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Re: Is this an exceptionally hard set of questions to answer?
Posted:
Oct 25, 2002 12:50 AM
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In article <wo6wuopam77.fsf@linux60.ma.utexas.edu>, Kevin Foltinek
<foltinek@math.utexas.edu> wrote:
> > So, to be revolutionary, maybe we should be teaching them
> > computer programming instead of math ?
>
> If you use the any of the words "function", "variable", "array",
> "integer", "floating point", or many others, in your computer science
> classes, then you are using mathematics.
Funny you should mention this. I was about to respond to Alberto
Moreira's post where he claimed that he could
"...write an operating system, or a web browser, without any math..."
but unfortunately the article expired and curiously he had inserted
'X-no-archive: yes' which prevented Google from preserving it.
My reply would have been: Really? Write an OS or a browser without
functions, variables, integers or any Boolean expressions? And not even
apply any rules of logical inference to debug them?
[Let alone designing _any_ OS without knowledge of queuing theory,
working sets or resource allocation, or a web browser without finite
states, decoding JPEGs without discrete cosine transforms, or even
calculating line wraps without arithmetic.]
I submit Mr. Moreira has little knowledge of writing a working OS or a
browser, let alone a good one, or his definition of mathematics is
hopelessly narrow to be of practical value.
Van
--
Van Bagnol / v a n at earthlink dot net / c r l at bagnol dot com
...enjoys - Theatre / Windsurfing / Skydiving / Mountain Biking
...feels - "Parang lumalakad ako sa loob ng paniginip"
...thinks - "An Error is Not a Mistake ... Unless You Refuse to Correct It"
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