Essential computational thinking : computer science from scratch / Ricky J. Sethi.

Includes bibliographic references and index (pages 285-293).

I Theory: What is computer science -- 1. Computational thinking and information theory -- 2. Computational problem solving -- II Basics: Algorithmic expression -- 3. Computational thinking and structured programming -- 4. Data tables and variables -- 5. Control structures -- 6. Data structures -- 7. Procedural programming -- III Advanced: Data and computation -- 8. Object-oriented programming (OOP) -- 9. Databases and MDM -- 10. Machine learning and data science -- Bibliography -- Index.

Essential Computational Thinking: Computer Science from Scratch helps students build a theoretical and practical foundation for learning computer science. Rooted in fundamental science, this text defines elementary ideas including data and information, quantifies these ideas mathematically, and, through key concepts in physics and computation, demonstrates the relationship between computer science and the universe itself. In Part I, students explore the theoretical underpinnings of computer science in a wide-ranging manner. Readers receive a robust overview of essential computational theories and programming ideas, as well as topics that examine the mathematical and physical foundations of computer science. Part 2 presents the basics of computation and underscores programming as an invaluable tool in the discipline. Students can apply their newfound knowledge and begin writing substantial programs immediately. Finally, Part 3 explores more sophisticated computational ideas, including object-oriented programing, databases, data science, and some of the underlying principles of machine learning.--