That is actually a very good question. We have thought very carefully about which information to include in this section. We think that there are certain basic concepts that are so central to computing that we will not be able to teach you properly unless you know them. Having said that, many of these concepts refer to processes that are hidden deep in the structure of computers. Many people use computers for years quite happily without knowing how to convert binary numbers, or what a register is. If you can do so, great. But remember, we want to be able to use computers as problem solving tools. We really need to understand their nature if we hope to use them to their potential.
There is another factor at work here. Arthur C. Clarke once wrote that "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Anybody who has taken a computer science course ought to know just a little bit about how the magic works. We won't divulge all the secrets of the universe, but we will explain enough so that we can give you reasonably clear answers. There is a mystique about computers. Some of it is deserved. Computers give us awesome new capabilities. Computers are also vastly over-rated and sometimes feared for the wrong reasons. We can only begin to explore the real potentials and limitations of computers when we dig a little bit into the science that created them. We need to know something about what they do and how they do it.
Finally, a little theoretical background never hurt anyone. This is, after all, a university science course. Presumably, you are here for more than a how-to course. You can buy a book on Excel or Wordperfect, and learn them without the struggles of taking a class. We are assuming that you are here because you want to go just a little bit deeper than that. We promise not to overwhelm you with the math or science, but we respect you enough to not completely hide it from you either.