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Despite its name, much of computer science does not involve the study of computers themselves. Because of this several alternative names have been proposed. Danish scientist Peter Naur suggested the term datalogy, to reflect the fact that the scientific discipline revolves around data and data treatment, while not necessarily involving computers. The first scientific institution applying the datalogy term was DIKU, the Department of Datalogy at the University of Copenhagen, founded in 1969, with Peter Naur being the first professor in datalogy. The term is used mainly in the Scandinavian countries. Also, in the early days of computing, a number of terms for the practitioners of the field of computing were suggested in the ''Communications of the ACM'' -- ''turingineer'', ''turologist'', ''flow-charts-man'', ''applied meta-mathematician'', and ''applied epistemologist''<ref>Communications of the ACM 1(4):p.6</ref>.  Three months later in the same journal, ''comptologist'' was suggested, followed next year by ''hypologist''<ref>Communications of the ACM 2(1):p.4</ref>.  Recently the term ''computics'' has been suggested <ref>IEEE Computer 28(12):p.136</ref>.

Despite its name, much of computer science does not involve the study of computers themselves. Because of this several alternative names have been proposed. Danish scientist Peter Naur suggested the term datalogy, to reflect the fact that the scientific discipline revolves around data and data treatment, while not necessarily involving computers. The first scientific institution applying the datalogy term was DIKU, the Department of Datalogy at the University of Copenhagen, founded in 1969, with Peter Naur being the first professor in datalogy. The term is used mainly in the Scandinavian countries. Also, in the early days of computing, a number of terms for the practitioners of the field of computing were suggested in the ''Communications of the ACM'' -- ''turingineer'', ''turologist'', ''flow-charts-man'', ''applied meta-mathematician'', and ''applied epistemologist'' Communications of the ACM 1(4):p.6.  Three months later in the same journal, ''comptologist'' was suggested, followed next year by ''hypologist'' Communications of the ACM 2(1):p.4.  Recently the term ''computics'' has been suggested IEEE Computer 28(12):p.136.

In fact, the renowned computer scientist [[Edsger W. Dijkstra|Edsger Dijkstra]] is often quoted as saying, ''"Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes."'' The design and deployment of computers and computer systems is generally considered the province of disciplines other than computer science. For example, the study of [[computer hardware]] is usually considered part of [[computer engineering]], while the study of commercial [[computer system]]s and their deployment is often called [[information technology]] or [[information systems]]. Computer science is sometimes criticized as being insufficiently scientific, a view espoused in the statement ''"Science is to computer science as hydrodynamics is to plumbing"'' credited to [[Stan Kelly-Bootle]]<ref>'''Computer Language''', Oct 1990</ref> and others. However, there has been much cross-fertilization of ideas between the various computer-related disciplines. Computer science research has also often crossed into other disciplines, such as [[artificial intelligence]], [[cognitive science]], [[physics]] (see [[quantum computing]]), and [[linguistics]].

In fact, the renowned computer scientist [[Edsger W. Dijkstra|Edsger Dijkstra]] is often quoted as saying, ''"Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes."'' The design and deployment of computers and computer systems is generally considered the province of disciplines other than computer science. For example, the study of [[computer hardware]] is usually considered part of [[computer engineering]], while the study of commercial [[computer system]]s and their deployment is often called [[information technology]] or [[information systems]]. Computer science is sometimes criticized as being insufficiently scientific, a view espoused in the statement ''"Science is to computer science as hydrodynamics is to plumbing"'' credited to [[Stan Kelly-Bootle]] '''Computer Language''', Oct 1990 and others. However, there has been much cross-fertilization of ideas between the various computer-related disciplines. Computer science research has also often crossed into other disciplines, such as [[artificial intelligence]], [[cognitive science]], [[physics]] (see [[quantum computing]]), and [[linguistics]].

Computer science is considered by some to have a much closer relationship with [[mathematics]] than many scientific disciplines<ref name="Denning_cs_discipline" />. Early computer science was strongly influenced by the work of mathematicians such as [[Kurt Gödel]] and [[Alan Turing]], and there continues to be a useful interchange of ideas between the two fields in areas such as [[mathematical logic]], [[category theory]], [[domain theory]], and [[algebra]].

Computer science is considered by some to have a much closer relationship with [[mathematics]] than many scientific disciplines<ref name="Denning_cs_discipline" />. Early computer science was strongly influenced by the work of mathematicians such as [[Kurt Gödel]] and [[Alan Turing]], and there continues to be a useful interchange of ideas between the two fields in areas such as [[mathematical logic]], [[category theory]], [[domain theory]], and [[algebra]].

The relationship between computer science and [[software engineering]] is a contentious issue, which is further muddied by [[Debates within software engineering|disputes]] over what the term "software engineering" means, and how computer science is defined. [[David Parnas]], taking a cue from the relationship between other engineering and science disciplines, has claimed that the principal focus of computer science is studying the properties of computation in general, while the principal focus of software engineering is the design of specific computations to achieve practical goals, making the two separate but complementary disciplines.[http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/parnas98software.html Software Engineering Programmes are not Computer Science Programmes] Annals of Software Engineering , p. 19: "Rather than treat software engineering as a subfield of

The relationship between computer science and [[software engineering]] is a contentious issue, which is further muddied by [[Debates within software engineering|disputes]] over what the term "software engineering" means, and how computer science is defined. [[David Parnas]], taking a cue from the relationship between other engineering and science disciplines, has claimed that the principal focus of computer science is studying the properties of computation in general, while the principal focus of software engineering is the design of specific computations to achieve practical goals, making the two separate but complementary disciplines.[http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/parnas98software.html Software Engineering Programmes are not Computer Science Programmes] Annals of Software Engineering , p. 19: "Rather than treat software engineering as a subfield of

computer science, I treat it as an element of the set, {Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering,

computer science, I treat it as an element of the set, {Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering,

Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering,....}."</ref>.

Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering,....}.".

== Fields of computer science ==

== Fields of computer science ==