Informatics. (and how it is changing) as an. Academic Discipline. Jan van Leeuwen

Transcription

1 Infrmatics (and hw it is changing) as an Academic Discipline Jan van Leeuwen Infrmatin and Cmputing Sciences Utrecht University, The Netherlands FT Infrmatik

2 Frm 1973 t (Ggle Glass) (Data Science) Etc... FT Infrmatik

3 a fascinating science with exciting discveries and far-reaching implicatins such as: The idea that mathematical frmula are useful fr expressing the laws f physics, that labratry experiments can uncver the facts f chemistry, and that statistical analyses in the scial sciences yield clues abut causatin are all widely appreciated. But the ntin that natural phenmena can be understd as cmputatinal prcesses [ ] is pised t take its place amng the mre familiar arsenal f weapns used fr uncvering the secrets f nature. (L. Valiant, 2013) FT Infrmatik

4 The discipline has cme f age? FT Infrmatik

5 40 years ag, Infrmatics was: abut prgramming languages, structured prgramming, business data prcessing, prcess cntrl and numerical cmputatin centered arund mainframes and mini s Nw it is: abut designing and creating prcesses and systems and their interactins with the wrld centered arund netwrks, embedded systems and intelligent (infrmatin/sftware) envirnments used by everyne, anywhere, anytime, part f everything we d majr factr in ecnmy and innvatin, changing (transfrming) business mdels in all dmains industry with many infrmatin and sftware cmpanies (large and small) challenging cncepts in security, privacy, ethics the majr intellectual discipline f this century als an umbrella term... FT Infrmatik

6 40 years ag, Infrmatics educatin was:... autmata thery, parsing and cmpilers, prgramming languages, cmputer architecture, data structures, databases, lgic,... rganized in 5-year diplma prgrams Nw it is: fcussing n algrithmic thinking, cncepts in cntext, bject/agent/ web/service-riented prgramming, algrithms, multimedia, embedded systems, distributed intelligence, cgnitin, apps,... with amazing sftware technlgies, unleashing/augmenting creativity embedded in multidisciplinary cntexts (game design, bi-infrmatics, autmtive infrmatics, technlgy management, etc.) in 3-year bachelr and specialised 2-year master prgrams mre applicatin- than thery-riented minrs in philsphy replaced by minrs in entrepreneurship cnstantly adapting t prgress in ICT (and t likes f students...) facing MOOCs, SPOCs, even full-fledged nline master prgrams thesis research in 3- r 4-year PhD-prgrams struggling t be cmpetive with requirements f it all, r else.. FT Infrmatik

7 What leads the way? FT Infrmatik

8 Technlgy Smartphnes and tablets Windws and GUI s Scial netwrking Mbile cmputing Clud cmputing Affective cmputing Multicre cmputing Data analytics Smart grids Intelligent agents Rbtics r M. Heidegger: `The Questin f Technlgy (1954) H.B.G. Casimir: `Haphazard reality (1983) Science Numerics Multimedia and graphics Prgramming envirnments Frmal methds Algrithms and cmplexity Netwrk structure, ptimizatin Data mining Machine learning Image prcessing Algrithmic game thery Cryptlgy and security (2009) W.B. Arthur: The Nature f Technlgy What it is and Hw it Evlves Technlgy: phenmena captured and put t use, leading t design f `purpsed systems Science / technlgy c-evlve: `science needed t uncver and understand phenmena, technlgy needed t master ur envirnment and advance science (Casimir spiral) Science des nt lead. Everything emerges ut f technlgy. (?) FT Infrmatik

9 Driven by (1): Intrinsics f the discipline A matter f definitin.. understand the natural and man-made prcesses in the wrld arund us cmputatinally, and describe-mdelsimulate them [ mdels are prgrams ]. analyse their infrmatinal principles and cmplexities (theries, streams, cmmunicatin, interactin, ). design the artificial prcesses that suit ur needs. develp the ways and means t cast them in peratinal frms (algrithms, prgramming tls, machine learning, quantum cmputers, ). build the ICT-systems t d this (fast, efficiently, reliably, usably, ). create/prgram them fr experimentatin, embedding, use, Challenges, hyptheses, experiments. FT Infrmatik

