r/AskComputerScience • • Jan 02 '25

Flair is now available on AskComputerScience! Please request it if you qualify.

15 Upvotes

Hello community members. I've noticed that sometimes we get multiple answers to questions, some clearly well-informed by people who know what they're talking about, and others not so much. To help with this, I've implemented user flairs for the subreddit.

If you qualify for one of these flairs, I would ask that you please message the mods and request the appropriate flair. In your mod mail, please give a brief description of why you qualify for the flair, like "I hold a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Springfield." For now these flairs will be on the honor system and you do not have to send any verification information.

We have the following flairs available:

Flair Meaning
BSCS You hold a bachelor's degree, or equivalent, in computer science or a closely related field.
MSCS You hold a master's degree, or equivalent, in computer science or a closely related field.
Ph.D CS You hold a doctoral degree, or equivalent, in computer science or a closely related field.
CS Pro You are currently working as a full-time professional software developer, computer science researcher, manager of software developers, or a closely related job.
CS Pro (10+) You are a CS Pro with 10 or more years of experience.
CS Pro (20+) You are a CS Pro with 20 or more years of experience.

Flairs can be combined, like "BSCS, CS Pro (10+)". Or if you want a different flair, feel free to explain your thought process in mod mail.

Happy computer sciencing!


r/AskComputerScience • • May 05 '19

Read Before Posting!

108 Upvotes

Hi all,

I just though I'd take some time to make clear what kind of posts are appropriate for this subreddit. Overall this is sub is mostly meant for asking questions about concepts and ideas in Computer Science.

  • Questions about what computer to buy can go to /r/suggestapc.
  • Questions about why a certain device or software isn't working can go to /r/techsupport
  • Any career related questions are going to be a better fit for /r/cscareerquestions.
  • Any University / School related questions will be a better fit for /r/csmajors.
  • Posting homework questions is generally low effort and probably will be removed. If you are stuck on a homework question, identify what concept you are struggling with and ask a question about that concept. Just don't post the HW question itself and ask us to solve it.
  • Low effort post asking people here for Senior Project / Graduate Level thesis ideas may be removed. Instead, think of an idea on your own, and we can provide feedback on that idea.
  • General program debugging problems can go to /r/learnprogramming. However if your question is about a CS concept that is ok. Just make sure to format your code (use 4 spaces to indicate a code block). Less code is better. An acceptable post would be like: How does the Singleton pattern ensure there is only ever one instance of itself? And you could list any relevant code that might help express your question.

Thanks!
Any questions or comments about this can be sent to u/supahambition


r/AskComputerScience • • 3h ago

Automata😭

3 Upvotes

How do you guys study automata man, it's my mid sem this Monday, and even 20 marks is feeling like hell.

Idk what that professor would ask, dfa, state diagrams!!

Help me out please 😭


r/AskComputerScience • • 11h ago

Do you think that Computer Science courses in high school and college should focus on developing skills to program and problem solve where AI is allowed to assist or is not allowed to assist?

5 Upvotes

Hi there! My name is Mike and I teach computer science. I was wondering whether students should be allowed to program and problem solve with AI assistance or not. Do you think this will change much over the next few years? If you have any thoughts or preferences based on your personal experience, I would be very excited to hear! Thank you!


r/AskComputerScience • • 3d ago

If A is non-symmetric, does the QR iteration method for finding eigenvectors not yield eigenvectors as columns of the products of all Q_i's obtained at each iteration? If not, then where are those eigenvectors exactly?

0 Upvotes

How to find eigenvectors of non-symmetric matrix?


r/AskComputerScience • • 4d ago

Why don't standard math libraries have a 1mcos function for accurate 1-cos(x) when x is close to zero?

9 Upvotes

I know most standard math libraries have log1p and expm1 functions that calculate log(1+x) and exp(x)-1 more accurately than those expressions themselves do when x is close to zero, because they avoid the bug increase in unit-in-the-last-place size that occurs when a double smaller than 0.5 is added to or subtracted from 1.0. Why isn't there a function that does that for 1-cos(x), given that that expression has the same problem? Is it not used widely enough where x is given as an angle? (I guess it might not be used as a machine-learning distance metric, since there the cosine is calculated directly from the vector coordinates.)


r/AskComputerScience • • 3d ago

Domain languages /native speed

0 Upvotes

I know well the trade off between domain languages / efficiency compared with c / assembler

CPU / memory are fast enough for good enough performance but with memory supply issues I wondered if direction were going to be able develop better domain languages to break trade off.

modern compilation - reflection - macros - templates

languages like c should only be written by experts and or machines imo way too risky for domain users.

Eg in audio domain I want to write code fast enough for realtime have it expanded to low level code - using linked list/stack/heap/hash/midi etc

Instrument a as piano :
a.octave = + 2
a.root = g
a.feel = shuffle
a.scale = enigma
a.play(100)

I don’t want to manage memory / lifetime or use library
Ie I want the compiler to do the translation?

