Algorithms for the Masses

Abstract

Before the advent of computing, a standard science and mathematics curriculum emerged in secondary education, supported and expanded by first-year college courses, that serves as the technical basis for every student in science and engineering. For whatever reason, we have seen two unfortunate developments at the dawn of the new millenium. First, many computer science students have somehow been exempted from having to know basic precepts of science (instead, they learn about developing large programs and about theoretical issues). Second, many students in science and engineering have somehow been exempted from being exposed to basic precepts of computer science and algorithmics (instead, they learn a few specific programming tools). In both cases, students are being shortchanged.