grr@cbm.UUCP (George Robbins) (03/15/86)
I'd like to suggest a distinction related to 'hackers' and problems
with math / calculus - perhaps an oversimplifications...
Many hacker types (myself incl) tend to be very goal oriented - they
will expend incredible effort, learn whatever required, arrogate all
available resources to reach some desired result. It doesn't too much
matter what result, getting a program to work, finding a bug in the OS,
or getting into the password file.
When such a person is faced with something like Calculus, the usual
motivational cues are missing - you're supposed to memorize this stuff,
do these things, come up with answers that match the book. The stuff
isn't really hard, but you mean you have to do the problems - sounds
like work! No excitement, and after a while you find you missed a few
concepts and all is lost.
The EE and Physics types may have life a little easier, since they actually
get to apply the math they learn. Math majors seem to work from some
obscure motivations, and often are lured into becoming wretched, unhappy
computer programmers since there isn't much a job market for them, and
computers and math are supposed to be related somehow, right?
Other probems:
Many schools don't offer the good engineering classes at nite.
Outside workload is usually light at signup time, but usually
blows away the first class, and then takes a big zoom just before finals.
Hanging out at the University Comp Center and EE department while
in High School can lead to a damaging lack of respect for the whole works.
--
George Robbins - now working with, uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|caip}!cbm!grr
but no way officially representing arpa: cbm!grr@seismo.css.GOV
Commodore, Engineering Department fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)ladkin@kestrel.ARPA (Peter Ladkin) (03/18/86)
In article <27@cbm.UUCP>, grr@cbm.UUCP (George Robbins) writes: > [...] Math majors seem to work from some > obscure motivations, That's funny. You're commenting on the relation (or lack of it) between mathematics and computer science, and you profess a lack of understanding of one half of your topic? Peter Ladkin