Computer Science: Reflections On The Field, Reflections From Field

217 Pages·2004·5.36 MB·English

by  Committee on the Fundamentals of Computer Science: Challenges and Opportunities

Computer Science
Reflections on the Field,
Reflections from the Field
Committee on the Fundamentals of Computer
Science: Challenges and Opportunities
Computer Science and Telecommunications Board
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
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COMMITTEE ON THE FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE:
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
MARY SHAW, Carnegie Mellon University, Chair
ALFRED V. AHO, Columbia University
CHARLES H. BENNETT, IBM Research
ALAN BIERMANN, Duke University
EDWARD W. FELTEN, Princeton University
JAMES D. FOLEY, Georgia Institute of Technology
MARK D. HILL, University of Wisconsin at Madison
JON M. KLEINBERG, Cornell University
DAPHNE KOLLER, Stanford University
JAMES R. LARUS, Microsoft Research
TOM M. MITCHELL, Carnegie Mellon University
CHRISTOS H. PAPADIMITRIOU, University of California, Berkeley
LARRY L. PETERSON, Princeton University
MADHU SUDAN, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
KEVIN J. SULLIVAN, University of Virginia
JEFFREY D. ULLMAN, Stanford University and Gradience Corporation
Staff
JON EISENBERG, Senior Program Officer and Study Director
LYNETTE I. MILLETT, Program Officer
D.C. DRAKE, Senior Project Assistant (through November 2003)
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COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS BOARD
DAVID LIDDLE, U.S. Venture Partners, Co-Chair
JEANNETTE M. WING, Carnegie Mellon University, Co-Chair
ERIC BENHAMOU, 3Com Corporation
DAVID D. CLARK, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, CSTB
Member Emeritus
WILLIAM DALLY, Stanford University
MARK E. DEAN, IBM Systems Group
DEBORAH L. ESTRIN, University of California, Los Angeles
JOAN FEIGENBAUM, Yale University
HECTOR GARCIA-MOLINA, Stanford University
KEVIN KAHN, Intel Corporation
JAMES KAJIYA, Microsoft Corporation
MICHAEL KATZ, University of California, Berkeley
RANDY H. KATZ, University of California, Berkeley
WENDY A. KELLOGG, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
SARA KIESLER, Carnegie Mellon University
BUTLER W. LAMPSON, Microsoft Corporation, CSTB Member Emeritus
TERESA H. MENG, Stanford University
TOM M. MITCHELL, Carnegie Mellon University
DANIEL PIKE, GCI Cable and Entertainment
ERIC SCHMIDT, Google Inc.
FRED B. SCHNEIDER, Cornell University
WILLIAM STEAD, Vanderbilt University
ANDREW J. VITERBI, Viterbi Group, LLC
CHARLES BROWNSTEIN, Director
KRISTEN BATCH, Research Associate
JENNIFER M. BISHOP, Program Associate
JANET BRISCOE, Administrative Officer
JON EISENBERG, Senior Program Officer
RENEE HAWKINS, Financial Associate
MARGARET MARSH HUYNH, Senior Project Assistant
HERBERT S. LIN, Senior Scientist
LYNETTE I. MILLETT, Program Officer
JANICE SABUDA, Senior Project Assistant
BRANDYE WILLIAMS, Staff Assistant
For more information on CSTB, see its Web site at <http://www.cstb.org>,
write to CSTB, National Research Council, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Washing-
ton, DC 20001, call at [phone], or e-mail the CSTB at
Preface
he blossoming of computer science (CS) research is evident in the
information technology that has migrated from a specialized tool
Tconfined to the laboratory or corporate back office to a ubiquitous
presence in machines and devices that now figure in the lives of virtually
every individual. This widespread diffusion of information technology
can obscure the nature of computer science research underlying the IT—
from the perspective of many outside the field, computer science is seen
not as a basic area of systematic inquiry but as a tool to support other
endeavors.
Mindful of these issues, the National Science Foundation’s Computer
and Information Science and Engineering Directorate asked the Com-
puter Science and Telecommunications Board of the National
Academies to conduct a study that would improve understanding of CS
research among the scientific community at large, policymakers, and the
general public. By describing in accessible form the field’s intellectual
character and by conveying a sense of its vibrancy through a set of
examples, the committee also aims to prepare readers for what the future
might hold and inspire CS researchers to help create it.
This volume, the product of that study, is divided into two parts that
contain nine chapters.
The volume’s prelude, “Emily Shops at VirtualEmporia.com,” takes a
now-familiar use of computing—shopping online—and illustrates how
CS research has made this seemingly simple activity possible.
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viii PREFACE
Part One—Chapter 1, “The Essential Character of Computer Science”—
offers the committee’s concise characterization of CS research. Like CS
researchers more generally, the committee members evince a wide range
of perspectives that mirror the broad reach of computation into the very
fabric of our intellectual and physical lives. Recognizing the richness and
diversity of the field, the committee expressly decided not to provide
either a comprehensive list of research topics or a taxonomy of research
areas, nor to develop criteria for what research is inside and outside of CS.
Instead, the committee’s approach is to describe some key ideas that lie at
the core of CS but not to define boundaries.
Part Two—Chapters 2 through 9—comprises two dozen essays writ-
ten by committee members, participants in a June 6-7, 2001, symposium
organized by the committee, and other invited authors. The essays
describe several aspects of CS research and some of the results from the
perspectives of their authors. By providing this diverse set of views on CS
research, the committee aims to express some of the spark that motivates
and excites CS researchers. The essays have a deliberately historical focus,
for three reasons: (1) as described above, the committee decided not to
present a research agenda, either explicit or implicit; (2) other publica-
tions look at current, hot topics in CS and these tend, in any case, to
become dated quickly; and (3) results that have proven durable best illus-
trate the strengths of CS.
The prelude and Part One are intended to be accessible to all readers
(as are many of the essays). But because this report is also intended to
reach scientists and engineers from a variety of disciplines, a few of the
essays do presume some familiarity with some technical concepts.
The committee would like to thank all of the participants in the June
2001 symposium; presentations and informal discussions at that event pro-
vided important input to the committee. Julie Sussman, PPA, provided a
number of helpful suggestions concerning the manuscript. The reviewers
listed below provided many valuable suggestions for improvement.
Mary Shaw, Chair
Committee on the Fundamentals of Computer Science:
Challenges and Opportunities
Acknowledgment of Reviewers
his report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen
for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance
Twith procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report
Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide
candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its
published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets
institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to
the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain
confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish
to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
David D. Clark, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Robert L. Constable, Cornell University
Ronald Fedkiw, Stanford University
Joan Feigenbaum, Yale University
Juris Hartmanis, Cornell University
James Jay Horning, Intertrust
Anna R. Karlin, University of Washington
Richard Karp, University of California, Berkeley
Wendy A. Kellogg, IBM Research
Monica S. Lam, Stanford University
Butler W. Lampson, Microsoft Research
Fred B. Schneider, Cornell University
Lynn Andrea Stein, Olin College
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