The course deals with formal models like finite automata, context‑free grammars and push‑down automata, offers formal descriptions of computational models of different complexity, and classifies language systems according to their expressive power; it investigates the limits of computability and theoretical complexity to distinguish efficiently solvable problems (P) from computationally intensive ones (NP‑complete); at the same time it conveys the fundamentals of computer organization, including digital information formats (integer and floating‑point), symbolic logic and the design of functional circuit components, followed by explanations of basic computer architectures, their instruction logic and the standardized fetch‑decode‑execute cycle, hierarchical storage concepts (cache levels, secondary memory), input‑/output mechanisms, redundancy strategies, as well as methods for objective performance assessment and systematic optimization.

Learning objectives:

• Students acquire vast knowledge of methods and concepts in theoretical computer science and computer architectures.
• Based on the acquired knowledge and skills, students are capable of choosing and applying the appropriate methods and concepts for well-defined problem instances.
• Active participation in the tutorials enables students to acquire the necessary knowledge for developing appropriate solutions cooperatively.

Recommendations:

It is recommended to attend the course Foundations of Informatics I [2511010] beforehand.

Active participation in the practical lessons is strongly recommended.

Workload:

• Total workload for 5 credit points: approx. 150 hours
• Attendance time – Lecture: 30 h
• Attendance time – Tutorial: 15 h
• Preparation and follow-up: 67.5 hours
• Examination and exam preparation: 37.5 hours

Weiterführende Literatur:

Literatur wird in der Vorlesung bekannt gegeben.

Die Vorlesung wird zu Beginn des Semesters 4-stündig und am Ende 2-stündig gelesen, um eine bessere Abdeckung des Inhalts in den Übungen zu gewährleisten.