LOGO-L> Re: factorials

[Erich Neuwirth <neuwirth@smc.univie.ac.at>]

george,
if i translate from german:
this goes down like honey.

yes, i think that knowing when to use something like
filter and crossmap is very important.

there is an irony in all this, of course.

about 30 years ago "new math" was started in schools.
set algebra, functions and all that.
it was purely theoretical knowledge then,
and essentially, it ended in a desaster because nobody
could see its practical use.

so it was abolished.
roughly at the same times when it was abolished,
computers were brought into schools.

with powerful languages like logo,
filter, and crossmap we really can immediately
translate mathematical concepts like
set and subset (filter is sunbset)
cartesican product set
(crossmap is the cartesian product)
and so on.

i think school mathematics really missed a chance because
people did not realize then that
using the right kind of programming constructs
means translating mathematical concepts
into code in a very straightforward manner.

well, i also never understood why many mathematicians
don't use lisp, because lisp also allows
translating these concepts into code.

brian, do you have ant theories why
mathematicians and mathematics teachers
don't accept the functiona programming part
of lisp and logo with more enthusiasm?


erich



--- On Sun, 24 Aug 1997 16:44:52 -0400  George Mills 
<mills@softronix.com> wrote:
> I think we all have to remember we have different "requirements"
> of logo. Mainly due to which age group your directed at teaching.
> 
> Regarding a few points (which your both correct on).
> 
> Using the CPU to crunch through all possibilities is one
> of the strengths of the computer.
> 
> But there are many cases where abusing these "try everything"
> approaches will backfire and a programmer needs to realize when 
it's
> appropriate and when it's not.
> 
> I think the bulk of readers here are looking with an eye towards
> a younger student.
> 
> I think Erich and/or Brian has posted simple applications
> of map and crossmap in the past. In themselves they are not
> that complicated. The trick is knowing how and when to use
> them.
> 
> -- 
> ===============================================================
> George Mills
> email: mills@softronix.com
> http://www.softronix.com
> The www page contains some very powerful educational software.
> Our single most important investment is our kids.
> 

---------------End of Original Message-----------------

--
Erich Neuwirth <neuwirth@smc.univie.ac.at>
Computer Supported Didactics Working Group, University of Vienna
Currently Visiting Professor at the 
National Institute of Multimedia Education, Chiba, Japan
Visit our SunSITE at http://sunsite.univie.ac.at
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