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From: flackc@stolaf.UUCP (Chap Flack)
Newsgroups: net.cse
Subject: Re: Re: Math and CS
Message-ID: <5157@stolaf.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 9-Mar-86 12:02:46 EST
Article-I.D.: stolaf.5157
Posted: Sun Mar  9 12:02:46 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Mar-86 00:37:46 EST
References: <256@hropus.UUCP> <6400005@ccvaxa> <77@umcp-cs.UUCP> <1194@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU> <587@hoptoad.uucp>
Organization: Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Lines: 52

Laura Creighton writes:
> in point -- linear algebra.  I am in the unfortunate position that I
> can't get my csc degree without the course in Linear Algebra -- and
> I could knock it off in one semester if I could get that course.  But
> :
> By the way, it is not that I don't have the mathematical background
> I have the ``calculus courses for physics majors'' and logic courses
> galore. Something which may be related -- when I solved a problem
> in any branch of mathematics until I hit linear algebra there was 
> this tremendous rush ``aha!'' and a warm rosy glow.  Since I, by and
> large, live for those experiences, I found programming and cs theory
> attractive -- I can the same feeling out of getting my code to work,
> or understanding of a real interesting theory or algorithm.  (To tell
> you the truth, I have Hofstadter's malady, and can get the same
> feeling by contemplating recursion).  But not for an nanosecond did I
> ever get this feeling after solving a linear algebra problem.  Indeed,
> I didn't even get a much of a sense that it was done. 
> 
> (The thing I liken it to is to reducing a very large polynomial fraction.
> You factor the numerator and denominator and cancel out the common
> factors and are left with a reduced expression.  As a kid I used to
> do them all afternoon for the joy of it.  The elegence!  The simplicity!
> But I can't get that feeling out of linear algebra.  On the other hand,
> I can really get it out of taking a mess of code and making it protable
> and then speeding it up.  The simplicity!  The functionality! Wow..
> and my mind starts glowing again...)

I *hated* linear.  I passed by the skin of my teeth and the mercy of
my prof.  I spent the term doing all sorts of mechanical procedures
without ever feeling like I was *doing* anything.  My roommate (a
physics major, but I'm not trying to generalize) had no sympathy--when
he had taken linear, he just learned the mechanics and went through them
mechanically with no problem.  Perhaps it's not unrelated that his
programming gives the same impression: he has little sense of, or interest
in, a beautiful algorithm....

Anyway, I tried not to think about linear algebra for a year after I had
taken it.  But then, as my term project in data structures, I was playing
with some graphics programming (the Warnock hidden-line alg).  I had to
go back to my linear book and dig out all the stuff I'd learned and see
that I could use it to really *do* things!  Elegant things!  Aha!
And a great big rosy glow.  Wow....

So I guess if you ever feel like taking it again, maybe you'd have more
fun if you found some secondary sources on your own that you could read
at the same time and see what neat things you can *do* with it.  And
the best of luck to you!
-- 
---------------------
Chap Flack				ihnp4!stolaf!agnes!flackc
Carleton College			ihnp4!stolaf!flackc
Northfield, MN  55057