20080828

Gerald J Sussman at Don Friedman's 60th Birthday Party



Original video here.

DECLARATIVE KNOWLEDGE

What is True

IMPERATIVE KNOWLEDGE

Find an Approximation to f(x)
Make Guess (G)
Improve Guess by averaging G and (f(x))/G
Recur until G good enough

Computer languages
I can say some things more precisely than before

CELESTIAL MECHANICS
Chaotic Motion shown by machine

I've learned a lot, and I'd like to tell you the things I've learned

Structure and Interpretations of Classical Mechanics

Mathematical Notation Fundamentally sucks

cos^2(x)

cos^-1(x) /= 1/(cos(x))

Mathematical notation is an impressionistic natural language.

Mathematicians haven't been clear because they don't have a good language.

No good for teaching elementary stuff.

Right answers by wrong arguments.

Understanding ideas /= Manipulating symbols

FUNCTIONAL PROGRAMMING

Requires precision.

Write a program to explain things.

precise
formal
~overly rigorous

Edgar Allen Poe The Philosophy of Composition 1846

Minsky Paper Title

MINDSTORMS: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas by Seymour Papert
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1 comment:

Sarah said...

My philosophy professor was short, fat, balding but somehow with long crazy hair, who wore flip-flops to class everyday, even winter. On yes! And he was Australian and wore Australian tourist t-shirts also everyday without fail.
The End.

Thursday, September 18, 2008 at 5:22:00 PM CDT

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