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Re: Teaching of math Was: Re: Engineering or Math?
Posted:
Nov 19, 1997 2:16 AM
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Herman Rubin (hrubin@mean.stat.purdue.edu) wrote:
: Correct application of mathematics consists in formulating the problem
: as a mathematical problem, then using the power of mathematics, and
: finally translating the answer back. The one applying the mathematics
: needs to understand the two translation processes, which means knowing
: the concepts. Mathematicians can only help with the middle part, which
: may be quite useful, but with which the engineer does not need great
: familiarity. But right now, this is the only part taught with even
: reasonable diligence.
i am reading the biography of Shroedinger by Walter Moore. it amazes
me that the theorists at that time wondered if limits were valid
because they were discovering "the quantum." another interesting
thing was that Schrodinger thought that Philosophy was becoming
highly specialized.
perhaps it isn't the job of the engineering program to fix this problem--
or for that matter the math department. maybe some philosophy classes
would be the first translation process.
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