Mathematics Is Imprecise

Prabhakar Ragde
(University of Waterloo)

We commonly think of mathematics as bringing precision to application domains, but its relationship with computer science is more complex. This experience report on the use of Racket and Haskell to teach a required first university CS course to students with very good mathematical skills focusses on the ways that programming forces one to get the details right, with consequent benefits in the mathematical domain. Conversely, imprecision in mathematical abstractions and notation can work to the benefit of beginning programmers, if handled carefully.

In Marco T. Morazán and Peter Achten: Proceedings First International Workshop on Trends in Functional Programming in Education (TFPIE 2012), University of St. Andrews, Scotland, UK, 11th June 2012, Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science 106, pp. 40–49.
Published: 20th January 2013.

ArXived at: https://dx.doi.org/10.4204/EPTCS.106.3 bibtex PDF
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