Xref: utzoo soc.college:4926 comp.edu:3121 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!snorkelwacker!bloom-beacon!bu.edu!m2c!wpi!jbarnett From: jbarnett@wpi.wpi.edu (Jonathan R Barnett) Newsgroups: soc.college,comp.edu Subject: Re: CS & Math Requisites (was: MIT Intro. classes) Message-ID: <9977@wpi.wpi.edu> Date: 21 Mar 90 14:23:32 GMT References: <22650@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> <1990Mar5.201030.20500@athena.mit.edu> <31845@brunix.UUCP> <14482@s.ms.uky.edu> <15450@wsucsa.uucp> <4932692a.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM> <4388@hub.UUCP> Distribution: usa Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Mass. Lines: 33 In-reply-to: doner@henri.ucsb.edu's message of 21 Mar 90 01:11:40 GMT >John doner writes: >Many of us mathematicians are aware of the general problem discussed >by Mr. Burati and others: The content of the typical mathematics >courses they are required to take for a cs major is not completely >appropriate to their needs, and the mathematicians teaching them are >often unaware of the applications to which the material may eventually >be put. > >The course content of the basic calculus sequence does evolve, but at >a glacial pace. Eventually, I believe it will include more material >on discrete mathematics and even computer-oriented applications. But >it will take lots of time, because we have first to figure out what >can be omitted to make room for the new material. > At WPI our Math department has completly revamped the basic math sequence because of these problems. I don't think it was that difficult to decide what had to be eliminated to make room for modern methods...for example numerical integration is clearly more useful than the ability to deal with partial fractions. I am impressed with what I see as the end result of the new sequence....students with a reasonable calc background, but more important students able to attack an engineering problem using a numerical approach when an analytic one isn't obvious (something they are taught as part of the basic sequence). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dr. Jonathan R. Barnett | jbarnett@wpi.wpi.edu Assistant Professor | Fire Protection Engineering | Work: (508) 831-5113 Interests: Fire, backpacking, cats, Theta Chi | Home: (508) 754-2898 Member: Society of Fire Protection Engineers | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~