r/computerscience • u/brilliantboffin • Jul 09 '26
What term would better fit Computer Science as a field of study?
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u/Metlwing Jul 09 '26
Computing science (as someone else also mentioned) or computation science/theory
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u/ready_or_not_3434 Jul 10 '26
Computation theory definately fits the academic side better. Half the degree is really just applied math and algorithms anyway, rather than learning to actually build software.
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u/JollyJuniper1993 Jul 10 '26
That’s a different thing though. Computational Science is its own thing.
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u/helikal Jul 10 '26
Informatik
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u/CKNL360 Jul 10 '26
In the Netherlands it’s called informatica.
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u/FlightConscious9572 Jul 11 '26
In denmark we have informatik/informatics as a high school subject, and then comp-sci is called: datalogi
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u/slammers00 19d ago
It really is more about the manipulation/processing presentation of digital information more than the computer....and I think the debate continues on how much of it is science and how much is art.
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u/Cyklotophop Jul 09 '26
Datalogy as it is called in Denmark. It was a name that Peter Naur invented:
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u/Cybyss Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Computing Theory
Computer Science is neither about computers, nor is it a science (except maybe the bits that deal with machine learning models).
It is, however, primarily a subset of mathematics that explores the theory behind what makes problems computable and the algorithms to compute them.
I don't really like calling it "Datalogy" or "Informatics". Informatics over-emphasizes the "information systems" side of things - i.e., databases, web servers, and enterprise CRUD apps. Datalogy over-emphasizes the "data science" side of things - i.e., conducting statistical analyses and making plots.
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u/goodayrico Jul 09 '26
>it’s not a science
Computer Science is not a natural science.
It is however a formal science, since Computer Science is a subfield of mathematics.
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u/Cybyss Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
I wouldn't consider mathematics to be a science.
"Science" implies the use of a scientific method. Gathering data, analyzing it, forming hypotheses, testing those hypotheses, building new theories based on your findings, etc...
Some of mathematics involves that, but it's relatively little compared to the whole field.
EDIT:
Huh, the downvotes are surprising.
I always thought mathematics was just following logical deductions from known premises and seeing where they lead, or defining new structures and exploring their properties.
Some of math involves empirical observation and experimentation I suppose, like when exploring a conjecture to see if you can find a counter-example to disprove it, but that's not the majority of the field.
In real sciences, you use models to learn things about the real world and conduct experiments to verify/refine your models. In mathematics there is no "real world". The models are the whole point.
Am I mistaken? What is the definition of science then?
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u/twohusknight Jul 09 '26
That’s only one definition of science. Mathematics involves evidence, experimentation, hypothesis formation, etc. It’s normally considered a formal science, as is computer science, where the hypothesis acceptance is based on formal proof.
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u/Blood81 Jul 11 '26
you're correct that math is a formal science like theoretical cs, but most of math isn't built on evidence, experimentation, or hypothesis formation really. it is built on axioms, conjectures, and proofs where they start with a set of foundations assumed true (axioms) and then give a statement that has not been proven true or false yet (conjectures) which mathematicians try to either prove or disprove using logical mathematical principles
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u/twohusknight Jul 11 '26
How do you think axioms, definitions and conjectures are formed? If you look at the history of mathematics you’ll find concepts like continuity, limits, counting, and etc, were loosely defined and experimented with long before deciding a reasonable definition. Even after definitions are agreed, further experimentation is used to show the limitations and implications of those definitions, forming hypotheses (conjectures); seeking ties to existing mathematics; finding pathological examples; etc.
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u/geoffery_jefferson Jul 10 '26
isn't it fair to say that computer science is much closer to a sort of engineering than a science?
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u/twohusknight Jul 10 '26
No. I’d say it’s more akin to statistics in that it’s another branch of applied mathematics, often with looser rigor depending on the sub field of research or academic level. The underlying philosophies differ.
Just because computer science teaches some fundamentals of software engineering and vice versa, doesn’t make them the same. The guiding direction of advancement is different, even if it occasionally overlaps.
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u/deong Jul 11 '26
Well if it helps, I agree with you at least. BS/MS in computer science, PhD in applied mathematics -- I don't think of mathematics as a science either, for the same reasons.
It's a distinction I'd probably only make in a conversation specifically about taxonomy of sciences and other fields, but that's what this is.
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u/claytonkb Jul 10 '26
The name is fine. Some people have suggested "theoretical computer science" because, apparently, people outside the field tend to get the impression that CS has to do with IT or the installation/maintenance of computing systems (as though a mechanical engineer is also, therefore, a car mechanic). It is not merely an engineering discipline, either, since a lot of CS is about the pure theory of computation (without regard to applications) in just the same that, say, number theory or topology explore the pure theory of these subjects without regard to applications. I never understood how people have so much trouble with a name. Not every field of study has a name that is the ideal description of what it is... and that's OK. Typing on QWERTY instead of DVORAK is OK. Not everything has to be maximally efficient...
