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We are about to study the idea of a computational process. Computational processes are abstract entities that inhabit computers. As they evolve, these processes manipulate other abstract entities called data.
The evolution of a process is directed by a pattern of rules called a program. People create programs to direct these processes. In effect, we conjure the spirits of the computer with our spells.
A computational process is indeed much like a sorcerer's idea of a spirit. It cannot be seen or touched. It is not composed of matter at all. However, it is very real. It can perform intellectual work. It can answer questions. It can affect the world by disbursing money at a bank or by controlling a robot arm in a factory.
The programs we use to conjure processes are like a sorcerer's spells. They are carefully composed from symbolic expressions written in arcane and esoteric programming languages that prescribe the tasks we want our processes to perform.
