720193c4   
   From: mordor.nospam@fly.srk.fer.hr   
      
   On 2012-01-21, puppi  wrote:   
   >   
   > Honestly, I don't even think colleges should be all that concerned   
   > with teaching programming languages. I am Brazilian, studying in a   
   -cut-   
   > classes. Mathematical knowledge, logically inferable knowledge, is the   
   > backbone of programming. Technical knowledge, such as learning a   
   > programming language, can easily be acquired by picking up a book,   
   > reading it and practicing it a little. A student that isn't inclined   
   > to do so is simply showing a lack of commitment to programming.   
   >   
   In principle I agree, but programming heavily relies on certain concepts   
   that rarely, if at all, occur in math: e.g., in math problems you rarely   
   (never?) have to consider mutability, sequencing, and value vs. reference   
   semantics.   
      
   On the other hand, math heavily relies on concepts that have no obvious   
   counterparts in programming: for example, I don't know how to formalize   
   the meaning of mathematical equations (e.g., "x=y+3") and relate them with   
   anything in any programming language.   
      
      
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