What is Software Science? Let's ask Sedgewick.

What's the latest book on software science you have recently read?

Wait - first off, what IS software science?

If you had to teach a course called software science to cover the more scientific aspects of modern computing, what would it include? Probably the following:

• basic algorithmic knowledge, like how to analyse an algorithm (time complexity and space complexity - yes this is still important, e.g. when programming for small devices) and the classic algorithms like quicksort and bubblesort, what their characteristics are
• basic knowledge on audio compression technology like MP3 and Ogg Vorbis and the underlying concepts
• working knowledge of maths underneath RSA and other cryptographic protocols and algorithms (prime numbers, number theory)
• basic computational physics for use in programming physics engines and ray tracers used in game development

What are the "great tomes" of software science?

Consider the first category of "basic algorithmic knowledge". Robert Sedgewick's 1983 tome simply-named "Algorithms" is always a firm favourite with students, and even covers a bit of linear programming as well (albeit under "Advanced Topics). There is also a fantastic book called "Computer Algorithms C++" by Ellis Horowitz (University of Southern California) and Sartaj Sahni (University of Florida) and Rajasekaran Florida) published in 1996, which delves quite nicely into parallel algorithms also, which is getting more fashionable with the whole Google map-reduce malarkey.

Caveat: Sedgewick says you probably need about a year's worth of programming experience to get the most out of his book.

In terms of audio and multimedia technology (one of the areas of computer science strongly influenced by maths and more traditional engineering disciplines, like electronics engineering) most of the information can be gleaned from the web but there are of course books available too. One such is Digital Audio Signal Processing, Udo Zolzer, Wiley, 2008 (the book has been described as "useful" but not very accessible).

For RSA, Shneier's Applied Cryptography is a must (highly praised by Dr. Dobbs Journal when it first came out). For computational physics, try: David Eberly's Game Physics, 2003. To get the most out of this book, you really need to get psyched about mastering Newtonian and Lagrangian dynamics.