The mathematical thinking, as well as the mathematics, in a computer science education prepares students for all stages of system development, from design to the correctness of the final implementation.
The paper [2] argued that mathematical ideas play an important role in the computer science curriculum, and that Discrete Mathematics needs to be taught early in the computer science curriculum. In this follow-up paper, we present evidence that computer science curricula are drifting away from a fundamental commitment to theoretical and mathematical ideas. We propose some actions that can be taken to help reverse this drift.
This article explores the philosophy and position of the discipline of computer science within the liberal arts, based upon a discussion of the nature of computer science and a review of the characteristics of the liberal arts. A liberal arts environment provides important opportunities for undergraduate programs, but also presents important constraints. A well designed program can flourish in this environment, and evidence indicates that a liberal arts program in computer science can indeed succeed well.
We are concerned about a view in undergraduate computer science education, especially in the early courses, that it's okay to be math-phobic and still prepare oneself to become a computer scientist. Our view is the contrary: that any serious study of computer science requires students to achieve mathematical maturity (especially in discrete mathematics) early in their undergraduate studies, thus becoming well-prepared to integrate mathematical ideas, notations, and methodologies throughout their study of computer science. A major curricular implication of this theme is that the prerequisite expectations and conceptual level of the first discrete mathematics course should be the same as it is for the first calculus course -secondary school pre-calculus and trigonometry. Ultimately, calculus, linear algebra, and statistics are also essential for computer science majors, but none should occur earlier than discrete mathematics.This paper explains our concerns and outlines our response as a series of examples and recommendations for future action.
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