[ prog / sol / mona ]

prog


The Legacy of Computer Science

3 2021-08-09 04:18

>>1
Is the language Hoare logic and analysis of algorithms? It seems there is little else to the field of computer-science now regardless of whether it has lasting influence. One other item, I don't understand his claim that debugging and modifying a program would be better suited to learning than practice. In my experience intelligent practice is the only way to learn, and we go against this at our peril.

5 2021-08-09 18:20

>>4
I admit my argument is fuzzy. He favors the removal of worked examples in favor of algorithms, and promotes programming, and debugging as powerful exercises. Further he states: ``Also, once formalized procedurally, a mathematical idea becomes a tool that can be used directly to compute results.'' Now my intuition from these claims taken together is that he wants to remove practice.

If computer science isn't a science, and it isn't about computers, than we can remove entirely induction and computers going in exactly the opposite direction while preserving the desired aspects of computer science (and the only parts of it which really exist) hoare logic (or equivalent) and analysis of algorithms.

7 2021-08-09 20:03

>>6
Well, if my intuition is wrong, that is to say he does not want to reduce practice, then I have no disagreement at all, and since this was never explicitly stated I'm left without an argument to defend. Within this context then the significance of computing (as opposed to computer science) is not removing the need of knowledge from the user but permitting more efficient exploration. I still find alarming the mention of the ``tool that can directly compute the result'' at all.

I suspect I rejected these ideas not because of their own merits but because of their similarity to other ideas I reject. I have a (perhaps incorrect) view that Mathematics is under a constant assault from those who would seek to remove from it derivation, practice, and at the same time intuitive thinking and conjecture. Sussman's argument was too close to the antithesis for me. I'll try to come to some higher conclusion rereading in the days to come.

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