Computer Science

This course offers an introduction to the fundamentals of computing and programming through prototyping, exhibiting, and critiquing interactive visualizations and physical creations that participants design, build, and refine. Through weekly projects students gain extensive experience with the Processing program language and its various extensions for incorporating rich data sets available on the web, and the Arduino development kits for an introduction to prototyping interactive physical systems. The Processing section of the course serves as conceptual and practical preparation for learning programming languages such as Java and ActionScript. The Arduino section of the course introduces electronics and programming microcontrollers for prototyping interactive physical systems incorporating rich sensors and actuators. The physical computing section of the course also covers combining Arduino and Processing sketches to build more sophisticated projects. Prerequisite: general experience with Macintosh or Windows systems. (4 credits)

This course provides students with a hands-on exploration of the world of dynamic media production through the creation of interactive software programs that combine media elements like graphics, audio, video, and interactivity; and focuses on designing and planning projects with the needs and expectations of end users in mind. Through an exploration of Adobe Flash CS5 Professional, students learn how to design, plan, and create interactive programs designed to entertain, educate, and inform others. This course also includes exploration of graphic interface design and development, audio and video editing tools, and an overview of the ActionScript 3.0, the Flash scripting language. Prerequisites: proficiency with either Macintosh or Windows operating systems and the ability to understand and use basic drawing and media development applications. (4 credits)

This course is an introduction to Maya 2011. Maya is an industry standard 3-dimensional (3-D) software used to create animated films, video games, medical visualizations, and special effects for films. The objective of the course is to familiarize students with the fundamentals of a 3-D working environment using Maya 2011. The course develops skills in four elementary 3-D software topics: interface, objects, hierarchy, and animation. These four topics translate into most 3-D software packages and provide a foundation for using 3-D software. Topics include Maya interface, modeling, 3-D animation, textures, lighting, and rendering. Prerequisite: familiarity with Adobe Photoshop, Mac OS X. (4 credits)

In a rapidly changing world, the need for online publishers to keep up with the needs and expectations of their site visitors is paramount. Today, many web publishers use content management systems (CMS) to allow them to instantly and dynamically update web pages and properties as new content becomes available so that every visit to a site is engaging, informative, and meaningful. This course explores the use of open source web-based content management systems such as SocialGo, CSS, Wordpress, Wix, Joomla, and others to create dynamic and flexible websites and landing pages. Participants explore the fundamentals of planning dynamic websites, CMS database management, developing CSS-controlled site templates, and creating database driven websites through the planning and creation of their own topic-based sites. Prerequisite: CSCI-E-12, or the equivalent experience. (4 credits)

This is the second course in object-oriented programming methods using Java. It begins with the implementation of abstract data types using classes, objects, and overloaded methods. Other topics include strings, multidimensional arrays, vectors, and linked lists; streams and file I/O; recursion; exception handling; threads and event-driven programming; and graphical user interface design using the Swing classes. The course also introduces the RISC machine architecture and aspects of compilers and operating systems. Programming exercises are conducted in both Unix and PC-based environments. Prerequisite: CSCI E-50a, or the equivalent experience in a high-level programming language such as C, C++, or Java. (4 credits)

This course covers the fundamentals of computer systems programming, machine organization, and performance tuning. It provides a solid background in systems programming and a deep understanding of low-level machine organization and design. Topics include C and assembly language programming, program optimization, memory hierarchy and caching, virtual memory and dynamic memory management, concurrency, threads, and synchronization. The recorded lectures are from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences course Computer Science 61. Prerequisite: CSCI E-52 , CSCI E-113, or some experience programming in C. (4 credits)

Today's websites are increasingly dynamic. Pages are no longer static HTML files but instead generated by scripts and database calls. User interfaces are more seamless, with technologies like Ajax replacing traditional page reloads. This course teaches students how to build dynamic websites with Ajax and with Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP (LAMP), one of today's most popular frameworks. Students learn how to set up domain names with DNS, how to structure pages with XHTML and CSS, how to program in JavaScript and PHP, how to configure Apache and MySQL, how to design and query databases with SQL, how to use Ajax with both XML and JSON, and how to build mashups. The course explores issues of security, scalability, and cross-browser support and also discusses enterprise-level deployments of websites, including third-party hosting, virtualization, colocation in data centers, firewalling, and load-balancing. The recorded lectures are from the 2010 course. Prerequisites: prior programming experience (in any language) and familiarity with HTML are assumed. (4 credits)

