Re: [Axiom-developer] SAGE, Axiom, and usage

[C Y]

--- Gabriel Dos Reis <address@hidden> wrote:

> this course is at a graduate level, and many of the students have
> some basic knowledge of data structures, algorithms, programming
> languages, generic programming, compilers, etc.

Opps - yes, that would make a difference.  For a minute I was back in
the undergrad physics lab showing people Mathematica again ;-).

> | This is good both for showing the limitations of the approach and
> | also why computers can't substitute for an educated brain.
> 
> You have a good point.

Thanks.  I always thought this was a weakness of high schools in
particular - they don't do a good job of explaining why the students
can't just "use the calculator all the time and skip all of this". 
Undergraduate work didn't really have that problem so much, but I still
think the allure of programs like Mathematica makes it important to
demonstrate what the problems of relying on them are.  (Ironically, it
is making a system that CAN be depended on that is one of the
directions I would like to see things head, but I do agree there are
any number of reasons for an educated human brain being indespensible.)

> | 3.  Then, later on in the course, introduce them to a more formal
> | approach that avoids these limitations.  Most will probably not be
> | real excited about this because it will look harder (being precise
> | is always hard work ;-) but most will probably remember and if, in
> | the future, they begin to do work that would benefit from Axiom's
> | more rigorous approach they will know both about Axiom and why it
> | might be better.
> 
> That is an excellent observation.  I will work out some of these
> constructive suggestions.  Thanks!

No problem - glad they made sense :-). 

Cheers,
CY

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