Department of Computer Science, FPMI, Comenius University
Encyclopedia
The Department of Computer Science is a department of the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics
at the Comenius University in Bratislava
, the capital of Slovakia
. It is headed by Prof. RNDr. Branislav Rovan, Phd
.
(now Slovakia
) was introduced at the Faculty in 1973. The department, established in 1974, continues to be responsible for organizing the major part of the undergraduate and graduate computer science education to this date. The distinguishing feature of the curriculum has been a balanced coverage of the mathematical foundations, theoretical computer science, and practical computer science. The part of the curriculum covered by the department at present includes courses on computer architecture, system software, networks, databases, software design, design and analysis of algorithms, formal languages, computational complexity, discrete mathematics, cryptology, data security and others.
The quality of the computer science education has been repeatedly testified by publications of our best students and by high ranking of our student team in the ACM Collegiate Programming Contest Finals. Inclusion of the more abstract, foundational courses proved to be the key factor in educating flexible professionals who have been well received and successful in industry, commerce, research, and education. Most typically they serve as system and/or network administrators, software engineers and programmers. More recently, our graduates have been successful in newly established software firms, both as managers and programmers. Several well-known theoretical computer scientists (Juraj Hromkovič
, Róbert Szelepcsényi
, Viliam Geffert, etc.) are graduates or obtained their degrees at the Department.
The department succeeded several times in project applications within the TEMPUS Programme of the EU
. The projects CIPRO and „Neumann Network“ helped to build the departmental hardware infrastructure and to establish the expertise in Unix workstation technology, networking, and structured document processing. The CUSTU PARLAB parallel computing laboratory run jointly with the Department of Informatics of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics of the Slovak Technical University
also resulted from one of these projects. Furthermore, the department participated in project LEARN-ED under the COPERNICUS Programme and built a multimedia laboratory.
The department has been involved in the organization of one of the top European conferences in theoretical computer science ? MFCS ? each time it took place in Slovakia. Further conferences recently organized or co-organized by the department include SOFSEM '98 and DISC '99. Besides, the department houses the secretariat of the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science, of the Slovak Society for Computer Science and of the Association for Security of Information Technologies (ASIT).
on the closure of nondeterministic space under complement, independently obtained also by N. Immerman, brought the prestigious Gödel Prize
of the ACM
and EATCS
to both of them in 1995. More recently research in parallel and distributed computing, cryptology and information security, and in software development has been initiated. The department is involved in international cooperation on the development of the structured document editor within the Euromath Project.
The department has many international contacts, succeeded in research project application (project ALTEC ? „Algorithms for Future Technologies“) with partners from EU, and also has two research grants from the Slovak Grant Agency.
, DEC
and Hewlett-Packard
in two workstation labs), Parsytec (with 20 transputers and OS Parix), and standard PCs connected to a network.
Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics
The Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics is one of the faculties of the Comenius University in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia....
at the Comenius University in Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, the capital of Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. It is headed by Prof. RNDr. Branislav Rovan, Phd
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
.
Educational and scientific achievements
The first comprehensive computer science curriculum in CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
(now Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
) was introduced at the Faculty in 1973. The department, established in 1974, continues to be responsible for organizing the major part of the undergraduate and graduate computer science education to this date. The distinguishing feature of the curriculum has been a balanced coverage of the mathematical foundations, theoretical computer science, and practical computer science. The part of the curriculum covered by the department at present includes courses on computer architecture, system software, networks, databases, software design, design and analysis of algorithms, formal languages, computational complexity, discrete mathematics, cryptology, data security and others.
The quality of the computer science education has been repeatedly testified by publications of our best students and by high ranking of our student team in the ACM Collegiate Programming Contest Finals. Inclusion of the more abstract, foundational courses proved to be the key factor in educating flexible professionals who have been well received and successful in industry, commerce, research, and education. Most typically they serve as system and/or network administrators, software engineers and programmers. More recently, our graduates have been successful in newly established software firms, both as managers and programmers. Several well-known theoretical computer scientists (Juraj Hromkovič
Juraj Hromkovic
Juraj Hromkovič is a Slovak Computer Scientist and Professor at ETH Zürich. He is the author of numerous monographs and scientific publications in the field of algorithmics, computational complexity theory, and randomization.- Biography :...
, Róbert Szelepcsényi
Róbert Szelepcsényi
Róbert Szelepcsényi was a Slovak student of Hungarian descent and a member of the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics of Comenius University in Bratislava....
, Viliam Geffert, etc.) are graduates or obtained their degrees at the Department.
The department succeeded several times in project applications within the TEMPUS Programme of the EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. The projects CIPRO and „Neumann Network“ helped to build the departmental hardware infrastructure and to establish the expertise in Unix workstation technology, networking, and structured document processing. The CUSTU PARLAB parallel computing laboratory run jointly with the Department of Informatics of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics of the Slovak Technical University
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava is the most significant university of technology in Slovakia.- University structure :* Faculty of Civil Engineering* Faculty of Mechanical Engineering...
also resulted from one of these projects. Furthermore, the department participated in project LEARN-ED under the COPERNICUS Programme and built a multimedia laboratory.
The department has been involved in the organization of one of the top European conferences in theoretical computer science ? MFCS ? each time it took place in Slovakia. Further conferences recently organized or co-organized by the department include SOFSEM '98 and DISC '99. Besides, the department houses the secretariat of the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science, of the Slovak Society for Computer Science and of the Association for Security of Information Technologies (ASIT).
Research topics
Research in theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics has the longest tradition in the department. The results in formal languages, complexity theory, learning theory, graph theory and combinatorics were published in leading international journals and were presented at renowned international conferences. Most notably, the result of Róbert SzelepcsényiRóbert Szelepcsényi
Róbert Szelepcsényi was a Slovak student of Hungarian descent and a member of the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics of Comenius University in Bratislava....
on the closure of nondeterministic space under complement, independently obtained also by N. Immerman, brought the prestigious Gödel Prize
Gödel Prize
The Gödel Prize is a prize for outstanding papers in theoretical computer science, named after Kurt Gödel and awarded jointly by the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science and the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Algorithms and Computation Theory .The...
of the ACM
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
and EATCS
EATCS
The European Association for Theoretical Computer Science is an international organization with a European focus, founded in 1972...
to both of them in 1995. More recently research in parallel and distributed computing, cryptology and information security, and in software development has been initiated. The department is involved in international cooperation on the development of the structured document editor within the Euromath Project.
The department has many international contacts, succeeded in research project application (project ALTEC ? „Algorithms for Future Technologies“) with partners from EU, and also has two research grants from the Slovak Grant Agency.
Technical equipment
A network consisting of 20 workstations (SunSun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
, DEC
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
and Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
in two workstation labs), Parsytec (with 20 transputers and OS Parix), and standard PCs connected to a network.