Pennsylvania State University

Syllabus

The following gives a tentative list of topics to be covered in the course (not necessarily in the order in which they will be covered).

• What is Informatics?
• Foundations of computing, information, and communication
  • Models of Computation
  • Church-Turing Thesis and Informatics
  • Elements of Information Theory
  • Elements of Coding Theory
  • Elements of Complexity Theory
• Algorithmic Abstractions of Intelligence
  • Algorithmic models of reasoning
  • Algorithmic models of decision-making
  • Algorithmic models of learning
• Algorithmic Abstractions of Life
  • Genomes as Programs of life
  • Algorithmic models of macromolecular interaction
  • Algorithmic models of gene regulation
  • Algorithmic models of development
  • Algorithmic models of evolution
• Algorithmic Abstractions of Brains and Cognition
  • Algorithmic models of neurons and neural networks
  • Algorithmic models of brain activity
  • Algorithmic models of reward systems
• Algorithmic Abstractions of Social Systems
  Algorithmic models of social ties
  • Algorithmic models of cooperation and competition
  • Algorithmic models of organizations
• Algorithmic Abstractions of the Humanities
  • Digital humanities

  Students should consult the Study Guidefor a more detailed breakdown of topics, course materials, and specific reading assignments.