Editing Computer science (section)

{{Short description|Study of computation}}
{{Other uses}}
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{{Use American English|date=August 2022}}
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{{Multiple image|perrow = 2 / 2|total_width = 300
| header            = Fundamental areas of computer science
| image1            = Lambda_calculus-Church_numerals.png
| alt1              = Expression for Church numerals in lambda calculus
| caption1          = [[Programming language theory]]
| image4            = Sorting quicksort anim.gif
| alt4              = Plot of a quicksort algorithm
| caption4          = [[Computational complexity theory]]
| image3            = Activemarker2.PNG
| alt3              = Example of computer animation produced using motion capture
| caption3          = [[Artificial intelligence]]
| image2            = Half Adder.svg
| alt2              = Half-adder circuit
| caption2          = [[Computer architecture]]
}}
{{TopicTOC-Computer science}}

'''Computer science''' is the study of [[computation]], [[information]], and [[automation]].<ref name="YorkDefinition">{{Cite web |title=What is Computer Science? |url=https://www.cs.york.ac.uk/undergraduate/what-is-cs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611230638/https://www.cs.york.ac.uk/undergraduate/what-is-cs/ |archive-date=June 11, 2020 |access-date=2020-06-11 |website=Department of Computer Science, University of York |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=MITAutomated>{{Cite book |title=What Can Be Automated? Computer Science and Engineering Research Study |url=https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/what-can-be-automated|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109021022/https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/what-can-be-automated|archive-date=January 9, 2021|access-date= |series=Computer Science Series|year=1980|publisher=MIT Press|isbn=978-0262010603|language=en}}</ref><ref name=DenningAutomated>{{Cite journal |last1=Denning |first1=P.J. |last2=Comer |first2=D.E. |last3=Gries |first3=D. |last4=Mulder |first4=M.C. |last5=Tucker |first5=A. |last6=Turner |first6=A.J. |last7=Young |first7=P.R. |date=February 1989 |title=Computing as a discipline |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/19833 |journal=Computer |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=63–70 |doi=10.1109/2.19833 |issn=1558-0814 |quote=The discipline of computing is the systematic study of algorithmic processes that describe and transform information, their theory, analysis, design, efficiency, implementation, and application. The fundamental question underlying all of computing is, 'What can be (efficiently) automated?' |access-date=March 3, 2022 |archive-date=March 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303023329/https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/19833 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Computer science spans [[Theoretical computer science|theoretical disciplines]] (such as [[algorithm]]s, [[theory of computation]], and [[information theory]]) to [[Applied science|applied disciplines]] (including the design and implementation of [[Computer architecture|hardware]] and [[Software engineering|software]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=WordNet Search—3.1 |url=http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=computer%20scientist |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018181122/http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=computer%20scientist |archive-date=October 18, 2017 |access-date=14 May 2012 |website=WordNet Search |publisher=Wordnetweb.princeton.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Definition of computer science {{!}} Dictionary.com|url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/computer-science|access-date=2020-06-11|website=www.dictionary.com|language=en|archive-date=June 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611224238/https://www.dictionary.com/browse/computer-science|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What is Computer Science? {{!}} Undergraduate Computer Science at UMD |url=https://undergrad.cs.umd.edu/what-computer-science |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=undergrad.cs.umd.edu |archive-date=November 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127013803/https://undergrad.cs.umd.edu/what-computer-science |url-status=live }}</ref> 

