New Turing Omnibus (New Turning Omnibus : 66 Excursions in Computer Science) [Paperback]

A.K. Dewdney (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0716782715 | ISBN-13: 978-0716782711 | Publication Date: April 1993 | Edition: Revised

This text provides a broad introduction to the realm of computers. Updated and expanded, "The New Turing Omnibus" offers 66 concise articles on the major points of interest in computer science theory, technology and applications. New for this edition are: updated information on algorithms, detecting primes, noncomputable functions, and self-replicating computers - plus completely new sections on the Mandelbrot set, genetic algorithms, the Newton-Raphson Method, neural networks that learn, DOS systems for personal computers, and computer viruses.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: W H Freeman & Co (Sd); Revised edition (April 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0716782715
• ISBN-13: 978-0716782711
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #832,472 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent overview of topics in Computer Science., July 21, 1999

By 

Alex Mikhail - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Turing Omnibus (New Turning Omnibus : 66 Excursions in Computer Science) (Paperback)

This book provides an excellent overview (or review) of theoretical Computer Science. If there are any of you who think that the high end of computer science is another form of mathematics, then this book is for you. If you think that computer science is just programming then maybe you should take a look at this book as well. After reading this book you will have a good overview of the "science" of computer science. I find too often that most of the undergraduate books in computer science tend to focus on the software engineering side of the field. When you finish this book, you will have been exposed to everything from genetic algorithms to Godel's theorem. The book covers advanced topics such as natural language thoery, but still introduces them on an introductory level. This book is still a little tough for those who have only studied programming. However, any computer scince major (or someone with the equivelent exposure to CS) would find this book to be an excellent reference and review of the things he (or she) would have missed or forgotten in their studies. Incidently, the book presents problems (no solutions, what's new) and refrences at the end of each chapter for further study.

The bottom line is this: This book is the closest thing to a hybrid textbook/encylcopedia of computer science. It covers almost every imaginable topic in computer science and should be on every CS major's bookshelf.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice reference book for computer science, September 14, 2000

By 

Todd Ebert (Long Beach California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Turing Omnibus (New Turning Omnibus : 66 Excursions in Computer Science) (Paperback)

Dewdney does a nice job in covering a wide range of topics (e.g. NP completeness, codes, formal languages) that computer scientists take for granted as "common knowlege". It serves as a nice encyclopedia for both computer scientists and a layman with some mathematical background who is curious about some of the disciplines of computer science. A great book to have on your shelf.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, readable summary of Computer Science foundations, September 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: New Turing Omnibus (New Turning Omnibus : 66 Excursions in Computer Science) (Paperback)

An enjoyable read for those with some Computer Science or Engineering background. Overviews of 66 different topics in C.S. theory and practice, categorized into 11 general areas. Provides very accessible, intuitive explanations on these foundational topics, with an emphasis on how the theoretical topics relate to practical applications. Nice survey/review of the broad field of Computer Science for the computer professional, as well.