A dated (but still very relevant) opening by G. Rozenberg on CS, Informatics, and Natural computing

Post date: Aug 2, 2011 11:49:02 AM

C S, I,

 N C

G. Rozenberg

The spectacular progress in Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

is very much supported by the evolution of computer science which designs and

develops the instruments needed for this progress: computers, computer networks,

software methodologies, etc. Since ICT has such a tremendous impact on our ev-

eryday life, so does computer science.

However, there is much more to computer science than ICT: it is the science

of information processing, and as such it is a fundamental science for other sci-

entific disciplines. On the one hand, the only common denominator for research

done in all so diverse areas of computer science is thinking about various aspects

of information processing. Therefore, frequently used (mostly in Europe) term

“Informatics” is much better than “Computer Science” – the latter stipulates that

a specific instrument, viz., computer, is the main research topic of our discipline.

On the other hand, one of the important developments of the last century for a

number of other scientific disciplines is the adoption of Information and Informa-

tion Processing as their central notions and thinking habits – biology and physics

are beautiful examples here. For these scientific disciplines informatics provides

not only instruments but also a way of thinking.

I am convinced that one of the Grand Challenges of informatics is to under-

stand the world around us in terms of information processing. Each time progress

is made in achieving this goal, both the world around us and informatics benefits.

Since nature is a dominating part of the world around us, one way to understand

this world in terms of information processing is to study computing taking place

in nature. Natural Computing is concerned with this type of computing as well as

with its main benefit for informatics, viz., human-designed computing inspired by

nature. Research in natural computing is genuinly interdisciplinary, and therefore

natural computing forms a bridge between informatics and natural sciences. It has

already contributed enormously to human-designed computing: consider, e.g., all

the advances made through neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, quantum

computing and molecular computing. Most importantly, this research has led al-

ready to a deeper and broader understanding of the nature of computation.

In summary: the attractiveness and beauty of informatics as a science is that

while it is a fundamental science for a number of scientific disciplines, it is also

the main force behind the development of ICT, and through this development it

influences and revolutionizes our everyday life. Natural computing is an important

vehicle of progress for both of these facets of informatics. Let’s propagate then

and develop the science of informatics (and present it to “the outside world”)

this way. Both informatics (viewed as above) and natural computing have great

future!!!

January 2005