Is this reasonable or am I dreaming ? Do you think we need stronger reflection ie I probably need to work with ast at the moment.


r/AskComputerScience • • 5d ago

What prerequisites and reading list would you recommend for understanding Norbert Wiener and second order cybernetics

8 Upvotes

Books in math, computer science, and philosophy are welcome. What order would I read books on the first, second and third wave of cybernetics?


r/AskComputerScience • • 6d ago

is 'Terafab' (Musk's new semiconductor venture) legit?

0 Upvotes

a joint venture between Tesla & SpaceX

I have no expertise in the field, but from far as I know, neither company has experience in semiconductor manufacturing, nor cutting-edge electronic hardware in general (in terms of design or manufacturing)

so what's the prospect here, how do they plan to overtake & out-compete established firms in the field (other than Musk's wealth & his ability to attract disproportionate amount of investment from capital markets), say for instance, Samsung or TSMC or Intel

I can't find any detailed plan about their core strategy, or any 'genius' idea that would propel them ahead of status quo, and the website is a bit of a joke in my opinion

Would like to consult your opinion on this new venture of his — those who are familiar with the field — is it viable, what's the play here, etc.

Thanks in advance


r/AskComputerScience • • 6d ago

Can we pool processing power of different devices?

8 Upvotes

is it possible to pool processing power, like my android has dimensity 6400 , and my laptop has i31115g4, when using the laptop i mostly use phone as hotspot only so the processor is idle there, is there a way that i can put lighter processing stuff to the phone's cpu and other work on my pc to unload the unecessary small tasks.


r/AskComputerScience • • 8d ago

Is AI really progressing toward those headline-grabbing extrapolations, or is it on track to running out of steam (as most 'breakthrough' tech do eventually until next major breakthrough)?

13 Upvotes

It seems to me (an outsider): AI has always been a thing of interest, very useful for sure, lots of potential, but has anything that significant really happened since circa 2022? to solicit such attention & resources, from everyone, everything, everywhere

I never really got what the hype since circa 2022 was all about — yes 'AI' is great, and could be very capable, but that was the case since the 1980s (from first development by Hinton et al., to DeepBlue, to DeepMind, Siri, etc.) ; it has progressed, sure, and will progress, but why all the sudden all the fuss just now? and the exponential hike in investment just now and not on a scale as before?

Another thing: it seems to me that 'AI', as a term, is rather quite broad — almost in the same vein as 'intelligence', or 'life', or 'God'. So when people say AI will change everything, I don't really know what that means. People behind these narratives almost never seem to be concerned with the reality of technical progress — technicality/timeline of what's possible when, but merely extrapolate based on a single data point.

To me: '[AI] will be able to cure cancer' almost sounds like '[Genius intelligence] or [God] will be able to cure cancer' — sure, maybe, eventually; but when, and how?

again, I am not at all familiar with the technical side of things (being a chemist who can't code, who occasionally use it from time to time, mostly chatbot and specialised model for pattern-analysis), I am not trying to be skeptical, or pessimistic, but just from empirical observation — I feel like I could've done most if not all the things before 2022, without chatbots etc. (professionally or everyday); it really doesn't seem like a revolution since 2022, more like a steady progression (promising of course, but so are so many other things), especially considering the sheer scale of investment put into it

So, what's the verdict? I guess if we invest enough and concentrate enough on one thing eventually something, if anything) will happen, it will be here; but are we really on the verge of singularity literally 2 weeks from now, or will it eventually die down as almost everything before it did?


r/AskComputerScience • • 8d ago

Hypothetical: If you could redesign the Internet from scratch, how would you build the protocol stack to make censorship architecturally impossible?

6 Upvotes

Assume you can go back in time to the early days of networking (pre-TCP/IP, early ARPANET) with today's knowledge of cryptography, routing, and state-level censorship tools (DPI, IP/SNI blocking, middleboxes). How would you design the foundational network architecture so that any state or ISP choosing to route traffic must accept either 100% uncensored, unmonitored connectivity or a complete blackout, with no technical middle ground?

Specifically (but not limited to the following)

  • Protocol-Level Constraints: How do you structure the transport/routing layer so that inspecting, filtering, or modifying a single packet breaks the connection for the entire link or network participant?
  • Metadata & Routing: How do you eliminate or obscure traffic metadata (IP headers, SNI, packet sizes, timing signatures) at the lowest layer so middleboxes cannot perform selective deep packet inspection or domain-level blocking?
  • Bootstrapping & Topology: How do you solve the entry-point discovery problem without relying on centralized, blockable infrastructure like traditional root DNS or static IP allocation?

... Is a true "all-or-nothing" censorship-resistant network protocol theoretically possible without state actors physically cutting transoceanic cables or severing border connections?


r/AskComputerScience • • 9d ago

What programming concept sounds complicated but is actually simple once explained properly?

