Re: Algorithm Analysis Course: Should I use Mathematica for projects?
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- Subject: [mg127301] Re: Algorithm Analysis Course: Should I use Mathematica for projects?
- From: Richard Fateman <fateman at eecs.berkeley.edu>
- Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2012 04:26:07 -0400 (EDT)
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On 7/14/2012 1:12 PM, Andrzej Kozlowski wrote: > On 14 Jul 2012, at 21:12, Richard Fateman wrote: > >>> But Mathematica is the only tool. >> I would hope that people taking such a course would also use pencil, paper, and brains. > Well, of course they do. One of the main differences between our computer science students and those in the US is that our students know a great deal more mathematics, and for that brains (and to a much lesser extent pen and paper) are still required. I don't know if this has anything to do with the fact that no US university won this ICPC title in this century but it might. Even further, if you look at the team members of the high-ranking US universities you see a number of students who received at least some of their education in other countries. The fact that your students may know more math or Mathematica does not seem to translate into successful innovation in the commercial computer field in central Europe. Immigrants seem to be fairly successful in the US, e.g. Google founders. >>> We also have a yearly Mathematica project contest (with prizes from the Dean of Mathematics and the Dean of Computer Science). >> That sounds silly. > The idea is to solve or attempt to solve a mathematical problem with the help of Mathmatica. I am not surprised this sounds silly to you but the dean of computer science was one of the judges at the last contest and liked it enough to offer to fund an additional prize. If the contest requires the use of Mathematica, I think that is wrong. >>> >>> As for the university, it is the largest university in Central Europe and its computer science students just won the silver medal in the World Programming Championships ;-) >> Is there some reason you are trying to keep the name anonymous? I thought you were in Japan. > Nothing lasts forever. Also (in some sense) I have always lived in more than one country and still do. Still keeping it anonymous. Oh well.
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