This course is an introduction to principles of software engineering for mobile devices and best practices, including code reviews, source control, and unit tests. Topics include Ajax, encapsulation, event handling, HTTP, memory management, MVC, object-oriented design, and user experience. Languages include HTML 5, JavaScript, and Objective-C. Projects include mobile web apps and native iOS apps. Students should have a Mac (running Lion) as well as an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. Local students have access to Macs in labs on the Harvard campus. Students work on projects in pairs; students are encouraged to enroll with a friend. The recorded lectures are from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences course Computer Science 164. Prerequisite: CSCI E-52 or CSCI E-76, or prior programming experience with C, C++, or Objective-C. (4 credits)

This course is a survey of fundamental data structures for information processing, including lists, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs. It explores the implementation of these data structures (both array-based and linked representations) and examines classic algorithms that use these structures for tasks such as sorting, searching, and text compression. The Java programming language is used to demonstrate the topics discussed; and key notions of object-oriented programming, including encapsulation and abstract data types, are emphasized. Prerequisite: a good working knowledge of Java (CSCI E-50b, or the equivalent). (4 credits)

This is a rigorous course on the design and analysis of efficient algorithms and their associated data structures. Algorithm design methods, graph algorithms, approximation algorithms, and randomized algorithms are covered. The recorded lectures are from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences course Computer Science 124. Prerequisites: CSCI E-119, or the equivalent and sound knowledge of discrete mathematics (CSCI E-120, or the equivalent). (4 credits)

Video and voice are taking over the Internet and these systems are changing the way we communicate, collaborate, and learn. It is now as common to watch streaming video of lectures or use video-based chat to communicate with friends, as it was for our parents to use the telephone, and the future includes telepresence with video walls. This course covers the underlying standards and protocols for Internet-based voice (VoIP) and video (for both streaming and real-time communication), and also the design and implementation of large video and unified communication systems. The course begins with a review of the protocols and codecs used for audio and video (G.711, G.729, H.264, RTP, and RTCP) followed by a technical analysis of the SIP protocol suite and the IETF and ITU protocols that are used along with it. The necessary theory and real-world requirements for quality of service and network security are also discussed. With this information as a foundation we study network building blocks such as VoIP and video clients (both hardware-based systems and software-based systems on phones and PCs), SIP servers and proxies, border controllers, and multimedia multi-port bridges (MCU). We also discuss the voice and video services that are available today, both proprietary services such as Skype or iChat, as well as services based on open codecs and standards. An integral part of the course is the use of videoconferencing systems, VoIP, and collaboration software by students and the teaching staff; this usage serves as a basis for discussion and the analysis of current system limitations and future possibilities. Prerequisite: CSCI E-131b, or equivalent experience. (4 credits)

Students learn key XML technologies (XML, XPath, XSL, XML Schema, RNG, DTD, XQuery, DOM) as well as specific markup languages relevant to website development (XHTML, XHTMI Mobile Profile, RSS, RDF, XSL-FO, SVG, DocBook, OOXML, OpenDocument, XForms). In addition, the course covers topics such as XML and databases (native XML databases and RDBMS), XML programming APIs (DOM and SAX), Apache Cocoon (an open-source XML publishing framework), and the role of XML in Web 2.0 to deliver data and functionality through Ajax and web services (SOAP and REST). Using these technologies, students develop dynamic, data-driven websites that are capable of delivering content in a variety of media formats (screen, text, print, graphics) to a variety of devices (desktop, handheld, mobile) for a variety of audiences. Prerequisite: CSCI E-12, or the equivalent experience. (4 credits)

This course introduces computer and network security as it relates to enterprise and personal computing as well as to data networking. Special attention is paid to the implications of security technologies on enterprise and governmental policies including privacy policies, surveillance, and digital rights management. Topics include cryptography, forensics, human factors, watermarking, spyware, and privacy- and content-protecting technology. Students are expected to read a substantial amount of online material for each lecture. Prerequisites: basic knowledge of computer networks and systems. (4 credits)

This course covers the interplay between economic thinking and computational thinking as it relates to electronic commerce, social networks, collective intelligence, and networked systems. Topics covered include game theory, peer production, reputation and recommender systems, prediction markets, crowd sourcing, network influence and dynamics, auctions and mechanisms, privacy and security, matching and allocation problems, computational social choice, and behavioral game theory. Emphasis is on core methodologies, with students engaged in theoretical, computational, and empirical exercises. The recorded lectures are from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences course Computer Science 186. Prerequisites: CSCI E-52, CSCI E-119, and STAT E-50, or the equivalents, with grades of B+ or higher. ECON E-1010 recommended but not required. (4 credits)

