Re:The $25B eigenvector (2006) [pdf]
by zitterbewegung on Sunday January 07, 2018 @08:43PM
(#16094047)
When I took math in college there was no motivating examples for nearly everything. I had to complete my CS courses to understand nearly a quarter of the actual applications of what I learned in my math class. The only reason that I even know more applications right now is the fact that I am trying to teach myself SMT solving and ML. Why can't we have a math book that has motivating examples applicable to everyone? Or if that is too hard then just one for Computer Science?
Right now in nearly every Math book that is bought by a College student or High School student has motivations in Phyaics. So a person could go through HS, get their Undergraduate degree in CS and then never figure out how math could be useful in their job at all. When students ask "when am I going to use this" you have already failed in teaching your students how to apply this.
Once they have reached this point either they will have a really bad impression of math and just give up OR they will believe whatever you say after words and get rewarded ten years down the line.
Right now in nearly every Math book that is bought by a College student or High School student has motivations in Phyaics. So a person could go through HS, get their Undergraduate degree in CS and then never figure out how math could be useful in their job at all. When students ask "when am I going to use this" you have already failed in teaching your students how to apply this.
Once they have reached this point either they will have a really bad impression of math and just give up OR they will believe whatever you say after words and get rewarded ten years down the line.