Computer Science: A Science?

[jernst]

I've been working on an entry in my blog about whether computer science should be considered a real science or not. Other people have suggested it should be considered mathematics or engineering instead. It's actually put into different faculties at different universities because of this. Thought it might be interesting to hear some opinions from the people on this site So what do you guys think? Science, Engineering or Mathematics..and of course why?

[Dan]

Well is mathematics a science? Most university traditional put math in the science side of things.

Also unlike math, computer scientists can use experiments to prove there theory or to anayals problems.

So it realy comes down to how you define science, is a mathmatical proof science? Is testing a hypotheis or theroy threw expermentation science? If so then computer science has both.

As for engineering, i don't think it is that at all. Software and Computer engineering would be the computer science version of engineering. Computer Science is alot more on the theroirical side then engineering is and lacks alot of the engineering partices and priencpeals.

So in my option Computer Science is a science as it uses both mathical proofs and expermentaion to prove a proposed theroy threw a controled means.

I think part of the problem for the blur btween the 3, is that at lower levels such as high school and eraly undergrad computer science the distenction btween coder, software engerienr and computer sciencist are litte. However if you look at the masters and phd level (or even later years of undergraduate) you will see that computer science diverges towards science, software engering towards engineering and coder towards a skill trade.

[btiffin]

Well said Dan;

Yes, I'd count Computer Science as Science when the scientific principle is applied. Hypothesis followed by experiment and finally a conclusion. The Computer "science" of gluing chips to boards is far better described as Engineering. Programming from a spec is best described as Craft (or Trade) and designing a website (for instance) a form of Art. I rarely get to do any Mathematics in the work I do or have done; better described as Arithmetic. imho.

Pascal assignments at Waterloo back in the 80's were very much mathematics. Programmed integration using limits and sums of ever shrinking deltas. But alas, it is the rare coder that gets to play in such areas. A database is a database and Craft is more important than any Art, Science, Math or Engineering. Again, imho.

Cheers

[haskell]

Well, within Computer Science, there are many sub-fields in which Discrete Mathematics is deeply involved. The true science behind Computer Science are these theories and such.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science#Fields_of_computer_science

Also, I suggest looking through University course descriptions at the 3rd and 4th year of an Undergrad program and note the mathematics involved in the theory classes.

[jernst]

thanks for the answers guys, some interesting ideas