From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.5-pre1 (2020-06-20) on
	ip-172-31-74-118.ec2.internal
X-Spam-Level: 
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.5 required=3.0 tests=BAYES_05 autolearn=ham
	autolearn_force=no version=3.4.5-pre1
Date: 17 Jul 91 16:08:17 GMT
From: weyrich!orville@uunet.uu.net  (Orville R. Weyrich)
Subject: Re: Is CM important? (was: Use pragma I
Message-ID: <1991Jul17.160817.8259@weyrich.UUCP>
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

In article <20600112@inmet> bwhite@inmet.inmet.com writes:
>
>On Jul  8, 1991, mattel@auto-trol.com writes in response to Showalter's
>bleatings that we should drop calculus, algebra, FORTRAN and Ada from the

[lots of stuff deleted]

An excellent case is made for the importance of algebra and combinatorics.

>    o Most calculus books and courses spend most time with the relatively 
>      uninteresting notions of derivatives and integrals.  While these are
>      useful in physics and engineering, where things are continuous, they
>      are of less value to the kind of discrete systems we use.  However,
>      calculus is the only place people see the definitions of limit and
>      continuity, which definitions are very important.  Continuity is
>      important if you want fixed points.

How many quarters does it take to teach the concepts of limit and continuity?
A school I used to teach at required 3 or 4 quarters of calculus for its
CS majors. I argued in vain that one quarter of that calculus would be well
replaced by a quarter of symbolic logic (Philosophy 110).


--------------------------------------           ******************************
Orville R. Weyrich, Jr., Ph.D.                   Certified Systems Professional
Internet: orville%weyrich@uunet.uu.net             Weyrich Computer Consulting
Voice:    (602) 391-0821                         POB 5782, Scottsdale, AZ 85261
Fax:      (602) 391-0023                              (Yes! I'm available)
--------------------------------------           ******************************