Math-thinking-l Digest, Vol 6, Issue 7

[Matthias Felleisen]

On Feb 9, 2006, at 3:00 AM, Kirby Urner wrote:

>> I consider this the crux of the problem. Programming educators and
>> computer science departments who have put them into place have failed
>> for the past few decades to evolve this notion into what it really
>> should be:
>>
>>     thinking in a logical and mathematical manner.
>
> Of course this happens at many levels.  When the focus is registers and
> addressed memory, per MMX, the algorithm will be implemented in terms 
> of
> jumps and compares.
>
> Conditionals, looping and indexing (stepping through values by 
> incrementing
> an address) remain relevant as we ascend to higher level languages.
> ...
> What we mean by "thinking logically" is not completely divorced from 
> the
> language we think with

Yes, which is why nobody should EVER EVER defend jumps, registers,
loops, and indexing as a legitimate first exposure to programming.

AFTER, and only AFTER, students can program well, founded in logical
and mathematical reasoning, should they be exposed to low-level
thinking of this form.

You, the math-thinkers of the world, will continue to lose your
battle if you don't understand this and stand up against it.

-- Matthias