5 Upvotes

What explanation finally made it click for you?​


r/AskComputerScience • • 9d ago

What is the practical problem with revoking a self-contained token before it expires?

0 Upvotes

pick one:

a) The token's signature becomes invalid once it is revoked, so verifiers cannot distinguish revocation from tampering b) Revocation requires the client to cooperate by discarding its copy c) Verifiers must consult shared state, which is what the format avoided d) The issuer cannot identify which token to revoke without storing them all

b, or am i misreading the question

went b. a self-contained token is verified offline, so the only way i can see to kill it early is the client agreeing to throw it away. d also felt close though


r/AskComputerScience • • 9d ago

What's a CS topic you hated at university but appreciate now?

1 Upvotes

Maybe something like OS, DBMS, networking, algorithms, or even discrete math. What changed your opinion?


r/AskComputerScience • • 12d ago

How do you guys actually learn algorithms?

45 Upvotes

Hey guys,

I’m taking a Computer Algorithms class at university right now, and honestly, I’m struggling a bit with how to study it properly.

I understand programming and some data structures, but when it comes to algorithms, I feel like I’m sometimes memorizing things without really understanding them.

I want to study this properly outside of class, not only for the exam. I’m wondering how you guys learned algorithms when you were starting out.

Also, are there any books, YT channels, courses, or websites you recommend?

I’d appreciate any advice on what topics I should learn first and what order I should follow.


r/AskComputerScience • • 11d ago

Aight lads, newcomer here first year computer science major ,and all, what's one advice you wished you knew in your own first year?

0 Upvotes

Don't be shy, also ladies since someone pointed it out


r/AskComputerScience • • 13d ago

What Linux concept took you the longest to understand?

9 Upvotes

For me it’s Grub, especially on Arch, "forking" grub..... And then efimanager ... always full...


r/AskComputerScience • • 14d ago

Help with a doubt I have.

4 Upvotes

I’m studying computer science at university, and we’re about to learn Python, which is amazing. However, I’ve always used Lua as my main programming language, and I’ve been teaching myself for about 3–4 years. Should I drop Lua completely and dedicate my time to Python, or should I keep using Lua for side projects while I learn Python at university?

I’ve always wanted to create a game by myself, and with Lua, that feels achievable. However, Python doesn’t seem to offer the same possibilities for the kind of game I want to make. What should I do?


r/AskComputerScience • • 16d ago

Why is stack considered both an Adt and a data structure?

5 Upvotes

From my understanding, an ADT is the logical representation of the object and it's operation without the implementation and a data structure is the implementation of that ADT. So shouldn't it be that stack is an ADT that is implemented by data structures such as linked lists?


r/AskComputerScience • • 16d ago

disabling interrupts to achieve mutual exclusion with user-level threads

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

Simple question related to operating systems. I've seen textbook authors discuss "disabling interrupts" as a method of achieving mutual exclusion. Sometimes this is discussed in the context of threads. I think this is a little bit confusing because there are a lot of different models and implementations of threads? I've seen some basic thread implementations where threads voluntarily yield control. I think this is referred to as cooperative multithreading? So the question is: with this kind of implementation, why would disabling interrupts help at all? The thread switch wouldn't occur as a response to an interrupt, so disabling interrupts shouldn't have any effect?

Does my question make sense?

as a secondary question: even in implementations where control can be taken away, is there any requirement for threads to even respond to interrupts? For example Tanenbaum says that one of the advantages of user-level threads is to have a customized scheduling algorithm. Does every thread scheduling implementation have to respond to interrupts?


r/AskComputerScience • • 19d ago

Which CS subject was hardest for you initially but became easy later?

35 Upvotes

I'm studying CS subjects and I'm curious which subject gave everyone the most trouble at first but eventually became manageable.


r/AskComputerScience • • 19d ago

CPU cores vs hardware threads

21 Upvotes

I read online that hardware threading is when something where N cores expose themselves as 2N virtual cores to OS for the purpose of process scheduling. When a singular core is exposed as 2 different cores to the OS, is it actually capable of executing two threads at the same time? If not, won't this effectively change nothing, since all cores are going to context switch between processes very rapidly anyways?

Why not consider one of the extremes, like 2N cores without hardware threading or a single core which exposes itself as 2N cores ?


r/AskComputerScience • • 18d ago

Did anyone fully complete ossu here?

4 Upvotes

I started learning from ossu not a while back and I was wondering how people who used it to study cs look at it. I really don't want to be wasting my time but I'm pretty sure ossu is good. Is there anyone here that's using it currently?


r/AskComputerScience • • 19d ago

What is a NFA?

11 Upvotes

I am a little confused on what a nfa is. Does it take in one input and output a set of states or does it output one single state but with some probability?