COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSE OUTLINE

University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Note: Depending on the lecturer teaching the course and nature of the text used for a particular course, there may be completely, little or no change to the following course outline:

COS        101         Introduction to Computer Science |2 units

The history of computers. Functional components and characteristics of a computer, Problem solving: Flowcharts, algorithms, computer programming statements, symbolic names, arrays subscripts, Expressions. Introduction to BASIC or FORTRAN programming Language (QBasic will be used).

COS        102         Introduction to Computer Systems | 2 units

Computer structures: Organization and function of the control unit, Arithmetic-logic unit, Memory unit of the CPU as well as the registers used by the CPU; the relationships amongst the CPU, memory and peripheral devices. Number System: conversion of bases (binary, octal, decimal, and hexadecimal): binary arithmetic; Weighted and non-weighted binary codes. Introduction to machine language: Data and instruction formats.

COS        104         Computing Practice | 2 units

Interactions of the user with the operating system through command language or job control language. Functions and types of interpretative routines, translators, linkage editors, and loaders. A lot of simple programming problems should be given to allow students have good practices with the language introduced in COS 101 (QBasic Programming Language will be Used).

COS        201         Computer Programming I | 2 units

Introduction to problem solving methods and algorithm development: designing, coding, debugging and documenting programmes using techniques of good programming style. A widely used programming language should be used in teaching the above, e.g. structured form of FORTRAN OR PASCAL. (Java will be used).    [ Click here for COS 201 Tutorial ]

COS        202         Computer Programming II | 2 units

Principles of good programming: structured programming concept; debugging and testing; string processing. Internal searching and sorting; data structures, recursion. A programming language different from that in COS 201 should be here. Pascal, PL/1 or COBOL is recommended. (C++ will be used).

COS        222         Introduction to File Processing | 2 units

Introduction to data management files, job control language application. An overview of I/O (Input/output) architecture; logical file organization; mapping logical organization into physical storage; back-up procedure, file recovery; higher level language data management facilities. (QBasic or Visual Basic programming Language may be used).

COS        251         Assembly Language Programming | 2 units

Basic concepts and general formats of assembly language instructions, micro/macro instruction formats: segmentation and linkage; transfer of control. The assembly language of an available machine should be taught so that students can run their assembly language programmes. (Masm assembler will be used).

COS        301         Introduction to Digital Design | 2 units

Boolean algebra, gates and gating devices, combinatorial logic, sequential logic, microprocessor.

COS        303         Introduction to Microcomputer systems               | 2units

Functional description; microprocessor architecture; systems operation and interfacing; types of instructions and instruction formats. (A specific microcomputer-based design may be used to teach this course.).

COS        304         Computer Applications | 2 units

Prerequisite: COS 101 and/or COS 201

Use of computers in various sectorial applications in a modern economy: Basic computer Operation. Microsoft windows. File Management. Basic of Text editing, Word processing and graphics. Microsoft Office may be use. The internet. Computer virus.

COS        311         Numerical Methods I | 2 units

Interpolation; approximation: numerical integration and differentiation; solution of non-linear equations; solution of ordinary differential equations; Introduction to partial differential equations.

COS        313         Switching Algebra & Discrete Structures I | 2units

Boolean algebra. Combinational and sequential networks. Directed graphs; circles, connectivity. State transition graphs.

COS        314         Switching Algebra & Discrete Structures II | 2units

Finite state machines. Algebraic system; groups, polymorphisms, congruences. Applications to machines structures. Correctness proof for a simple computer.

COS        314         Operations Research I | 2 units

The nature of Operations Research. Linear programming problems: formulation; simplex method; transportation problems; simplex method for transportation problems.

COS        316         Automata Theory and Formal Languages | 2uints

Formal grammars and automata, Regular languages; context-free languages; deterministic parsing of context-free languages; recursive languages.

COS        321         Data Base Design and Management I | 2 units

Data base management systems; review of basic concepts; functions and components of DBMS. Files design and access path future directions in DBMS; programming and applications in D-base environment.

COS        322         Data Base Design and Management II | 2 units

In this second part, a specific Data Base should be used; e.g. Dbase V or higher, Oracle, etc.

COS        331         Compiler Construction I | 2 units

Review of compilers, assemblers and interpreters: structure and functional aspect of a compiler; syntax, semantics and pragmatics; functional relationships amongst lexical analysis, syntax analysis, expression analysis and codes generation. Internal representation of a programme. Use of a standard compiler as a working vehicle (FORTRAN, COBOL, or PL/1) Error detection and recovery. Grammar and Languages. The parsing problems. The scanner.

COS        333         Operating System I | 2 units

Introduction to processes; processor management; memory management, multi-programming concepts and requirements, multi-processing system; other related issues based on semaphore and monitor concepts.

COS        334         Operating System II | 2 units

Issues in analysis and designing operating systems; memory management; protection; resource allocation.

COS        335         Systems Analysis and Design | 2units

Investigations of the working of existing systems; analysis of results; design of new system to improve the existing ones; communication of the new system to all others; maintenance.

COS        341         Computer Architecture I | 2units

Basic logic design; data representation; instruction formats; basic computer organization and design; study of the architecture of an actual simple minicomputer.

