UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO - STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
The Department of Computer Science & Engineering

CSE/PHI 484/584: PHILOSOPHY OF COMPUTER SCIENCE Spring 2010

Directory of Documents

©Scott Kim

Note: A username and password may be required for some online papers. Please contact Bill Rapaport.

COURSE MANAGEMENT SECTION

1. ARGUMENT ANALYSIS

2. READING ASSIGNMENTS

3. POSITION-PAPER ASSIGNMENTS

4. TERM-PAPER TOPICS

5. FINAL EXAM
   • How to study for the final exam.

6. GRADING ALGORITHMS

DOCUMENTS

1. What is the philosophy of computer science?

2. What is philosophy?
   • What is philosophy? A Brief Essay (lecture notes)

3. What is computer science?
   • What is science?
   • What is engineering?

   • What is a computer?
     • Syntax vs. Semantics
     • Syntax & Semantics of Formal Systems

   • What is an algorithm? What is computation?
     • What is a procedure?
     • What is hypercomputation?
     • What is a heuristic?

4. What is a computer program?
   Containing:
   • What is implementation?
     • Syntax & Semantics of Formal Systems

   • Are programs theories?
     • Are Computer Programs Scientific Theories?" (lecture notes)

   • What is software?
   1. Can programs be copyrighted or patented?
   2. Can programs be verified?

5. Philosophy of artificial intelligence

6. Computer Ethics

7. Course Summary