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From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: Intelligence
Message-ID: <523@ttidcc.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 3-Jul-85 16:27:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: ttidcc.523
Posted: Wed Jul  3 16:27:27 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 9-Jul-85 12:18:17 EDT
References: <456@ttidcc.UUCP> <457@ttidcc.UUCP> <1586@hao.UUCP>
Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 63

In article <259@tove.UUCP> dsn@tove.UUCP (Dana S. Nau) writes:
>Do you really belive _everyone_ is required to take calculus?  That's
>certainly not so!  I'll assume you mean everyone majoring in a technical
>subject such as math, physics, chemistry, engineering, computer science,
>etc.

... business, policy analysis, medicine, accounting, etc.

I have a graduate degree in Psychology myself,  mostly  because  it  didn't
require  calculus  and  I thought I could make a living with it (wrong, but
that's another story).  It did require advanced courses in  statistics  and
experimental  design.  These  were taught with a very practical orientation
that assured we knew how to correctly apply the techniques whether  or  not
we  could  prove  them. (The calculus proofs were presented, but we weren't
required to derive them).

>I think your question could be asked about nearly all college courses--both
>required courses and electives.

How could it  apply  to  electives?  Anyway,  it's  one  thing  to  require
introductory courses in a broad range of subjects in the interest of a well
rounded education.  It's something else entirely  to  require  a  difficult
course in advanced mathematics for people who will never need it.

>                          The courses teach not only what is taught
>explicitly, but also ways of looking at the world and ways of thinking.

Does calculus do this better than, say, economics or logic  or  psychology?
Differently, perhaps, but I think not better.

>If you want a more specific answer, calculus is necessary in order to
>understand the following subjects ...
 .
 .
 .
>(3) probability and statistics (which is used in systems performance
>    analysis, numerical analysis, analysis of algorithms, AI, pattern
>    recognition, and probably elsewhere);

See remarks on statistics, above.

>                                                               ... If
>someone isn't going to be using these subjects, perhaps they don't need a
>computer science degree!

>A related question would be HOW MUCH calculus is useful for a computer
>science major. ...

I wasn't specifically asking about computer science degrees, but, since you
mention  it,  I've  been  a  senior programmer and project leader for a few
years, having worked  my  way  up  from  entry  level.  I'm  hoping  for  a
promotion  to either a managerial position or equivalent technical position
within a year.  I intend to take (and pass (-: ) the CDP exam in  December.
All  without  a  degree  in CS and without having studied calculus. (I have
been through several certificate programs through UCLA Extension).

>                                ... I get frustrated when I present a proof
>in a senior-level data structures course and most of the students tell me
>they don't know how to do proofs using quantifiers.

Forgive my ignorance, but would this ability have  any  practical  use  for
anyone  other than a mathematician or advanced researcher?  Apparently not,
if your students can get along without it.