OK, so I was in my discrete math class tonight, and we were beginning to go over algorithms. This was my area: algorithms are all you deal with in programming. KEY NOTE: Everyone else in my class is a math major; I'm the only computer science major. Everything was going fine: the teacher explained how to break down a simple process like finding the maximum number in a series using simple English. It looked a little something like this:
S: {0,4,5,1,2,8,6}
1. Look at the first number in the series. This is the current maximum number.
2. Look at the next number in the series. If this number is greater than the maximum number, then this number is now the maximum number.
3. Repeat step two until you reach the end of the series.
Simple, duh. Then we progressed to doing the same steps, only this time with pseudocode. It now evolved into something like this:
max {a(1),a(2).....a(n)}
max = a(1)
for i=2 to n
{
if max < a(i)
then max = a(i)
}
The teacher explained each line in this pseudocode perfectly, and the class nodded their heads accordingly. It made sense to everyone, and the teacher even asked if they had questions about it. There weren't any. But then the teacher said that this was similiar to code used to program computers, and I heard a collective 'click' in the minds of everyone's brains in the class except mine. All of a sudden this no longer made sense, and the whole class was complaining that it was too difficult to understand and questioned even the most simple aspects of the pseudocode! The was weird since a few seconds earlier they took it right in. The teacher reassured the class that they could explain algorithms in English on the homework. I asked if I could explain it in C++. He said I could because he knew the language. Thank goodness!
Here's my question: does a person's mind tend to atrophé when it comes to trying to comprehend computers? I think my example proves this. As long as they didn't know that it had to do with computers it made sense, but one mention of this relating to computers and everything went to pot.
Computers aren't that complicated: it's basically like telling a dumb person that can only understand specific commands what to do. I think people tend to think that computers are smarter than they are, and that people that can control computers must be the smartest people of all. This really isn't the case. It was funny, one of the girls in my class turned to me and said: "You may be smart enough to understand this, but I never will be." Personally, I wanted to explain to her that I'm not that smart. Computer smarts is not the only kind of intelligence. Try convincing some people of THAT, though. I personally think that programming is a lazy person's occupation, and it's sort of why it caught my eye. Recently, though, I think I'm more interested in systems analysis and design. I don't want to just crank out code, because I enjoy working with people, believe it or not.
S: {0,4,5,1,2,8,6}
1. Look at the first number in the series. This is the current maximum number.
2. Look at the next number in the series. If this number is greater than the maximum number, then this number is now the maximum number.
3. Repeat step two until you reach the end of the series.
Simple, duh. Then we progressed to doing the same steps, only this time with pseudocode. It now evolved into something like this:
max {a(1),a(2).....a(n)}
max = a(1)
for i=2 to n
{
if max < a(i)
then max = a(i)
}
The teacher explained each line in this pseudocode perfectly, and the class nodded their heads accordingly. It made sense to everyone, and the teacher even asked if they had questions about it. There weren't any. But then the teacher said that this was similiar to code used to program computers, and I heard a collective 'click' in the minds of everyone's brains in the class except mine. All of a sudden this no longer made sense, and the whole class was complaining that it was too difficult to understand and questioned even the most simple aspects of the pseudocode! The was weird since a few seconds earlier they took it right in. The teacher reassured the class that they could explain algorithms in English on the homework. I asked if I could explain it in C++. He said I could because he knew the language. Thank goodness!
Here's my question: does a person's mind tend to atrophé when it comes to trying to comprehend computers? I think my example proves this. As long as they didn't know that it had to do with computers it made sense, but one mention of this relating to computers and everything went to pot.
Computers aren't that complicated: it's basically like telling a dumb person that can only understand specific commands what to do. I think people tend to think that computers are smarter than they are, and that people that can control computers must be the smartest people of all. This really isn't the case. It was funny, one of the girls in my class turned to me and said: "You may be smart enough to understand this, but I never will be." Personally, I wanted to explain to her that I'm not that smart. Computer smarts is not the only kind of intelligence. Try convincing some people of THAT, though. I personally think that programming is a lazy person's occupation, and it's sort of why it caught my eye. Recently, though, I think I'm more interested in systems analysis and design. I don't want to just crank out code, because I enjoy working with people, believe it or not.
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