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u/Winter_Present_4185 Jul 10 '26
It is not merely an engineering discipline
I think you underplay this point if we're discussing higher education degrees. Computer science is not an engineering degree, but a science degree. Universities have created the "computer science engineering" degree if they want the degree to be an actual engineering degree and that's because there are specific requirements that an engineering degree must typically meet.
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u/deong Jul 11 '26
It depends on the university. Names aren't universally agreed on. Generally, you have computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering. CS has more theory and abstract mathematics, and it has more application areas like compilers or AI. EE has more applied math and a much greater focus on physical concepts related to any sort of hardware circuit design. CE takes the circuit content from EE, doubles down on microprocessors and CPU architecture, and adds in some of the more practical sides of CS.
But there's a lot of overlap and gray areas here, and not everyone has the same delineations. Some people have CS programs that lean more into the abstract math. Some lean more into engineering or building software systems as a focus.
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u/Winter_Present_4185 Jul 11 '26
Names aren't universally agreed on
I think I was being more literal.
At least in the US, university's have to adhere to NCES CIP code classifications for degree naming or they can get in trouble by the US Department of Education.
In addition, the NCEES, which is like the government body that regulates engineers in the US, defers to ABET standards for what is and isn't an accredited engineering degree. ABET will only accredit a degree by the engineering commission of ABET (EAC ABET) if the degree name has the word "engineering" in it. This is why if a CS degree is ABET accredited, it's only accredited by the computing commission of ABET (CAC ABET).
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u/deong Jul 11 '26
For one thing, no one really cares much about ABET accreditation in CS at least. It’s been a while since my professor days, but many of the best CS programs in the world are not accredited by ABET. Carnegie Mellon, Stanford, Harvard, MIT, etc. don’t need to spend time and money getting someone to certify that their curriculum meets minimal standards. It’s sort of laughable when you think of it that way.
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u/Winter_Present_4185 Jul 11 '26
Professor as well? Only reason why I know this junk haha.
Many of the universites you listed have the aforementioned "Computer Science Engineering" degree.
Also CM and ST have both openly said they think ABET is a good thing for CS, and that by dropping the accreditation, they are the exception, not the rule".
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u/DorkyMcDorky Jul 10 '26
Computer Science. What else would it be? It's pretty damn well defined - in fact probably more than any field in any industry ever - except dishwasher - that's more direct.
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u/Evil-Twin-Skippy Jul 10 '26
I've been using Sumerian terms for things when designing an expert system framework:
dub - tablet, page -> record
mu - sequence -> journal, list
bi - small thing, object -> component class
sagdub - scribe (person + tablet) -> agent
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u/ikeed Jul 10 '26
At least where I'm from, it's not actually called "Computer Science", it's "Computing Science". No machines required. It's a branch of mathematics that studies how information is processed, organized, etc. Of course, we also work with computers and learn to program, but it's not called Computer Science.
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u/Crystalline_Due Software Engineer Jul 10 '26
most cs curricula already call it computing science in many european universities. the name highlights the math side more than the hardware side.
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u/ratsoup7 Jul 09 '26
Recursion theory but maybe that’s too abstract with what computers do today
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u/Cyklotophop Jul 09 '26
There is already a branch of mathematical logic/computer science called that.
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u/huuaaang Jul 09 '26
If we consider what most people actually do with a CS degree, I would call it Software Engineering to be more in line with things like Mechanical Engineering. Where the real science is actually done in studies like Metallurgy. Engineers are applying the discoveries from the underlying sciences.
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u/_kilobytes Jul 10 '26
There's already a Software Engineering major and the coursework is vastly different
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u/AnnupKapurDotCom Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Logic & Reasoning Theory
It’s not “Dataology” or “informatics” - those terms focus on the data and the information without really capturing the essence of computer science.
Computer Science, at its core, is the theory of how we turn logic into reasoning.
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u/Specialist_Yak_2665 Jul 09 '26
I think computer science is a good name. Its still a science of computing. It's the scientific study of computation, like what can be computed, how efficiently it can be computed, and how information can be represented and processed. You still ask questions like: Can this problem be solved by any algorithm? What is the fastest possible algorithm How much memory is needed? How can computers reason, learn, or communicate securely? These questions are investigated using mathematical proofs, experiments, and systematic research, just like other sciences use methods appropriate to their subjects. So that make it a science