Clive Maxfield, Alvin Brown

The Definitive Guide to How Computers Do Math

Featuring the Virtual DIY Calculator

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Featuring a unique CD that contains a virtual computer/calculator software program, The Definitive Guide to How Computers Do Math begins by explaining fundamental math concepts, such as the use of powers and different place-value number systems (specifically binary, decimal, and hexadecimal). The book then introduces the concepts of computers and calculators and discusses fundamental concepts such as the stack and the use of subroutines. Readers then use what they have learned to create a set of basic math subroutines for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Finally, these routines are gathered together into a framework program that the authors use to implement a simple four-function calculator.

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The Basics of Computer Arithmetic Made Enjoyable and Accessible-with a Special Program Included for Hands-on Learning

"The combination of this book and its associated virtual computer is fantastic! Experience over the last fifty years has shown me that there's only one way to truly understand how computers work; and that is to learn one computer and its instruction set-no matter how simple or primitive-from the ground up. Once you fully comprehend how that simple computer functions, you can easily extrapolate to more complex machines."
-Fred Hudson, retired engineer/scientist

"This book-along with the virtual DIY Calculator-is an incredibly useful teaching and learning tool. The interesting trivia nuggets keep you turning the pages to see what's next. Students will have so much fun reading the text and performing the labs that they won't even realize they are learning."
-Michael Haghighi, Chairperson of the Business and Computer Information Systems Division,Calhoun Community College, Alabama

"At last, a book that presents an innovative approach to the teaching of computer architecture. Written with authority and verve, witty, superbly illustrated, and enhanced with many laboratory exercises, this book is a must for students and teachers alike."
-Dr. Albert Koelmans, Lecturer in Computer Engineering, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and the 2003 recipient of the EASIT-Eng. Gold Award for Innovative Teaching in Computer Engineering

Packed with nuggets of information and tidbits of trivia, How Computers Do Math provides an incredibly fun and interesting introduction to the way in which computers perform their magic in general and math in particular. The accompanying CD-ROM contains a virtual computer/calculator called the DIY Calculator, and the book's step-by-step interactive laboratories guide you in the creation of a simple program to run on your DIY Calculator.

How Computers Do Math can be enjoyed by non-technical individuals; students of computer science, electronics engineering, and mathematics; and even practicing engineers. All of the illustrations and interactive laboratories featured in the book are provided on the CD-ROM for use by high school, college, and university educators as lecture notes and handouts.

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Hinweis: Dieser Artikel kann nur an eine deutsche Lieferadresse ausgeliefert werden.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Wiley & Sons
• 1. Auflage
• Seitenzahl: 480
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. September 2005
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 235mm x 191mm x 26mm
• Gewicht: 825g
• ISBN-13: 9780471732785
• ISBN-10: 0471732788
• Artikelnr.: 14831993

Autorenporträt

CLIVE "MAX" MAXFIELD is a bestselling author and engineer with a large following in the electronic design automation (EDA) and embedded systems industries. He is also one of the founders and President of the high-technology marketing consultancy TechBites (www.TechBites.com). ALVIN BROWN has spent over thirty years working in the electronics and computing industries. He currently acts as an engineering manager supervising remote development groups around the world.

Inhaltsangabe

Laboratories ix
Do You Speak Martian? xi
Chapter 0 Why This Book is So Cool 1
This is where we discover just why this book is so cool, and also why this
chapter is numbered "0."
Chapter 1 Introducing Binary and Hexadecimal Numbers 7
In this chapter we introduce the concepts of the binary and hexadecimal
number systems (but in a much more interesting manner than most computer
books).
Chapter 2 Computers and Calculators 23
Here we rampage through the insides of a simple computer and calculator,
and we also meet our virtual DIY Calculator.
Chapter 3 Subroutines and Other Stuff 35
In this smorgasbord of a chapter, we first discuss logical, shift, and
rotate instructions; then we plunge headfirst into the stack, subroutines,
recursion, and the concept of selfmodifying code.
Chapter 4 Integer Arithmetic 69
This is where we learn the concepts of signed and unsigned binary
arithmetic, and multibyte data representations. In the labs associated with
this chapter we create some integer-based math subroutines for use in
Chapter 5.
Chapter 5 Creating an Integer Calculator 123
This is where things really start to get interesting because we use the
subroutines we developed in Chapter 4 to implement a simple four-function
integer calculator.
Chapter 6 More Functions and Experiments 135
This may be the last chapter, but turn that frown upside down into a smile
because this is where we discover additional projects you can undertake,
and also how you can compete with other readers to create better math
routines for your DIY Calculator.
Interactive Laboratories 155-412
This is where you will find the interactive laboratories associated with
Chapters 2 through 5 (see more details on page ix).
Appendix A Installing Your DIY Calculator 413
In this appendix, we learn how to install the virtual DIY Calculator
presented on the CD-ROM accompanying this book.
Appendix B Addressing Modes 417
Here we learn about the various addressing modes supported by the virtual
microprocessor powering the DIY Calculator.
Appendix C Instruction Set Summary 429
The tables in this appendix are useful for quickly determining which
instructions are available with which addressing modes.
Appendix D Additional Resources 433
There is a wealth of additional resources for individual readers and
educators on the CD-ROM accompanying the book and from the DIY Calculator's
website. Also, there are lots of other really interesting books to read.
This appendix explains it all.
About the Authors 441
Acknowledgments 443
Index 445

Rezensionen

"The book is perfect for students and those among us who aspire to really understand what is going on in those gismos...the prose is easy to read, and the lab exercises are well designed." (Gabe On EDA.com)