COS        342         Computer Architecture II | 2 units

Memory system; general characteristics of memory operation: (Technology-magnetic recording, semi-conductor memory, charged coupled devices, magnetic bubble); memory addressing, memory hierarchy, virtual memory control systems, hardware control, micro programmed control, asynchronous control, I/O control, introduction to the methodology of fault-tolerance computing.

COS        352         Data Structures | 2 units

Bits, bytes, words; linear structures and list structures, arrays, tree structures, sets and relations; Higher-level language data types and data-handling facilities.

COS        372         Laboratory for Digital Design | 3 units

Practical designs and operations of the laboratory equipment.

COS        374         Industrial Working Experience | 4 units

Three months industrial attachment during the long vacation between the end of the third year and the beginning of the fourth year: A comprehensive report by the student must be submitted to his/her supervisor as soon as the fourth year begins.

COS        411         Numerical Methods II | 2 units

Floating-point arithmetic; use of mathematical subroutine packages; error analysis and norms; computation of eigenvalues and eigenvectors,  related topics; numerical solution of boundary value problems for ordinary differential equations, solution of non-linear systems of algebraic equations; least-squares solution of over-determined systems.

COS        415         System Modelling and Simulation | 2 units

The concepts and techniques used in modelling; simulation methods and a suitable language; generation and transformation of random numbers; parameter estimate design experiment; factorial design optimization.

COS        413         Queuing Theory               | 2 units

Introduction to birth-death queuing systems; Monrovian queues, the queues M/G/I, bounds, inequalities and approximations.

COS        414         Operations Research II | 2 units

Network analysis; games theory; inventory problems; reliability problems; dynamics programming.

COS        412         Computer Performance Evaluation | 2 units

Measurement techniques; simulation techniques; analytic techniques; work-load characteristation; performance evaluation in design problems; evaluation of programme performance.

COS        432         Compiler Construction II | 2 units

Grammars and languages; recognizer, top-down and bottom-up; production language; run-time storage organization. The use of display in run-time storage allocation. LR grammar and analyzers: construction of LR grammar and analyzers; Construction of LR table. Organization of symbol tables. Allocation of storage to run-time variables. Code generation Optimization. Translator writing systems.

COS        431         Software Design and Management | 2 units

Standards; structure; organization; project control standards; projects team standards; documentation implementation; project technical standards; projects system manual.

COS        451         Algorithms | 2 units

Principles of good programming style, expressions, and documentation; structured programming concepts; debugging, testing, verifying, code inspection; semantics analysis; string  processing; data structures; recursion; efficiency of algorithms.

COS        453         Computer Process Control | 2units

General overview of process control. Process control techniques/specific examples of process controller. Process control computer; operation modes and software. Case studies.

COS        452         Computer Center Management                | 2units

The role of the computer center; general operating procedures; data preparation; the magnetic tape library; operations procedure, security procedures, performance statistics.

COS        454         Artificial Intelligence | 2 unit

Introduction to artificial intelligence; understanding natural languages, knowledge representation; expert system; pattern recognition; the LISP language.

COS        455         Data Communication & Networks I | 2 units

Introduction, waves, Fourier analysis, measure of communication, channel characteristics, transmission media, noise and distortions, modulation and demodulation multiplexing TDM, PDM, and FCM.

COS        456         Data Communication & Networks II | 2 units

Parallel and serial transmission (synchronous versus asynchronous). Bus structures and loop systems; computer network. Examples and design consideration; data switching principles; broadcast techniques; network structure for packets switching protocols; description of network, examples ARPANET, DSC etc.

COS        458         Expert Systems | 2 units

What expert systems are. Basic concepts for building expert systems. Architecture of experts systems; construction of expert systems; tools for building expert system; reasoning about reasoning, evaluation of experts systems; languages and tools of knowledge engineering.

COS        457         Computer Graphics | 2 units

Hardware aspect; plotters microfilm, plotter displays, graphic tablets, light pens. Two and Three dimensional transformation, perspectives. Clipping algorithms, hidden line removal, Bolden surface removal. Warnock’s method, shading, data reduction for graphical input. Curve synthesis and fitting. Contouring. Ring structures versus doubly linked lists. Hierarchical structures; data structures; organization for interactive graphics.

COS        461         Organization of Programming Languages | 2units

Language definition structure; data types and structures including lists and trees; control structure and data flow: run-time considerations; interpretation language; lexical analysis and parsing.

COS        462         Structured Programming | 2 units

Principles of good programming style; expressing; structured programming concepts; control flow, invariant relation of a loop; stepwise refinement of both statement and data; programme modularization (bottom-up approach, top-down approach, nested virtual machine appraoch); language for structured programming, debugging, testing, verifying, codes inspection, semantics analysis. Test construction; programme verification; test generation and running.

COS        464         Concurrent Programming | 2 units

Rationale for concurrent programming; system components; hardware feature basic software; operating system nuleus; user interface; command and control languages, job control; elements of a design methodology.

COS        472         Advanced Digital Laboratory | 3 units

Prerequisite: COS 371

Implementation of some specific projects in the digital and microprocessor laboratory.

COS        471         Project | 6 units

Each student is expected to work on topic approved by his/her supervisor. The project report must show the students understanding of the area covered by the topics, and must include appropriate programme(s) with results.