CS for All
Welcome! This book (and course) takes a unique approach to “Intro CS.” In a nutshell, our objective is to provide an introduction to computer science as an intellectually rich and vibrant field rather than focusing exclusively on computer programming. While programming is certainly an important and pervasive element of our approach, we emphasize concepts and problem-solving over syntax and programming language features.
This book is a companion to the course “CS for All” developed at Harvey Mudd College. At Mudd, this course is taken by almost every first-year student—irrespective of the student’s ultimate major—as part of our core curriculum. Thus, it serves as a first computing course for future CS majors and a first and last computing course for many other students. The course also enrolls a significant number of students from the other Claremont Colleges, many of whom are not planning to major in the sciences or engineering. At other schools, versions of this course have also been taught to students with varying backgrounds and interests.