Computation has long been an important tool for scientists, but the past two decades have seen a true revolution in the practice of science. Computation, in the form of both simulation and analysis, has joined theory and experimentation as the oft-quoted third pillar of science. This is an applications course highlighting the use of computers in solving scientific problems. Students are exposed to fundamental computer science concepts such as computer architectures, data structures, algorithms, and parallel computing. Students learn the fundamentals of scientific computing including abstract thinking, algorithmic development, and assessment of computational approaches. They learn to use a series of open source tools and libraries and apply them to data analysis, modeling, and visualization of real scientific problems. The course emphasizes parallel programming and parallel thinking. The recorded lectures are from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences course Computer Science 205. Prerequisite: CSCI E-52, or the equivalent. (4 credits)

As an introduction to the fundamental structure and services of the Unix and Linux operating systems, this course combines theory with programming at the system call level. Topics include files and directories, device control, terminal handling, processes and threads, signals, pipes, and sockets. Examples and exercises include directory management utilities, a shell, and a web server. Prerequisites: solid knowledge of C or C++ and a data structures course such as CSCI E-119; some experience using Unix helpful. (4 credits)

This course introduces important data structures and algorithms that are useful for creating images on a computer, providing students with sufficient background to write substantial computer graphics applications. We introduce the mathematical tools and important computer graphics concepts such as geometric modeling, illumination, texture mapping, and anti-aliasing. Students learn OpenGL, the industry standard API for computer graphics. Students learn to write full-fledged interactive graphics applications with 3-D transformations and projections, shading, modeling hierarchies, and animation. We also introduce the principles of ray tracing, a high-end image generation technique. This course does not cover the use of graphic design applications such as Photoshop and AutoCAD; it is a programming class. Prerequisite: CSCI E-119, or the equivalent. (4 credits)

This course teaches students to create architecturally flexible web applications using Microsoft ASP.NET MVC with C#. We cover ASP.NET MVC routing, controllers and actions, domain models, views, extending controllers, Ajax, representational state transfer (REST) and client scripting, security and vulnerability, authorization and authentication, caching, internationalization, and performance. In addition, data access using LINQ, Entity Framework, and SQL server is considered. Test-driven development and dependency injection are at the core of the course, and are employed throughout. Students gain a deep understanding of ASP.NET MVC and are prepared to build architecturally flexible, highly interactive web applications. Prerequisite: CSCI E-237, or one year of .NET development using C#. (4 credits)

This course covers abstraction and design in computation. Topics include functional and object-oriented styles of programming, software engineering in the small, and models of computation. The goal is to understand how to design large programs to make them readable, maintainable, efficient, and elegant. The recorded lectures are from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences course Computer Science 51. Exercises are conducted in a combination of OCaml and Java. Prerequisites: CSCI E-52 and CSCI E-120, or the equivalents. (4 credits)

Students study the internal structure and organization of an Oracle database environment. The course presents a structured approach to planning, building, tuning, and monitoring an Oracle 11g database. Students create an Oracle database, tablespaces, user accounts, views, indices, and other objects necessary to support an application. We also examine some of the issues involved when running a large number of databases within an environment and with running large databases. Prerequisites: an understanding of the principles of a relational database model, a working knowledge of SQL, and familiarity with PL/SQL. (4 credits)

IBM's System z is a family of hardware and software products that performs 60 percent of the world's transaction processing and holds a similar percentage of the world's business data. System z mainframe computers are present in close to 99 percent of Fortune 500 companies and are responsible for the vast majority of critical business calculations executed by those companies. System z could run instances of its native operating system called z/OS but can equally easily run thousands of Linux or AIX operating systems, all from one box and one command console. With unprecedented IO capabilities, System z has the ability to deliver transaction processing at minimum operating cost and energy consumption, while offering unmatched security and reliability. We learn how to build applications using Rational Developer for System z and EGL (Enterprise Generation Language) that allow us to instantiate our projects as Java, Cobol, or JavaScript applications. We also learn how to expose the processing power of System z as web services, communicate through messaging systems, and control the transaction processing using CICS services. Some administrative skills are also be introduced, most notably those needed to deal with versatile data sets. Prerequisite: familiarity with Java, C# or C, and XML. (4 credits)

This course is a study of the fundamental concepts in the design and organization of modern computer systems. Topics include computer organization, instruction-set design, processor design, memory system design, timing issues, interrupts, microcoding, and various performance-enhancing parallel techniques such as prefetching, pipelining, branch prediction, superscalar execution, and massive-parallel processing. We also study existing architectures using CISC, RISC, vector, data parallel, and VLIW designs. An extensive lab project encompassing the design and implementation of a new instruction set and CPU using an FPGA is required of all students. Prerequisites: knowledge of data structures and programming experience (CSCI E-119, or the equivalent) with some background in boolean/digital logic preferred, but not required (ENSC E-123, or the equivalent). (4 credits)