On 2/22/13 8:39 AM, Cary Gordon wrote:
While comprehensive specific math skill set might not be necessary in
programming, an understanding of mathematics beyond arithmetic can be
very useful. Relational database theory, for example, maps pretty
neatly to set theory.
In fact, Cary, you can do relational databases just fine without set
theory. If it maps to set theory when you do know it, that's fine. But
in all the years in which I've worked on databases, only one person
involved in the design was a mathematician, and she didn't work directly
on defining the database design. Just because some of coding can be
explained with math doesn't mean that you *need* math to explain it.
Mathematics did not invent the concept of sets; you can go back to
Aristotle and find, pre-mathematical set theory, a good philosophical
basis for that thinking.
Mathematics in general delivers a lot of insight into dealing with
complex patterns.
As do music, language, clothing manufacture and building. And if you may
recall, the punch card and the first programming came from weaving
machinery. There are lots of activities that use complex patterns.
Is a solid math background necessary to program? Of course not. Sooner
or later though, programmers need a solid understanding of logic.
Yes, but there are many sources for that solid understanding. To insist
that the understanding has to come from mathematics is to essentially
take a very narrow view of human thought. This is one of the things that
bothers me about some proponents of mathematics: there seems to be a
view that math is the one true approach. If that were the case, our
world would be sadly uniform and uncreative.
kc
Thanks,
Cary
On Fri, Feb 22, 2013 at 7:30 AM, Karen Coyle <li...@kcoyle.net> wrote:
On 2/21/13 7:48 PM, Emily Morton-Owens wrote:
This was just the right thing to say, because he was connecting it to
something that I consider myself talented at (languages), rather than
something I don't (math).
I want to clear up the "math is hard" and "programming is math" myths.
First, the ratio of women to men in graduate math programs is approaching
50/50, although women are still struggling to be hired and gain tenure in
math departments. So "math is hard" for many of us, but it's not necessarily
a gender thing. (I'm looking for the cite for this -- I've done too much
random reading recently and didn't mark this. May be book below.)
Math skills are not required for programming. There was a time when silicon
valley was desperate for programmers, and some companies advertised that
they were looking for folks with music skills and they would teach them
programming -- because they had found that musicians make for good
programmers. It's the ability to deal with complex patterns that makes a
difference. Which is why it annoys me when programming instruction begins
with a list of mathematical functions that most programmers will never need.
I believe that Rosy was the first to recommend this, but the IEEE
publication: Gender Codes - why women are leaving computing/ edited by
Thomas Misa, 2010 is essential reading. You can get it as a Kindle or Nook
book. isbn 978-0470-59719-4 (paper) 978-1118-03513-9 (ebook)
kc
Hi Folks,
I'm teaching systems analysis at SILS (UNC CH) this semester.
Though the course is required for the IS degree, it's not required for
the
LS degree.
However, the majority of my students this semester are LS. And the vast
majority are women.
Apropos of the part of the thread that dealt with numbers:
For those of you who came into this community and at some point went
through a MSLS or MSIS program I am wondering if there are things I could
try to do that might have an impact on better aligning the ratio of men
to
women in code4lib and the technology end of the field in general to that
in the general population?
Was there a moment of clarity? A person who said or modeled the right
thing? A project that helped uncover a skill you didn't know you had?
And, I am not just interested in what I can do through one class, but
also
what the curriculum and school could do more holistically.
Thanks,
Tim
--
Karen Coyle
kco...@kcoyle.net http://kcoyle.net
ph: 1-510-540-7596
m: 1-510-435-8234
skype: kcoylenet
--
Karen Coyle
kco...@kcoyle.net http://kcoyle.net
ph: 1-510-540-7596
m: 1-510-435-8234
skype: kcoylenet
