computer laboratory computer science at oxford and cambridge graham titmus university of cambridge...

Computer Laboratory

Computer Science at Oxford and Cambridge

Graham TitmusUniversity of Cambridge

Computer Laboratorywww.cl.cam.ac.uk

Luke OngOxford University

Computing Laboratorywww.comlab.ox.ac.uk

Computer Laboratory

Contents Oxford & Cambridge University What is Computer Science? Details of the two courses Admissions

Most of this presentation applies equallyto both Oxford and Cambridge.

When just one logo appears,the information applies to that university only.

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Research Assessment

Oxford and Cambridge are two of the top CS departments for research– the following grades are taken from the five-

yearly Research Assessment Exercises (1996,2001 & 2008) which are graded: 1 2 3a 3b 4 5 5*

Cambridge scored the best possible:5*, 5* and 3.35 GPA– Highest ranking in 2008 assessment

Oxford scored 5* & 5 and 3.15 GPA– Overall 3rd in research power

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Teaching assessment There are many good Computer Science

teaching departments in the UK:– Cambridge, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow,

Imperial, Kent, Manchester, Oxford, Southampton, Swansea, Warwick, York • all scored 23/24 in the government’s Teaching Quality

Assessment• all rated above 80% by the Guardian University Guide

2002• do you trust either of these measures?

– you need to check what they have in their syllabus• is it good Computer Science?• is it what you want to do?

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Contents Oxford & Cambridge University What is Computer Science? Details of the two courses Admissions

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What is Comp Sci? Programming

Science

Art

Engineering

Mathematics

Linguistics

Psychology

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Computer Science… ... will save the planet by providing

systems that are– sustainable– dependable– adaptable

… teaches general skills– analysis– problem solving– abstraction– design

… produces extremely marketable graduates

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Graduate profiles

Paul CunninghamA-levels in Maths, F. Maths, Physics & ArtPhD in verification of self-timed hardwareStarted own company with £2.5m capital

Sonali TandonA-levels in Maths, Physics & Chemistry

Working for Citigroup’s Technology Division in London

Isabel KingsmillA-levels in Maths, Physics & ChemistryWorking for Detica in Guildford on data and signal processing

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Contents Oxford & Cambridge University What is Computer Science? Details of the two courses Admissions

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Teaching and learning Students belong to a college and a faculty Attend lectures in their faculty Taught in small groups in college

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Teaching: our aims To give our students an understanding of

fundamental principles that will outlast today’s technology

To produce graduates who will lead development not merely cope with it

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Cambridge History Mathematical Lab

founded 1937 EDSAC May 1949 Practical

computer– 650 instructions/s– 1k x 17 bits– paper tape input– teletype output– 4m x 3m– 3000 valves– 12kW

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William Gates Building

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Cambridge phenomenon

Cambridge has developed rapidly over past 15 years

New technology and start-up companies Many spin-offs from University research groups IT companies around Cambridge - Silicon Fen

Source: Cambridge Entrepreneurship Centre

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Computer Laboratory Staff

– 35 teaching officers– 35 contract researchers– 10 computer officers– 15 administration and assistants

Students– 150 research students– 30 post-graduate Diploma– 25 MPhil in Speech and language– 340 undergraduates

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Syllabus

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Courses Programming

– Java, C++ (object-oriented)– ML (functional)– Prolog (logic)– C (procedural)– Assembler– Verilog (hardware definition)– Comparative Languages

Hardware– Digital Electronics– Computer design– ECAD, VLSI– Quantum Computing

Mathematics– Underpins theory and many applications– Post A-level functions, sets, number theory, probability

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Courses II Algorithms

– Data structures and Algorithms– Complexity

Theory– Computation Theory– Logic & proof, Semantics, Information theory, Specification

& verification, Types, Concurrency, Finite Automata– Automatic Theorem Proving

Systems– Operating Systems, Real time systems– Networks, Distributed Systems– Middleware (Transport, Trust), E-commerce– Compilers– Databases

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Applications Graphics

– HCI– Vision– Human behaviour animation

Security– Chip analysis, Protocols, Crypto, Steganography, Privacy

Language, speech and information– Natural Language Processing– AI– Information retrieval– Bioinformatics

Sentient computing– Sensors, Tracking, Augmented Reality, Vehicles, Sports

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Professional skills Professional practice & ethics

– ethical theory, professions, computer misuse Software Engineering

– failures, life cycles, quality, tools, management– design, formal methods, specification, proof

Intellectual property law Business studies

– how to start and run a business– finance, project management, sales & marketing,

exit strategies

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The functional

approach Calculating factorials

Calculating the powerset

fun factorial 0 = 1 | factorial x = x * factorial (x – 1);

fun powerset [] = [[]] | powerset (x::xs) = let val ps = powerset xs in ps @ (map (fn (y) => x::y) ps) end;

