Comments on: Math vs programming (part III) http://4.flowsnake.org/archives/111 A Pythoneer's adventures with Chicken Scheme. ^_^ And more. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:18:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Hans Nowak http://4.flowsnake.org/archives/111#comment-287 Hans Nowak Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:52:39 +0000 http://4.flowsnake.org/?p=111#comment-287 @rgz: Javascript is still mostly used in browsers, though (in spite of all the talk about it being the Next Big Language)... that would make it somewhat less useful for the examples in this book. @rgz: Javascript is still mostly used in browsers, though (in spite of all the talk about it being the Next Big Language)... that would make it somewhat less useful for the examples in this book.

]]> By: rgz http://4.flowsnake.org/archives/111#comment-286 rgz Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:46:43 +0000 http://4.flowsnake.org/?p=111#comment-286 Haskell is however, unambiguous, since a computer has to execute it, traditional math notation went bonkers beyond nth root and function application notation. I still think Javascript would have been a better choice if popularity was important. Haskell is however, unambiguous, since a computer has to execute it, traditional math notation went bonkers beyond nth root and function application notation.

I still think Javascript would have been a better choice if popularity was important.

]]> By: Nes http://4.flowsnake.org/archives/111#comment-281 Nes Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:07:50 +0000 http://4.flowsnake.org/?p=111#comment-281 To add insult to injury most math courses are geared towards continuous math, the type used in physics (i.e. calculus) which is hardly ever used in programming (that is unless you are doing physics simulations). Maybe this just happens at the place I studied, but I had a hard time motivating myself to learn for the two calculus classes required for my CS degree because it was never explained to us what all these exercises in derivation and integration were good for and I was never able to take any physics class in my life. Ten years later I have started to find places were calculus might be useful but I can hardly remember any of the math anymore. I would have preferred they had taught us more about set theory, boolean algebra, combinatorics and probability. It seem those topics are "uninteresting" to math teachers but in programming we mostly deal with arbitrary discrete objects (e.g. the red toaster, the blue toaster, the bread, the butter, the margarine) and not some neat continuum of space and time. To add insult to injury most math courses are geared towards continuous math, the type used in physics (i.e. calculus) which is hardly ever used in programming (that is unless you are doing physics simulations). Maybe this just happens at the place I studied, but I had a hard time motivating myself to learn for the two calculus classes required for my CS degree because it was never explained to us what all these exercises in derivation and integration were good for and I was never able to take any physics class in my life. Ten years later I have started to find places were calculus might be useful but I can hardly remember any of the math anymore. I would have preferred they had taught us more about set theory, boolean algebra, combinatorics and probability. It seem those topics are "uninteresting" to math teachers but in programming we mostly deal with arbitrary discrete objects (e.g. the red toaster, the blue toaster, the bread, the butter, the margarine) and not some neat continuum of space and time.

]]> By: Carlos Perilla http://4.flowsnake.org/archives/111#comment-276 Carlos Perilla Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:30:13 +0000 http://4.flowsnake.org/?p=111#comment-276 It was fun to see the thread, good job stirring the pot. I'm with James that most professional programmers would be with you. Nowadays programming has found a place in lots and lots of new fields and it seems that there are plenty of areas where a strong mathematical background is not as necessary as it was not so long ago. Personally I see this as a good thing. It was fun to see the thread, good job stirring the pot.

I'm with James that most professional programmers would be with you. Nowadays programming has found a place in lots and lots of new fields and it seems that there are plenty of areas where a strong mathematical background is not as necessary as it was not so long ago. Personally I see this as a good thing.

]]> By: James http://4.flowsnake.org/archives/111#comment-273 James Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:25:29 +0000 http://4.flowsnake.org/?p=111#comment-273 Man - I've been there. Reddit seems to attract a type of programmer who believes math is some kind of special thing. It makes some people feel like they are in a special club with a special language only they share. To merely suggest that there are other forms to communicate ideas that are logical without using the most concise mathematics (or programming language) is admitting you aren't part of their club. To suggest one can be as effective using these methods as one can be using math and math-like notation is insulting or something. Now, I go further and suggest that the broader appeal of languages like Python make them better than mathematical notation. The very fact they are not as concise as math makes them easier for people to learn. People can and do make incredible things with these languages without having to understand heavy math. So I am with you. And despite the myopic obtuseness of a vocal few programmers from Reddit, you will find that the majority of professional programmers are with you too. Man - I've been there. Reddit seems to attract a type of programmer who believes math is some kind of special thing. It makes some people feel like they are in a special club with a special language only they share.

To merely suggest that there are other forms to communicate ideas that are logical without using the most concise mathematics (or programming language) is admitting you aren't part of their club. To suggest one can be as effective using these methods as one can be using math and math-like notation is insulting or something.

Now, I go further and suggest that the broader appeal of languages like Python make them better than mathematical notation. The very fact they are not as concise as math makes them easier for people to learn. People can and do make incredible things with these languages without having to understand heavy math.

So I am with you. And despite the myopic obtuseness of a vocal few programmers from Reddit, you will find that the majority of professional programmers are with you too.

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