Path: utzoo!yunexus!ists!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!rex!ames!sun-barr!newstop!sun!regenmeister!chrisp
From: chrisp@regenmeister.uucp (Chris Prael)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: CS education [engineering, mathematics, and computer science]
Message-ID: <34788@regenmeister.uucp>
Date: 17 Nov 89 22:27:56 GMT
Article-I.D.: regenmei.34788
References: <5481@nucleus.UUCP>
Sender: chrisp@regenmeister (Chris Prael)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Mtn View, CA
Lines: 49

From article <5481@nucleus.UUCP>, by dar@nucleus.UUCP (Dario Alcocer):
> In article <34770@regenmeister.uucp>, chrisp@regenmeister.uucp (Chris Prael) writes:
>> The attempt displays profound misunderstandings 
>> of the fundamentals of mathematics and of the fundamentals of computing.

 
> I'll have to disagree with you Chris.  I can think of two branches of
> mathematics that have _everything_ to do with computing...
 
> Graph thoery - Has contributed many of the data structures we use,
> trees, directed and non-directed graphs; just read DDJ, Sept 89, regarding
> A* autorouting and simulated anealing.

You have mixed two issues, Dario.  

First, while graph theory may have been used to explain them afterwards, 
the data structures we use were generally cooked up without reference to 
graph theory.  Nothing fundamental to computing about graph theory here.

Second, graph theory is obviously fundamental to the solution of a small
but useful class of applications (such as trace routers for PC board
design).  That does not make it fundamental to computing.  In the same 
wise, numerical analysis is fundamental to the solution of another small 
class of applications (such as trig functions).  That does not make
numerical analysis fundamental to computing.
 
> Combinatorics - study of _discrete_ mathematics, useful in alogirth design
> and analysis.

Perhaps.  The design of algorithms is primarily deduced from the
information structure(s) to be operated on.
 
> Many concepts in computing can be studied and learned without any regard to
> the mathematics of them.  However, I think that the relevance of mathematics
> is clear when it comes to develop new techniques and algorthims in the
> computing field.

Which circles us back to my original assertion: your assertion implies
that your understanding of either or both fields is insufficient.  I
wish there was a politer way to say that. :-)

Chris Prael
 
> Dario Alcocer
> dar@nucleus.mi.org
> :wq
> 
> 
> ?