists." The different theories based on mathematical modeling provide predictions of a system's behavior. Sometimes, the solution is hard to solve by hand, so a computer comes in place by approximating the solution. The numerical approximations are written as large, finite mathematical algorithms; the computer would perform the operations and approximate the solution and error.
Computational chemistry is "a branch of
chemistry that uses
computer simulation to assist in solving chemical problems." Theoretical chemistry methods are used, along with computer programs, to "calculate the structures and properties of
molecules and solids." Sometimes, these problems can't be solved analytically. Computational results are obtained by chemical experiments, which can help predict chemical
phenomena.
Computational biology involves "the development and application of data-analytical and
theoretical methods, mathematical modeling and computational simulation
techniques to the study of biological, behavioral, and social systems." Also known as bioinformatics, it uses biological data to develop algorithms and relations in different biological systems. The use of computers helped biologists store and access large amounts of data. Computational biology has been used in different ways such as sequencing the human genome, creating models of the human brain, and modeling different biological systems.
Computational sciences have helped scientists do many different things. Even though it involves similar ideas and concept, it can be used very differently in different fields.
I agree with your view of computer science as a study. Its an ever expanding field of study with many specialties. especially when it comes to upper division classes you see more of the algorithms part of computer science come out. It's truly a fascinating field to be in. There are job out there for people who don't like so much of the math and analysis. Programming is all about problem solving and what you do in your career as a computer scientist really depends on what kind of problems you like to solve
ReplyDeleteNice post. It is true that computer science has strong connections to other disciplines. Many problems in science, engineer and other areas can be solved effectively with computers, but finding a solution requires both computer science expertise and knowledge of the particular application domain. As a result, computer scientists often become proficient in other subjects. Also, I agree with you that computer scientist must be adept at modeling and analyzing problems. They must also be able to design solutions and verify that they are correct.
ReplyDeleteHey Ryan,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading you post about scientific computing. You took a really interesting perspective on the history of computer science. I liked how you explained how computer science closely ties into so many different subjects. However, I think your post could have been greatly improved by focusing on the history behind each of these subjects. How and when computational biology evolve? Who was the mastermind behind it? How has it changed since it was first used in computer science? These are all questions I had when I started reading your post. It would have been great if your post could have answered them for me. Otherwise good work.