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The first course in computer science needs a mathematics corequisite
First-year computer science students need to know and use a considerable amount of mathematics. A corequired course in discrete mathematics is a good solution.
Dhrystone: a synthetic systems programming benchmark
Reflecting current data on the use of programming language constructs in systems programming, a synthetic benchmark is constructed based on the distribution appearing in the data. The benchmark executes 100 Ada statements that are balanced in terms of the distribution of statement types, data types, and data locality. Pascal and C versions of the benchmark are discussed.
Congress is paying careful attention to threats to U.S. high technology from two areas: trademark and patent infringement and proposed foreign violation of U.S. copyright laws.
Computer technology is becoming a major victim of the nearly $8 billion counterfeit business threatening the American economy. Some recent product examples include fake Apple computers seized by U.S. Customs and reverse engineered Apples and other microcomputers on sale in Hong Kong for $300, about a third of the price of a genuine product. U.S. firms fear losses large enough to hinder research and development efforts. This would result in erosion of their technological edge.
Since the mid-1970s, the U.S. Department of Defense has been laying the groundwork for a major new computer language that may substantially displace FORTRAN and COBOL in the years ahead. With Ada just now starting to be used, Communications felt it would be timely to conduct an interview with Jean Ichbiah, the principal designer of this new language. Ichbiah discusses the evolution of Ada, evaluates its success so far, and speculates on its future.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has recently passed a resolution opposing “continuing governmental efforts to restrict the communication or publication of unclassified research.” This statement reaffirms an AAAS resolution passed in 1982, which was against “governmental restrictions on the dissemination, exchange, or availability of unclassified knowledge.” According to the AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, the second resolution was prompted by what the society considers excessive Administration efforts to prevent export of U.S. technology to Soviet bloc countries. These measures include requesting prepublication review of unclassified technical papers, inhibiting communication of unclassified scientific research in university classrooms and research laboratories, limiting foreign student access to university research projects and results, censoring technical papers at professional society meetings, and restricting otherwise unclassified meetings to U.S. citizens.
Development and application of NASA’s first standard spacecraft computer
To provide the autonomy needed by low, earth-orbiting satellites, NASA's first standard on-board processor requires changing only interfacing hardware from mission to mission.
Design, development, integration: space shuttle primary flight software system
The development of Space Shuttle software posed unique requirements above and beyond raw size (30 times larger than Saturn V software), complexity, and criticality.
Shape the Future of Computing
ACM encourages its members to take a direct hand in shaping the future of the association. There are more ways than ever to get involved.
Get InvolvedCommunications of the ACM (CACM) is now a fully Open Access publication.
By opening CACM to the world, we hope to increase engagement among the broader computer science community and encourage non-members to discover the rich resources ACM has to offer.
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