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  1. Xref: sparky comp.edu:1477 comp.lang.fortran:3367 comp.lang.misc:2883 comp.arch:9164 sci.math:10853
  2. Path: sparky!uunet!pipex!warwick!str-ccsun!strath-cs!st-and!ajtd@honey.st-and.ac.uk
  3. From: ajtd@honey.st-and.ac.uk (Tony Davie)
  4. Newsgroups: comp.edu,comp.lang.fortran,comp.lang.misc,comp.arch,sci.math
  5. Subject: Re: Scientists as Programmers (was Re: Small Language Wanted)
  6. Message-ID: <1992Sep2.090541.29304@st-andrews.ac.uk>
  7. Date: 2 Sep 92 09:05:41 GMT
  8. References: <1992Aug25.154501.8654@colorado.edu> <1992Aug26.192410.6523@ultb.isc.rit.edu> <1992Aug27.154823.583@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca> <BtpAIn.EE5@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> <34742@cbmvax.commodore.com> <1992Aug31.133811.3626@crd.ge.com> <1992Aug31.144045.11416@hubcap.
  9. Sender: usenet@st-andrews.ac.uk (NNTP access user)
  10. Organization: St.Andrews University
  11. Lines: 17
  12. Nntp-Posting-Host: 138.251.192.26
  13.  
  14. In article <1992Aug31.144045.11416@hubcap.clemson.edu>, steve@hubcap.clemson.edu ("Steve" Stevenson) writes:
  15. > 
  16. > My experience is that most computer science types would not know the best
  17. > numerical algorithm because they don't undertand the science. The problem
  18. > continues to be that scientific codes are meant to deal with nature and
  19. > that takes someone who understands the problem. The problems keep getting
  20. > worse as more university dumb-down the CS curriculum.
  21. > 
  22. In my experience as a computer scientist with a numerical analysis background,
  23. most scientists (as opposed to mathematicians) would not know the best numerical
  24. algorithm because they know no numerical analysis and many don't seem to
  25. want to know. Things as simple as
  26. calculating scalar products to at least double length don't seem to be
  27. known about.
  28.  
  29. In addition, many of the best non-numerical algorithms seem to be neglected.
  30. Bubble sort STILL seems to be the most used sorting method, for instance.
  31.