What is Computer Science? | Outlier.org

Computer science is not just about computers, but also involves computational thinking and problem-solving at different levels. We’ll go over it and explore some fun examples.

As an associate teaching professor at Illinois Tech for over two decades, Professor Michael Lee has inspired an entire generation of computer science students. He is passionate about attracting more students of diverse backgrounds into the field of computer science and fostering a kinder, more inclusive future coded by the CS students of today.


00:00 Computer science is not just about computers

01:59 Levels of problem-solving in computer science

03:38 Constraint satisfaction is a pattern in computer science used to solve problems like Sudoku, map coloring, and scheduling.

05:33 Computer science involves optimizing routines and solving meta problems.

07:10 Computers are ideal assistants for computer scientists

08:59 Programming languages are designed to be unambiguous and efficient.

10:43 Programming is about pattern recognition and reusing solutions.

12:37 Computer science is about managing complexity


This lesson is excerpted from Outlier’s Computer Science 1 course. Learn more about this course and check out our full catalog at https://www.outlier.org.

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