Algorithms and [[data structure]]s are central to computer science.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Harel|first=David|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/876384882|title=Algorithmics The Spirit of Computing|date=2014|publisher=Springer Berlin|isbn=978-3-642-44135-6|oclc=876384882|access-date=June 17, 2020|archive-date=June 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617145021/https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/876384882|url-status=live}}</ref>
<!-- Removing this for now -- it's a "contrasting" reference which views automata theory as central.
I think this nuance is unnecessary in the lead and the views are not really in conflict.
<ref>
Compare:
{{cite book
 |last1                = Abbott
 |first1               = Russell J.
 |editor-last1         = Kent
 |editor-first1        = Allen
 |editor-link1         = Allen Kent
 |editor-last2         = Williams
 |editor-first2        = James G.
 |chapter              = Knowledge abstraction
 |title                = Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology: Volume 21 - Supplement 6: ADA and Distributed Systems to Visual Languages
 |url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=TZrxHta_0qYC
 |series               = Computer Science and Technology Encyclopedia
 |location             = New York
 |publisher            = CRC Press
 |publication-date     = 1989
 |page                 = 191
 |isbn                 = 978-0824722715
 |access-date          = 4 February 2022
 |quote                = [...] automata theory, which is the heart of computer science theory [...].
}}
</ref>
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The theory of computation concerns abstract [[models of computation]] and general classes of [[computational problem|problems]] that can be solved using them. The fields of [[cryptography]] and [[computer security]] involve studying the means for secure communication and preventing [[security vulnerabilities]]. [[Computer graphics (computer science)|Computer graphics]] and [[computational geometry]] address the generation of images. [[Programming language theory]] considers different ways to describe computational processes, and [[database]] theory concerns the management of repositories of data. [[Human–computer interaction]] investigates the interfaces through which humans and computers interact, and software engineering focuses on the design and principles behind developing software. Areas such as [[operating system]]s, [[Computer network|network]]s and [[embedded system]]s investigate the principles and design behind [[complex system]]s. Computer architecture describes the construction of computer components and computer-operated equipment. [[Artificial intelligence]] and [[machine learning]] aim to synthesize goal-orientated processes such as problem-solving, decision-making, environmental adaptation, [[Automated planning and scheduling|planning]] and learning found in humans and animals. Within artificial intelligence, [[computer vision]] aims to understand and process image and video data, while [[natural language processing]] aims to understand and process textual and linguistic data.

The fundamental concern of computer science is determining what can and cannot be automated.<ref name=MITAutomated/><ref>{{Citation |last1=Patton |first1=Richard D. |date=2009 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78831-7_18 |work=Springer Handbook of Automation |pages=305–313 |editor-last=Nof |editor-first=Shimon Y. |series=Springer Handbooks |place=Berlin, Heidelberg |publisher=Springer |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-540-78831-7_18 |isbn=978-3-540-78831-7 |access-date=2022-03-03 |last2=Patton |first2=Peter C. |title=What Can be Automated? What Cannot be Automated? |archive-date=January 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111224039/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-540-78831-7_18 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=DenningAutomated/><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Forsythe |first=George |date=August 5–10, 1969 |title=Computer Science and Education |journal=Proceedings of IFIP Congress 1968 |quote=The question 'What can be automated?' is one of the most inspiring philosophical and practical questions of contemporary civilization.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Knuth |first=Donald E. |date=1972-08-01 |title=George Forsythe and the development of computer science |journal=Communications of the ACM |volume=15 |issue=8 |pages=721–726 |doi=10.1145/361532.361538 |s2cid=12512057 |issn=0001-0782|doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[Turing Award]] is generally recognized as the highest distinction in computer science.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hanson |first=Vicki L. |date=2017-01-23 |title=Celebrating 50 years of the Turing award |journal=Communications of the ACM |volume=60 |issue=2 |pages=5 |doi=10.1145/3033604 |s2cid=29984960 |issn=0001-0782 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Scott |first1=Eric |last2=Martins |first2=Marcella Scoczynski Ribeiro |last3=Yafrani |first3=Mohamed El |last4=Volz |first4=Vanessa |last5=Wilson |first5=Dennis G |date=2018-06-05 |title=ACM marks 50 years of the ACM A.M. turing award and computing's greatest achievements |url=https://doi.org/10.1145/3231560.3231563 |journal=ACM SIGEVOlution |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=9–11 |doi=10.1145/3231560.3231563|s2cid=47021559 |issn = 1931-8499 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

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