From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!lime!we13!plw
Newsgroups: net.followup
Title: Re: Dr. D., math, etc.
Article-I.D.: we13.250
Posted: Tue May 11 02:32:35 1982
Received: Wed May 12 00:31:08 1982

	I have followed this discussion with some interest and it seems to me
that there is some disagreement about programmers and programming. I have held
the impression that people twiddling bits at machine level and those doing
applications work in inventory control, accounting, physics, astronomy,etc. are
all programmers doing programming. Of course, each of these areas require
differing levels of expertise in mathematics. I doubt that those with a weak
background in math are designing compilers or operating systems.
	After reading only one book by Dr. Dijkstra, I get the impression that
he is a programming theorist. His SIGPLAN notice posted to the net is nothing
more than the usual complaint by theorists that the implementation of their
theories is lacking. Each of the languages that he denigrates in the notice
are probably very good for writing applications software that do useful work
for their users. However, I must agree with him that none of them are any good
for teaching programming principles and techniques. These languages do teach
some very basic (no pun intended) things about programming -- we must tell the
computer each little thing we want it to do and in the order we want it done.
This serves to remind us that we are not dealing with an intuitive entity.
	I think his point is that the structure(sigh), efficiency, correctness,
etc. of a program is based in mathematics - at least on a theoritical level -
and programming theory (discipline) requires a strong mathematical background.
He rues the fact that more emphasis is being placed on application than on
technique.
					Pete Wilson
					...we13!plw