COMPUTING-AS-A-DISCIPLINE

REPORTCOMPUTINGASADISCIPLINEThefinalreportoftheTaskForceontheCoreofComputerSciencepresentsanewintellectualframeworkforthedisciplineofcomputingandanewbasisforcomputingcurricula.ThisreporthasbeenendorsedandapprovedforreleasebytheACMEducationBoard.PETERJ.DENNING(CHAIRMAN),DOUGLASE.COMER,DAVIDGRIES,MICHAELC.MULDER,ALLENTUCKER,A.JOETURNER,andPAULR.YOUNGItisACM’s42ndyearandanolddebatecontinues.Iscomputerscienceascience?Anengineeringdiscipline?Ormerelyatechnology,aninventorandpurveyorofcomputingcommodities?Whatistheintellectualsub-stanceofthediscipline?Isitlasting,orwillitfadewithinageneration?Docorecurriculaincomputerscienceandengineeringaccuratelyreflectthefield?Howcantheoryandlabworkbeintegratedinacom-putingcurriculum?Docorecurriculafostercompe-tenceincomputing?Weprojectanimageofatechnology-orienteddisci-plinewhosefundamentalsareinmathematicsandengineering-forexample,werepresentalgorithmsasthemostbasicobjectsofconcernandprogrammingandhardwaredesignastheprimaryactivities.Theviewthat“computerscienceequalsprogramming”isespe-ciallystronginmostofourcurrentcurricula:theintro-ductorycourseisprogramming,thetechnologyisinourcorecourses,andthescienceisinourelectives.Thisviewblocksprogressinreorganizingthecurricu-lumandturnsawaythebeststudents,whowantagreaterchallenge.Itdeniesacoherentapproachtomakingexperimentalandtheoreticalcomputerscienceintegralandharmoniouspartsofacurriculum.Thoseinthedisciplineknowthatcomputerscienceencompassesfarmorethanprogramming-forexample,hardwaredesign,systemarchitecture,designingoperat-ingsystemlayers,structuringadatabaseforaspecificapplication,andvalidatingmodelsareallpartofthediscipline,butarenotprogramming.Theemphasisonprogrammingarisesfromourlong-standingbeliefthatprogramminglanguagesareexcellentvehiclesforgain-ingaccesstotherestofthefield,abeliefthatlimitsourabilitytospeakaboutthedisciplineintermsthatrevealitsfullbreadthandrichness.0,989ACM0001.0782/89/0100-0009$1.50Thefieldhasmaturedenoughthatitisnowpossibletodescribeitsintellectualsubstanceinanewandcom-pellingway.ThisrealizationaroseindiscussionsamongtheheadsofthePh.D.-grantingdepartmentsofcomputerscienceandengineeringintheirmeetinginSnowbird,Utah,inJuly1984.TheseandothersimilardiscussionspromptedACMandtheIEEEComputerSocietytoformtaskforcestocreateanewapproach.Inthespringof1985,ACMPresidentAdeleGoldbergandACMEducationBoardChairmanRobertAikenap-pointedthistaskforceonthecoreofcomputersciencewiththeenthusiasticcooperationoftheIEEEComputerSociety.Atthesametime,theComputerSocietyformedataskforceoncomputinglaboratorieswiththeenthusiasticcooperationoftheACM.Wehopethattheworkofthecoretaskforce,embod-iedinthisreport,willproducebenefitsbeyondtheoriginalcharter.Byidentifyingacommoncoreofsub-jectmatter,wehopetostreamlinetheprocessesofde-velopingcurriculaandmodelprogramsinthetwosoci-eties.Thereportcanbethebasisforfuturediscussionsofcomputerscienceandengineeringasaprofession,stimulateimprovementsinsecondaryschoolcoursesincomputing,andcanleadtoagreaterwidespreadappre-ciationofcomputingasadiscipline.Ourgoalhasbeentocreateanewwayofthinkingaboutthefield.HopingtoinspiregeneralinquiryintoThisarticlehasbeencondensedfromtheReportoftheACMTaskForceontheCoreofComputerScience.Copiesofthereportinitsentiretymaybeordered,prepaid,fromACMOrderDepartmentP.O.Box64145Baltimore,MD21264Pleasespecifyorder#201880.Pricesare$7.00forACMmembers,and$12.00fornonmembers.Januay1989Volume32NumberICommunicationsoftheACM9Reportthenatureofourdiscipline,wesoughtaframework,notaprescription;aguideline,notaninstruction.Weinviteyoutoadoptthisframeworkandadaptittoyourownsituation.Wearepleasedtopresentanewintellectualframe-workforourdisciplineandanewbasisforourcurricula.CHARTEROFTHETASKFORCEThetaskforcewasgiventhreegeneralcharges:1.Presentadescriptionofcomputersciencethatem-phasizesfundamentalquestionsandsignificantac-complishments.Thedefinitionshouldrecognizethatthefieldisconstantlychangingandthatwhatissaidismerelyasnapshotofanongoingprocessofgrowth.2.Proposeateachingparadigmforcomputersciencethatconformstotraditionalscientificstandards,emphasizesthedevelopmentofcompetenceinthefield,andharmoniouslyintegratestheory,experi-mentation,anddesign.3.Giveadetailedexampleofanintroductorycoursesequenceincomputersciencebasedonthecurricu-lummodelandthedisciplinarydescription.Weimmediatelyextendedourtasktoencompassbothcomputerscienceandcomputerengineering,becauseweconcludedthatnofundamentaldifferenceexistsbe-tweenthetwofieldsinthecorematerial.Thediffer-encesaremanifestedinthewaythetwodisciplineselaboratethecore:computersciencefocusesonanaly-sisandabstraction;computerengineeringonabstrac-tionanddesign.Thephrasedisciplineofcomputingisusedheretoembraceallofcomputerscienceandengineering.Twoimportantissuesareoutsidethecharterofthistaskforce.First,thecurriculumrecommendationsinthisreportdealonlywiththeintroductorycoursese-quence.Itdoesnotaddresstheimportant,largerques-tionofthedesignoftheentirecorecurriculum,andindeedthesuggestedintroductorycoursewouldbemeaninglesswithoutanewdesignfortherestofthecore.Second,o