10 Example: The cmputatinal lens Explanability Incmprehensibility Exact sciences Frmal theries Calculi, prgrams Medicine Humanities Engineering Business Law Natural sciences Maps, plans, schemes Behavir Skills Arts Petry Sprts Csmlgy Climate Life Thery-full dmains Thery-less dmains (J. wiedermann & JvL, 2013) FT Infrmatik

11 Driven by (2): The expnential grwth in numbers f human beings and data abut them, and the increasing pace and cmplexity f ur technlgical civilizatin create prblems f infrmatin prcessing fr which the electrnic cmputer hlds the nly visible means f slutin. (Gerge Frsythe, CACM, 1967) Sciety: creating a sustainable wrld fr the grwing ppulatins (elearning, e-health, smart envirnments, scial netwrks, trustwrthy ICT, e-demcracy, ) Ecnmy: creating and expliting business mdels fr the netwrked wrld (data science, glbal services, cluds, grids-as-a-service, energy systems, security, e-finance, e-cmpetences, entrepreneurship, ) Industry: designing, prducing and disseminating ICT-based prducts and services t facilitate and innvate all scietal and ecnmic activity (intelligent bjects, rbtics, interface technlgy, nan-electrnics, serius gaming, sftware as a KET, ) Science & technlgy: understanding and backcasting the ptential f infrmatin-based prcesses and the design f these prcesses, tackling and eliminating cmplexity (e-science, data, netwrks, interactive intelligence, mdeling and simulatin, theretical explratin and predictin, quantum cmputing, ) ICT research in `neighbring disciplines appears t grw faster than in the ICT disciplines themselves. (Technplis, 2008) Cf. J. van Leeuwen et al, `Shaping the Digital Future f Eurpe, Eurpean Frum fr ICST, FT Infrmatik

12 Example: Cmputatinal Sustainability 2013: Dr.ir Marjan van den Akker Prf.dr.ir Han la Putré Prf.dr Jan van Leeuwen Cmputatinal sustainability deals with the cmputatinal mdels and techniques that can help reduce the use f (scarce) natural resurces, in all dmains f activity where ecnmic and envirnmental factrs meet. It is a new branch f cmputer science, highly intertwined with ther fields and full f diverse develpments that are gradually revealing the nvel dimensins f the field. The seminar will nt deal with the plitical r plicy issues in the dmain f `sustainability', but fcus entirely n (a selectin f) the cmputatinal mdeling and cmbinatrial ptimizatin techniques that are develping in the field. Here, cmputer science and cmputatinal thinking make the difference. The seminar will specifically fcus n energy and ICT. We study algrithms and ICT fr smart energy use, as well as energy reductin in ICT. The tpics include the fllwing: Energy-cnstrained scheduling String and dispatching energy (unit cmmitment, micr-chp appliances) Capacity planning in energy netwrks (gegraphic lad-balancing) On-line energy markets (Pwermatcher, electricity trading, windmill parks) E-vehicles (e-mechanisms fr vehicle charging) Mdelling, algrithm ptimizatin, game thery, market design, agent technlgy, FT Infrmatik

13 Philsphy f Infrmatics FT Infrmatik

14 Creativity Example: what is cmputatin Cmputatin as calculatin Cmputatin as infrmatin prcessing Cmputatin as prcess Cmputatin as.?? nw Understanding f cmputatin J. Wiedermann & J. van Leeuwen, Rethinking cmputatin, AISB Cnf, Exeter, 2013 FT Infrmatik

15 Example: what is intelligence My cntentin is that machines can be cnstructed which will simulate the behaviur f the human mind very clsely. They will make mistakes at times, and at times they may make new and very interesting statements, and n the whle the utput f them will be wrth attentin t the same srt f extent as the utput f a human mind. (A.M. Turing, 1951) FT Infrmatik

16 Thank Yu The slides are a selectin frm the talk as given. All materials are intended fr educatinal use nly. Illustratins shuld be cited by their riginal surces. Any vilatins f cpyright will be remved nce they becme knwn t us. FT Infrmatik