Algebra to Algorithms

Description

We rely on mathematics as a powerful language for understanding the natural world and technology. Mathematical models allow predictions of complex systems, and modern computing has both magnified the power of those models and helped shape new models that increasingly influence our lives. Computer science, as a constructive branch of mathematics, relies on mathematics for its culture and language of problem solving, and it also enables the construction of both deterministic and statistical mathematical models. Patterns that appear in the natural world and are expressed in mathematical models can also be applied to the visual arts.

We rely on mathematics as a powerful language for understanding the natural world and technology. Mathematical models allow predictions of complex systems, and modern computing has both magnified the power of those models and helped shape new models that increasingly influence our lives. Computer science, as a constructive branch of mathematics, relies on mathematics for its culture and language of problem solving, and it also enables the construction of both deterministic and statistical mathematical models. Patterns that appear in the natural world and are expressed in mathematical models can also be applied to the visual arts.

In this program, we will explore connections between mathematics, computer science, the natural sciences, and graphic arts.  We will develop mathematical abstractions and the skills needed to express, analyze and solve problems arising in the sciences. In addition, we will explore how to program interesting visual shapes using simple geometry. The regular work of the program will include seminars, lectures, problem solving workshops, programming labs, problem sets, and seminar papers. The emphasis will be on fluency in mathematical and statistical thinking and expression along with reflections on mathematics and society. Topics will include concepts of algebra, algorithms, programming and problem solving, with seminar readings about the role of mathematics in modern education and society.

This program is intended for students who want to gain a fundamental understanding of mathematics and computing before leaving college or before pursuing further work in the sciences or the arts.