category theory introduction using ML

CKoenig · 10 months

Abstraction. Same as abstract algebra: one can come up with algorithms for greatest common denominator, linear systems of equations, and integer programming, or one can come up with the more abstract algorithm for computing Gröbner bases and get the others for free.

Haskell programmers in particular find that their "design patterns" end up taking the form of category theoretic constructions like applicative functors, monads, etc.

Zigaro · 10 months

I can't say "cool" just once.

artificialhero · 10 months

It's even tagged as "reinforcement learning".

inferreddit · 10 months

Woah. Thank you sir for triggering me to remember how I got these scars on my hand. I've been wondering about those for years.

SweetBeets · 10 months

I too would like to know this.

ScriptKiddiesAreCool · 10 months

Don't sleep with a running fan in the room!

25506 · 11 months

It might hinder you a little bit in courses like computer vision or (more advanced) scientific computing.

But more important is to have a good grasp of math in general.

The specific techniques that tend to be taught in a differential equations classes aren't really relevant. An understanding of what a differential equation is, and why/how they're used is important for those subjects. Symbolic techniques for solving them, not so much.

JimbleFredberry · 11 months

Did they confirm when flesh Amy was swapped for real Amy and I missed it? Or are we still speculating about that?

holdmybeer · 12 months

Agreed, but sometimes I think that certain branches of computer science have more worthwhile things to say about software construction than the software engineers :)

zach2093 · 12 months

make sure u take good classes like advanced statistics, complex analysis, or stuff related to CS, and avoid as much as you can stuff like abstract algebra or topologies (not useful for CS).

My verdict is still out on topology, but abstract algebra is quite important to me in programming languages research. The problem is, it's things like monoids, lattices, and categories that end up being useful to me, not rings, groups and modules (which is what math departments usually teach). But the ideas and skills transfer.

Conversely, I don't use any statistics, calculus, or analysis.

Edit: And people in cryptography can tell you all about how useful groups, rings, and modules are.

holdmybeer · 12 months

Agreed, this is a problem. It shouldn't be much harder than explaining why the hastily written code that met the deadline is full of showstopping bugs though. Unfortunately the culture seems to be that bugs are good (you get to charge for new versions!) and customers are too used to this model to realize how ridiculous it is.

holdmybeer · 1 year

Then use it. Formally model aspects of your software. The people with CS degrees are the people who should be deciding how software construction is carried out.

stevana · 1 year

The circle seems to be defined as an object whose fundamental group is the integers.

Not exactly. It's defined to be inductively generated by a base point and a loop. So there's something to do. And it's not immediately obvious that the univalence axiom is all you need in order to do it.

I thought a circle was R/Z...

To some. Some probably really only do bother considering topological spaces up to homotopy equivalence. Because, why not, if it captures all the properties you personally care about.

Edit: And defining something in terms of numbers, like R/Z, is, according to my world view, usually just a poor implementation choice. I don't need no stinking numbers.

25506 · 1 year

Most of the CS students I've talked to at my university have been programming since early high school and know a lot, so I'm pretty intimidated.

Don't worry about this. In many ways, never having done programming before is an advantage when you enter university. The people who have programmed before usually have all kinds of terrible habits that need to be broken.

stevana · 1 year

Woah.

Jaketh · 1 year

Oh, I didn't catch the "Of course not", good catch! Makes sense.

QuantumCreeper · 1 year

As part of a possibly cruel but awesome experiment, I highly recommend you start with CMU's new intro functional programming course. All the lecture notes are online.

(I don't think it's cruel to start here. In fact I think it's an excellent idea. But many others seem to have the opinion that it's cruel)

Jaketh · 1 year

Why do you say she didn't realize what was going on? I considered that a possibility.

whatsheon · 1 year

Their solution to eliminate null pointer exceptions is kinda clumsy.

If you don't want to go through the presentation:

If a value of type T can be null, it must be declared of type "T?" (or Optional<T>). Then every usage must be guarded as follows:

String? name = process.args.first;
if (exists name) {
    writeLine(“Hello “ name ”!”);
}

Pattern matching, for god's sake! Use it!

Immutable by default is... a start.

ptyyy · 1 year

I didn't go to CMU, but I think they're one of the first schools to start on the path to teaching CS "the right way" based on what I've read on Bob Harper's blog.

ten_twelve · 1 year

I know, I was just remarking that I hoped it included type systems.

ten_twelve · 1 year

I would think (hope) that "Nature of Programming Languages" involves the study of type systems formally (System F, dependently-typed calculi like Martin-Lof type theory or the Calculus of Constructions, etc).

duckbrioche · 1 year

Strong normalization of System F

Oddgenetix · 1 year

I consider it my personal responsibility to be in and out of there as fast as possible. Sometimes I go so far as to figure out the tax in my head and find exact change while I'm waiting in line. After, change goes into my pocket ASAP and I'm out of there.

25506

TROPHY CASE

you'll need to login or register to do that

create a new account

login