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From: liberte@uiucdcsb.CS.UIUC.EDU
Newsgroups: net.cse
Subject: Re: More on Math and CS
Message-ID: <13500006@uiucdcsb>
Date: Thu, 13-Mar-86 18:06:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcsb.13500006
Posted: Thu Mar 13 18:06:00 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Mar-86 03:32:27 EST
References: <147@umcp-cs.UUCP>
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Nf-ID: #R:umcp-cs.UUCP:147:uiucdcsb:13500006:000:1426
Nf-From: uiucdcsb.CS.UIUC.EDU!liberte    Mar 13 17:06:00 1986


Regarding the discussion on Linear Algebra:

I did not have to take Linear Algebra for my BS degree in CS, but I did
try it while I was a math major.  It was fun to write APL algorithms
to do the mechanical operations until I told the professor who responded:
"Why bother - it's already been done."  Then the increasingly abstract
treatment drove me from math to compute science.

I just discovered a book that might be appeal to some: "Linear Algebra
and Geometry" by David Bloom, published by Cambridge University Press.
A paragraph from the preface:

	At this point I asked myself: if linear algebra and geometry can
	be so well integrated mathematically, why not integrate them
	pedagogically?  Specifically, instead of two one-term courses, why not
	teach one full-year course in which the relations between linear 
	algebra and geometry could be explored to their fullest extent?
	Here, it seemed, might lie an opportunity to illustrate the unity
	of mathematics and to counteract the prevalent tendency toward
	compartmentalization of knowledge.

I would encourage such attempts at integration for, indeed, what good
is knowledge if it is not related to other knowledge?  Also, I have
found from personal experience that the best way to learn something
is to actually apply the information in some way so that it becomes
personal knowledge.

Dan LaLiberte
liberte@b.cs.uiuc.edu
liberte@uiuc.csnet
ihnp4!uiucdcs!liberte