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From: reggie@paradyne.com (George W. Leach)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.f77,comp.edu,sci.math
Subject: Fortran For Math Majors (Summary)
Message-ID: <1991Feb18.173701.23467@pdn.paradyne.com>
Date: 18 Feb 91 17:37:01 GMT
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    Here is the question that I put forth in my original posting:

       A student of mine had a question that I wanted to pose to the members
 of this newsgroup.  This person intends on majoring in Math and perhaps
 minoring in CS.  The question pertains to how much is Fortran used in a
 typical Mathematics Department for undergraduate coursework?  The reason
 for the question is that this person wants to decide if she should purchase
 a PC-based compiler or not.
 
 
       Is any other language used in Math Departments other than Fortran?
 Are there libraries available that you use for special purposes?  If so,
 are they typically used on a PC?

     I received replies, or there were postings to the newsgroups by
the following people:

		Gerald Edgar <uunet!shape.mps.ohio-state.edu!edgar>
		uunet!math.berkeley.edu!raymond (Raymond Chen)
		uunet!cs.brown.edu!jda (Jeff Achter)
		uunet!Eng.Sun.COM!khb (Keith Bierman fpgroup)
		Ron Fox <uunet!rudolf.nscl.msu.edu!fox>
		uunet!math.rutgers.edu!bumby (Richard Bumby)
		uunet!pop.stat.purdue.edu!hrubin (Herman Rubin)
		Bruce Alan Fast <uunet!godel.Colorado.EDU!fast>
		uunet!ATHENA.MIT.EDU!tdaniels
		uunet!c3.c3.LANL.GOV!mikeg (Michael P. Gerlek)
		hb136@leah.albany.edu (Herb Brown)
		"BERRY SCOTT D" <uunet!acad3.alaska.edu!fxsdb>
		Tim Stoutamore <uunet!scd.hp.com!stout>
		uunet!cs.albany.edu!hammond (William F Hammond)
		uunet!mel.dms.csiro.au!alan (Alan Miller)
		Peter Moylan <uunet!cc.newcastle.edu.au!EEPJM>
		David Ross <uunet!stat.orst.edu!ross>
		uunet!debussy.cs.colostate.edu!petersja (james peterson)
		Robert Chaffer <uunet!CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU!3IU4TOB%CMUVM.BITNET>
		uunet!watop!frost (Richard Frost)
		uunet!brinx.acc.Virginia.EDU!cpr4k (Christian P. Roberts)
		ack@ecst.csuchico.edu (Andy Santoro)
		mjs@hubcap.clemson.edu (m j saltzman)
		thc@cs.brown.edu (Thomas Colthurst)



	Most of these postings made it clear that on the average most
undergraduate math majors are not heavily utilizing computers in their
courswork.  There are exceptions of course.  For those exceptions, there
does not seem to be a clear cut direction as far as what type of language
or system that is employed.  Therefore, the best advise to provide to the
student is to wait until you reach the university and department that you
will be dealing with before a purchase.


	I probably failed to point out in my original posting, that I teach
in the Engineering Technology Department for a local junior college.  Most
students who are planning on moving to a four year program are bound
for an engineering program.  That is the reason for my lack of familiarity
with the needs of a math major.  I majored in CS.


	If anyone is interested in obtaining all of the individual replies
and postings, send me e-mail and I will be happy to send them to you.


Thank you all,

George

-- 
George W. Leach					AT&T Paradyne 
reggie@paradyne.com				Mail stop LG-133
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