Comp 280: History and Philosophy of Computing, Winter 2009

Schedule

The schedule below will be updated frequently during the semester.

W L Day Date Content Readings

Part I: The Prehistory of Computing

1 1 Mon Jan 5 Introduction

2 Wed Jan 7 Additive numeral systems. Computing with Roman numerals Handout 1

3 Fri Jan 9 Multiplicative and positional numeral systems Handout 2

2 4 Mon Jan 12 Writing materials. The abacus. Algorists and abacists

5 Wed Jan 14 Greek numerals Handout 3

6 Fri Jan 16 Greek mathematics: Euclid's Elements Handout 4

3 7 Mon Jan 19 Aristotle's syllogisms. The Antikythera mechanism

8 Wed Jan 21 17th Century adding machines. Leibniz's dream Davis, Ch.1

9 Fri Jan 23 Boole turns logic into algebra Davis, Ch.2

4 10 Mon Jan 26 Charles Babbage

Part II: Mathematical Foundations of Computing

11 Wed Jan 28 Views about infinity. Sets

12 Fri Jan 30 Cantor's set theory: Cardinality Davis, Ch.4

5 13 Mon Feb 2 Cantor's set theory: Diagonalization

14 Wed Feb 4 Frege's system of logic Davis, Ch.3

15 Fri Feb 6 Hilbert's Programme: Consistency proofs Davis, Ch.5

6 16 Mon Feb 9 Gödel's First Incompleteness Theorem Davis, Ch.6

17 Wed Feb 11 Gödel's Second Incompleteness Theorem Franzén

18 Fri Feb 13 Turing Machines Davis, Ch.7

7 19 Mon Feb 16 Uncomputable problems Handouts 6-7

20 Wed Feb 18 Turing conceives of the all-purpose computer

Part III: Modern Computing

21 Fri Feb 20 Making the first universal computers (1938-1946) Davis, Ch.8

X Mon Feb 23 Study break

Wed Feb 25 Study break

Fri Feb 27 Study break

8 22 Mon Mar 2 The advent of commercial computing (1945-1956) Ceruzzi, Ch.1

23 Wed Mar 4 Computing comes of age (1956-1964) Ceruzzi, Ch.2

24 Fri Mar 6 The early history of software (1952-1968): Fortran Ceruzzi, Ch.3

9 25 Mon Mar 9 The early history of software (1952-1968): Algol, Cobol, LISP

26 Wed Mar 11 Early operating systems and mainframe computers (1959-69) Ceruzzi, Ch.4

27 Fri Mar 13 Minicomputers (1959-69) and IBM System/360 (1961-1975) Ceruzzi, Ch.5

10 28 Mon Mar 16 Poster session (Trottier, 2nd floor)

29 Wed Mar 18 The Chip and its impact (1965-1975) Ceruzzi, Ch.6

30 Fri Mar 20 Guest lecture: Minicomputers at McGill (1959-69) (Gary Bernstein)

11 31 Mon Mar 23 Personal computers (1972-1977) Ceruzzi, Ch.7

32 Wed Mar 25 Augmenting human intellect (1975-1985) Ceruzzi, Ch.8

33 Fri Mar 27 Workstations, UNIX, and the Internet (1981-2009) Ceruzzi, Ch.9-10

12 34 Mon Mar 30 Guest lecture: Computer game development (Alexandre Denault)

35 Wed Apr 1 Guest lecture: The past and future of Robotics (Joelle Pineau)

36 Fri Apr 3 Guest lecture: Computing at SOCS (Ron Simpson)

13 37 Mon Apr 6 Computers and Minds (1): Turing

38 Wed Apr 8 Computers and Minds (2): Searle

Fri Apr 10 Easter break

X Mon Apr 13 Easter break

39 Tue Apr 14 Review

Home

Schedule

W	L	Day	Date	Content	Readings
				Part I: The Prehistory of Computing
1	1	Mon	Jan 5	Introduction
	2	Wed	Jan 7	Additive numeral systems. Computing with Roman numerals	Handout 1
	3	Fri	Jan 9	Multiplicative and positional numeral systems	Handout 2
2	4	Mon	Jan 12	Writing materials. The abacus. Algorists and abacists
	5	Wed	Jan 14	Greek numerals	Handout 3
	6	Fri	Jan 16	Greek mathematics: Euclid's Elements	Handout 4
3	7	Mon	Jan 19	Aristotle's syllogisms. The Antikythera mechanism
	8	Wed	Jan 21	17th Century adding machines. Leibniz's dream	Davis, Ch.1
	9	Fri	Jan 23	Boole turns logic into algebra	Davis, Ch.2
4	10	Mon	Jan 26	Charles Babbage
				Part II: Mathematical Foundations of Computing
	11	Wed	Jan 28	Views about infinity. Sets
	12	Fri	Jan 30	Cantor's set theory: Cardinality	Davis, Ch.4
5	13	Mon	Feb 2	Cantor's set theory: Diagonalization
	14	Wed	Feb 4	Frege's system of logic	Davis, Ch.3
	15	Fri	Feb 6	Hilbert's Programme: Consistency proofs	Davis, Ch.5
6	16	Mon	Feb 9	Gödel's First Incompleteness Theorem	Davis, Ch.6
	17	Wed	Feb 11	Gödel's Second Incompleteness Theorem	Franzén
	18	Fri	Feb 13	Turing Machines	Davis, Ch.7
7	19	Mon	Feb 16	Uncomputable problems	Handouts 6-7
	20	Wed	Feb 18	Turing conceives of the all-purpose computer
				Part III: Modern Computing
	21	Fri	Feb 20	Making the first universal computers (1938-1946)	Davis, Ch.8
X		Mon	Feb 23	Study break
		Wed	Feb 25	Study break
		Fri	Feb 27	Study break
8	22	Mon	Mar 2	The advent of commercial computing (1945-1956)	Ceruzzi, Ch.1
	23	Wed	Mar 4	Computing comes of age (1956-1964)	Ceruzzi, Ch.2
	24	Fri	Mar 6	The early history of software (1952-1968): Fortran	Ceruzzi, Ch.3
9	25	Mon	Mar 9	The early history of software (1952-1968): Algol, Cobol, LISP
	26	Wed	Mar 11	Early operating systems and mainframe computers (1959-69)	Ceruzzi, Ch.4
	27	Fri	Mar 13	Minicomputers (1959-69) and IBM System/360 (1961-1975)	Ceruzzi, Ch.5
10	28	Mon	Mar 16	Poster session (Trottier, 2nd floor)
	29	Wed	Mar 18	The Chip and its impact (1965-1975)	Ceruzzi, Ch.6
	30	Fri	Mar 20	Guest lecture: Minicomputers at McGill (1959-69) (Gary Bernstein)
11	31	Mon	Mar 23	Personal computers (1972-1977)	Ceruzzi, Ch.7
	32	Wed	Mar 25	Augmenting human intellect (1975-1985)	Ceruzzi, Ch.8
	33	Fri	Mar 27	Workstations, UNIX, and the Internet (1981-2009)	Ceruzzi, Ch.9-10
12	34	Mon	Mar 30	Guest lecture: Computer game development (Alexandre Denault)
	35	Wed	Apr 1	Guest lecture: The past and future of Robotics (Joelle Pineau)
	36	Fri	Apr 3	Guest lecture: Computing at SOCS (Ron Simpson)
13	37	Mon	Apr 6	Computers and Minds (1): Turing
	38	Wed	Apr 8	Computers and Minds (2): Searle
		Fri	Apr 10	Easter break
X		Mon	Apr 13	Easter break
	39	Tue	Apr 14	Review