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Computer Science

Cambridge Course

CS CS Ma Opt

Computer Science

Computer Science

Year 1

Year 3

Year 2

Three years 1st year ½ CS, ¼ Maths, ¼

option from elsewhere 2nd, 3rd years 100% CS Select most 2nd year

courses, half the 3rd year 100 students per year

– plus 40 part-time in 1st year General principles

– not vocational training Self-contained Draws on many disciplines

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First year choicesYear

3

Year 2

Year 1

Computer Science

Computer Science

CS CS Ma NSComputer Science

CS CS Ma MaComputer Science with Mathematics

Computer Science

Computer Science

Computer Science

CS CS Ma NSComputer Science

Natural Science

Natural Science

CS Ma NS NSComputing option in

Natural Sciences

Computer Science

Computer Science

CS CS Ma NSComputer Science

CS CS MaPsy

Computer Sciencewith Psychology

with Physics, Chemistry, Geology,

Physiology, Evolution

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Course components 8+8+4 = 20 weeks teaching per year 12 one-hour lectures per (6-day) week

– plus similar time in review and private study

6 hours of practical work 2 or 3 supervisions of one hour each

– plus 4 hours of preparation each

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Practical skills First year Practical exercises

– hands on, time management

Second year Group projects– specification & acceptance, reporting, tools,

management, team work, deadlines, presentation

Final year Individual projects– deadlines, dissertation, presentation

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Computing Laboratory• Founded by Leslie Fox (1957)

• About 50 academic staff

• Home to different groups

Wolfson Building

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Oxford Research Themes

Programming Languages Foundations, Logic and Structure Numerical Analysis Automated Verification Software Engineering Computational Biology Information Systems

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Oxford Courses Computer Science

– Computer Science firmly based on Mathematics

Mathematics and Computer Science– similar, but with more Mathematics

All courses (except theory and mathematics) have compulsory assessed practicals.

Option of 3-year BA or 4-year MCompSc / MMathsCS degrees.

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Course components

8 + 8 + 4 = 20 teaching weeks per year

10-12 one-hour lectures per (5-day) week

– plus similar time in review and private study

4-8 hours of practical work per week 2-3 hours of college tutorials per week

– Personalised: 1 tutor to 2 students– Intensive: up to 8 hours of preparation time

Advanced classes for 3rd & 4th-yr topics Year-long individual project (for 3rd &

4th year)

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First Year Topics Imperative Programming Functional Programming Design and Analysis of Algorithms Digital Hardware

Calculus Linear Algebra Logic and Proof Discrete Maths First four have practical exercises.

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Year By Year First Year

– Imperative & Functional Programming (former is about languages like C and Java; latter

is also a good language for talking about algorithms)

– All courses are compulsory.– MCS have Maths courses instead of some CS

courses

Second Year– Core courses: Object-Oriented Programming (in

Java), Concurrency, Networks, Operating Systems– Other options. E.g. Graphics, Numerical

Computation, Architecture, Compilers, Programming Languages, Models of Computation, etc.

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Year By Year Third Year

– Individual project (= 25% of time)– More options; e.g. Intelligent Systems, Security,

Optimisation, Databases, etc.– MCS has more Maths options & no project.

Fourth Year (= optional Masters year)– Longer individual project. – Course work assessed by take-home mini-

projects. – Yet more options! E.g. Computer Animation,

Financial Computing, Quantum Computation, Computational Linguistics, Information Retrieval, etc.

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A Variety of Options Automated Verification

– Automata, Logic & Games – Randomised Algorithms– Software Verification– Probabilistic Model

Checking

Foundations & Logic– Lambda Calculus and Types– Categories, Proofs &

Processes– Quantum Computer

Science– Game Semantics

Computational Biology– Executable Biology– BioinformaticsThese options are closely linked to our research themes

Information Systems– Database Implementation– Computational Linguistics – Information Retrieval– Knowledge Representation

Intelligent Systems– Machine Learning– Computer Animation

Programming Languages

– Program Analysis– Concurrent Programming

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Example Project Topics

Medical Image Analysis Biologically-Inspired Computing Robot Soccer Simulation Natural Language Processing Quantum Computing Compilation of Security Protocols Formal Hardware Verification Chess Playing Program

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Contents Oxford & Cambridge University What is Computer Science? Details of the two courses Admissions

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Oxford Admissions College based We consider:

– GCSE results, AS level module marks, and A-level predictions; or equivalent international examinations

– school record; extra-curricular activities (e.g. national + international competitions)

– personal statement & references– common written test in Nov (and possibly

individual college test before interviews)– at least two subject interviews – problem solving

Common Database, Pools & Open Offers– redistribute uneven applications between

colleges

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Cambridge Admissions Very Similar We consider

– GCSE results, or equivalent international qualification

– AS level module marks, A2 predictions; school record

– personal statement– reference– two subject interviews (>90% interviewed)

• unseen problem solving

– written tests• UCLES Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)• individual college tests

– computing background within and outside school Winter and Summer pools

– redistribute uneven applicationsbetween colleges

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Prerequisites 3 A grades at A-level

– more than 3 A-level or AS-levels highly valuable– not counting General Studies

Mathematics to A-level– is absolutely essential

Further Maths– nearly essential, if your school offers it

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Other A-levels A Physical Science

– is desirable

Computing A-levels– Computer Science

• good, similar in character to university-level CS• but very few schools offer it

– ICT, Information Technology,…• quite different from university-level Computer Science• not relevant

Other subjects– up to you e.g. history, languages, etc– traditional academic subjects best

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Computer Science at Oxford and Cambridge

Graham TitmusUniversity of Cambridge

Computer Laboratorywww.cl.cam.ac.uk

Luke OngOxford University

Computing Laboratorywww.comlab.ox.ac.uk