1. Mathematics Department
Baldwin Senior High School
Dear Math Student: Course Selection
Week!!!
Congratulations, you are to be commended for all your hard work and
success in Math class so far this year! Due to your dedication to the study of
Mathematics, you have been selected to take AP Computer Science as described
below. You really should understand Computer Science to be successful in many
careers nowadays. Computer Programming is a very useful skill in all Science and
Technical degrees in college. A good background in computing can even help you in
fields related to Statistics, Economics, Sociology and Psychology!
AP Computer Science (APCS) is a full-year course of study for 1 Math Credit
with Honors/AP track weighting. APCS covers topics that would normally
comprise one semester of a college level Computer Science major. College
credit may be granted based on the student’s performance on the May AP
Exam. We will use the Java for Linux programming language as a vehicle to
examine structured programming, objects, methods, classes, modular
design, special algorithms and data structures. PreReq = Computer
Science Honors (CSH) OR a Senior who has not had the opportunity to take
CSH but has taken Math 3R, Math 4R–11 or Math 4H.
Students usually take CSH before taking APCS. However, you may take
APCS as a Senior if you’ve already taken Math 3R, Math 4R–11 or Math 4H.
Topics explored in APCS may include:
computer literacy, mechanical and electronic computers, bits and bytes,
ethics, top–down design, initialization, conditional statements, looping
structures, iteration, recursion, 1D and 2D arrays, console IO, visual IO,
files, functions, parameter passing, value and reference parameters, actual
and formal parameters, class interface and implementation, inheritance
and polymorphism, objects, object instantiation, object properties, object
methods, data structures, strings, vectors, matrices, searching and
sorting, simulations, random walks, complexity, computability, encryption,
hash tables, very large integers, Mersenne primes, FLT, sound, graphics,
fractals, animation, HTML and Linux Clusters!
I strongly recommend that you consider taking APCS next year. Don’t worry,
not taking CSH before APCS will not put you at a disadvantage as we start learning
the Java language in APCS from scratch. With your superior math background, I
know that you will enjoy learning and discovering new concepts in Computer
Science!
Sincerely,
A. Jorge García
calcpage@aol.com
Applied Math & CompSci
Baldwin SHS & Nassau CC
http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/calcpage2009
Please fill-in the blanks below and return to your teacher.
Name: Grade: Course Selection: Counselor:
____________________ __________ APCS ____________________