A primary goal of computer scientists is to develop or validate models, often mathematical, to describe the properties of computational systems (processors, programs, computers interacting with people, computers interacting with other computers, etc.) with an overall objective of discovering designs that yield useful benefits (faster, smaller, cheaper, more precise, etc.).
Software engineering – the application of engineering to software development in a systematic method
Employment
Computer scientists are often hired by software publishing firms, scientific research and development organizations where they develop the theories that allow new technologies to be developed. Computer scientists are also employed by educational institutions such as universities.
Computer scientists can follow more practical applications of their knowledge, doing things such as software engineering. They can also be found in the field of information technology consulting, and may be seen as a type of mathematician, given how much of the field depends on mathematics.[4] Computer scientists employed in industry may eventually advance into managerial or project leadership positions.[5]
Employment prospects for computer scientists are said to be excellent. Such prospects seem to be attributed, in part, to very rapid growth in computer systems design and related services industry, and the software publishing industry, which are projected to be among the fastest growing industries in the U.S. economy.[2]
It is relevant to keep in mind that the role of a programmer is related to that of a computer scientist but it is not identical. Programmer generally refers to individuals who use programming languages to implement algorithms and solve specific problems. So, one can think of programmers as a subset of computer scientists.
Some regard that Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz is the first computer scientist [6] because of his invention of Stepped reckoner in 1694, a digital non-programmable mechanical calculator. Though this was not the first mechanical calculator, his contributions on binary numbers made him to be considered as the first computer scientist. [7] But due to the definition of computer such that “a programmable usually electronic device that can store, retrieve, and process data”,[8]Charles Babbage who is the inventor the first programmable machine, the Analytical Engine, is considered as the first computer scientist and the father of computer science. [9][10] Designed in 1837, the Analytical Engine was basically a mechanical calculator programmable through punched cards. But, owing to various challenges like funding issues, technological limitations, and political factors, the creation of the machine wasn’t completed before Babbage’s death. [11]
Being interested in the Analytical Engine, Ada Lovelace realized that this machine has broader functionality than calculator and could perform an extensive sequence of mathematical operations. [12] In 1843, she constructed a set of instructions to calculate Bernoulli numbers using punched cards. These sequences of instructions were counted as the first computer program by some which made Ada Lovelace the first computer programmer. [13] Because the Analytical Engine wasn’t completed during that time, she never had found the opportunity to execute the program on the engine. But her algorithm laid the groundwork for future programming concepts. [14] The incomplete project of Babbage was then actualized by the German computer scientist Konrad Zuse with his development of the world's first working programmable digital computer called Z3 in 1940. Due to his achievements, Zuse is considered as the father of the modern computer. [15]
Alan Turing was another computer scientist who is regarded as the father of computer science and artificial intelligence. [16] He introduced the concept of the Turing Machine, in 1936, that lays the foundation of modern computers. This conceptual framework helped to comprehend the limitations of computers [17] in terms of deciding whether a computer can solve a specific problem or not. His contributions in decoding Nazi’s Enigma codes contributed to shortening World War 2 and save countless lives. [18] Similarly in the 20th century, Tim Berners-Lee changed the world by inventing the World Wide Web. He created the first web browser and web server; he paved the roads of the protocols that govern the web.
^Orsucci, Franco F.; Sala, Nicoletta (2008). Reflexing Interfaces: The Complex Coevolution of Information Technology Ecosystems, Information Science Reference. p. 335. ISBN978-1599046273.
