AIMS

To construct a software system, requirements must be analysed and modelled, and designs developed and evaluated; this subject teaches knowledge and skills needed for these tasks. This includes the development of static and dynamic models for aspects of both the problem space and the solution space. The emphasis here is on an Agile approach, and on techniques appropriate for object-oriented development.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include:

• Analysis and modelling requirements
• Developing, modelling and evaluating designs
• Modelling using the Unified Modelling Language (UML)
• Software design processes and principles
• Common design patterns and software architectures
• Tools for design and development

AIMS

Over the last half-century, computers have improved at a faster rate than almost any other technology on the planet, yet the principles on which they work have remained mostly constant. In this subject, students will learn how computer systems work "under the hood".

The specific aim of this subject is for the students to develop an understanding of the basic concepts underlying computer systems. A key focus of this subject is the introduction of operating systems principles and computer network protocols. This knowledge is essential for writing secure software, for writing high performance software, and for writing network-based services and applications.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include:

• The role of the operating system
• The memory hierarchy (caches, virtual memory, and working sets)
• Interrupt handling, processes and scheduling
• File systems
• Introduction to multiprocessors and synchronization
• Introduction to network protocols (OSI model)
• Development of client-server applications
• Computer system security and cryptographic protocols.

AIMS

This subject is the capstone project for the Informatics major and the Computing and Software Systems major in the BSc. Students will work on a real life problem in a small team, supervised by a member of staff. Each team will analyse the information needs of users and develop working computational solutions. Students are expected to apply sound principles studied over the course of their degree to the formulation and solution of their problem.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Students will work in teams to analyse, design, implement and test a non-trivial IT system. A key part of the project is for students to develop and manage a project in order to deliver a quality IT product. Workshops will explore the application of theory to the project and include selected topics drawn from: ethics, project management, design frameworks, testing, technical reviews, and product evaluation.

AIMS

Formal logic and discrete mathematics provide the theoretical foundations for computer science. This subject uses logic and discrete mathematics to model the science of computing. It provides a grounding in the theories of logic, sets, relations, functions, automata, formal languages, and computability, providing concepts that underpin virtually all the practical tools contributed by the discipline, for automated storage, retrieval, manipulation and communication of data.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Logic: Propositional and predicate logic, resolution proofs, mathematical proof
• Discrete mathematics: Sets, functions, relations, order, well-foundedness, induction and recursion
• Automata: Regular languages, finite-state automata, context-free grammars and languages, parsing
• Computability briefly: Turing machines, computability, decidability.

A functional programming language will be used to implement and illustrate concepts.