Teaching Programming Skills via Math Concepts

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the book "Mathematics for Computer Science" which explores the intersection of programming skills and mathematical concepts, particularly focusing on generic programming and optimization. Key topics include the generalization of ancient algorithms, the greatest common divisor (GCD), and the application of abstract algebra in programming. The book emphasizes the importance of clarity and efficiency in programming through mathematical abstraction and provides insights into organizing knowledge about algorithms and data structures.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of generic programming principles
  • Familiarity with C++ programming language
  • Basic knowledge of mathematical algorithms
  • Concepts of abstract algebra
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore the principles of generic programming in C++
  • Study the greatest common divisor (GCD) algorithm and its applications
  • Research mathematical abstraction techniques in programming
  • Learn about the role of abstract algebra in computer science
USEFUL FOR

Students, educators, and software developers interested in enhancing their programming skills through mathematical concepts and those looking to improve their understanding of algorithm efficiency and clarity.

jedishrfu
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Got this for Christmas and its quite interesting to read:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0321942043/?tag=pfamazon01-20

The basic premise of the book is to explore the principles of generic programming, optimization and the mathematical concept of abstraction using traditional mathematical algorithms.

Examples are in C++ but could be easily adapted to other common languages.
 
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Sounds interesting... Let us know what you think as you go through it. From the Amazon description of the book:

Amazon said:
You will learn about

  • How to generalize a four thousand-year-old algorithm, demonstrating indispensable lessons about clarity and efficiency
  • Ancient paradoxes, beautiful theorems, and the productive tension between continuous and discrete
  • A simple algorithm for finding greatest common divisor (GCD) and modern abstractions that build on it
  • Powerful mathematical approaches to abstraction
  • How abstract algebra provides the idea at the heart of generic programming
  • Axioms, proofs, theories, and models: using mathematical techniques to organize knowledge about your algorithms and data structures
  • Surprising subtleties of simple programming tasks and what you can learn from them
  • How practical implementations can exploit theoretical knowledge
 

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