Using programming to learn mathematics makes sense, since process-driven exploration is closer to the way we naturally experience the world.
These days, programming perhaps also has a lower barrier of entry than mathematics with respect to the amount of specialist vocabulary required for comprehension.
"These days, programming perhaps also has a lower barrier of entry than mathematics with respect to the amount of specialist vocabulary required for comprehension."
Would it be reasonable to state that another major factor that programming has a lower entry barrier because it receives a lot of good publicity. I see many ads and PSA's online, and in my local community which encourage people to program. Going even further programming has modern young people serving as figureheads and mentors.
Most people have been learning math since grade school, but no one ever mentioned Leonhard Euler, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, John von Neumann, or Georg Cantor during class/lecture.
I want to do anything I can to encourage people to learn and explore mathematics, especially young people. Going back to school, and pursuing computer-science, and mathematics has made me think more clearly, and rationally about my whole life. I wish someone would of encouraged that when I was younger.
Mathematics is not about numbers. It's about dealing with any kinds of formal systems. Writing a singe expression in any programming language is already as mathematical as it gets, because this expression has a very well defined meaning.
As for being "good", I saw numerous examples of people who could not get mathmatics as it was taught in a school or a university, but had no problems understanding the advanced mathematical concepts later, coming to them through programming. In fact, programming might be the best possible way to learn mathematical thinking.
I agree. The more I explore different topics of math my outlook of mathematics changes. It think it's good discuss the correlations between math and programming. I've read discussions where people strongly argued that people don't need to concern themselves with mathematics in order to program.
Instead we should be looking at math as something to embrace rather than avoid. Especially when communicating with young people.
Mathematics = formal systems.
Programming = formal procedural systems.
Using programming to learn mathematics makes sense, since process-driven exploration is closer to the way we naturally experience the world.
These days, programming perhaps also has a lower barrier of entry than mathematics with respect to the amount of specialist vocabulary required for comprehension.