{"product_id":"thinking-as-computation-a-first-course","title":"Thinking As Computation: A First Course","description":"\u003cp\u003eStudents explore the idea that thinking is a form of computation by learning to write simple computer programs for tasks that require thought. This book guides students through an exploration of the idea that thinking might be understood as a form of computation. Students make the connection between thinking and computing by learning to write computer programs for a variety of tasks that require thought  including solving puzzles  understanding natural language  recognizing objects in visual scenes  planning courses of action  and playing strategic games. The material is presented with minimal technicalities and is accessible to undergraduate students with no specialized knowledge or technical background beyond high school mathematics. Students use Prolog (without having to learn algorithms: Prolog without tears!)  learning to express what they need as a Prolog program and letting Prolog search for answers. After an introduction to the basic concepts  Thinking as Computation offers three chapters on Prolog  covering back-chaining  programs and queries  and how to write the sorts of Prolog programs used in the book. The book follows this with case studies of tasks that appear to require thought  then looks beyond Prolog to consider learning  explaining  and propositional reasoning. Most of the chapters conclude with short bibliographic notes and exercises. The book is based on a popular course at the University of Toronto and can be used in a variety of classroom contexts  by students ranging from first-year liberal arts undergraduates to more technically advanced computer science students.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44954739605557,"sku":"ByrdShop_0262016990","price":225.54,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780262016995.jpg?v=1770282387","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/thinking-as-computation-a-first-course","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}