The Importance of Mathematics in Computing

The importance of mathematics in computing
MSc. Daniel da Silva Souza1,2

dsouza@leibniz-fli.de
1 University of Brasília (UnB)

2 Leibniz-Institut für Alternsforschung - Fritz-Lipmann-Institut (FLI)
December 4th, 2018
Daniel Souza (UnB, FLI) The importance of mathematics in computing December 4th, 2018 1 / 11
Mathematics and Computing
Mathematics is the main pre-cursor of computing

Computing origins ⇒ machines able of doing calculations
Some of main mathematicians that were base for computing: Charles
Babbage, Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing, Dijkstra, among others..
Mathematics is present in several disciplines of the computing field:
Mathematics Computing
Mathematical Logic Programming Logic
Number Theory Criptography and Digital Signature
Set and Graph Theories Data Structure, Data bases, Networking, etc..
Discreet Math Algorithms
Analytical Geometry Computer Graphics
Probability and statistics Machine Learning, BI, Big Data, etc..
Mathematics and Computing
Mathematics is the main pre-cursor of computing

Computing origins ⇒ machines able of doing calculations
Some of main mathematicians that were base for computing: Charles
Babbage, Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing, Dijkstra, among others..
Mathematics is present in several disciplines of the computing field:
Mathematics Computing
Mathematical Logic Comp. Theory, Reasoning models, paradigms
Number Theory Criptography and Digital Signature
Set and Graph Theories Data Structure, Data bases, Networking, etc..
Discreet Math Algorithms
Analytical Geometry Computer Graphics
Probability and statistics Machine Learning, BI, Big Data, etc..
Computing as a Science
Charles Babbage’s Turing Machine
Analytical engine
Ada Lovelace
First Programmer
Mathematics
(i)
∞
f (0) i
f ( x)=∑ x
i=0 i ! (x−μ ) 2
1 − 2
f (x)= e 2σ
σ √2π
Von Neumann Model

Quantum Model
Turing Machine Church-Turing thesis:

Any function on the natural numbers is computable
applying an algorithm, if and only if it is computable
by a Turing machine.
Computability:
A problem is incomputable (or insoluble) when there is
no algorithm that can execute it, that is, there is no MT
that can compute it.
Problems to Algorithms and their complexities
Hipercomputation or Super-Turing Machines:
Refers to models of computation that can provide outputs
that are not Turing computable.
- Turing's original oracle machines (Turing’s Ph.D Thesis)
- Quantum models
Charles Babbage’s Turing Machine
Analytical engine
Ada Lovelace
First Programmer
Mathematics
(i)
∞
f (0) i
f ( x)=∑ x
i=0 i ! (x−μ ) 2
1 − 2
f (x)= e 2σ
σ √2π
Von Neumann Model

Quantum Model
Phylosophy to mathematical reasoning abstractions and
computing
Every problem-solving activity requires mathematical thinking (such as,
basic logics)
Abstraction
Math logic model
Problem-domain Reasoning / Inference
Argument
Logical conclusion
Classical logic Epistemic logic perspective:

- Deductive reasoning - Enhanches expressiveness of knowledge separating
Defeasable logic what is believed to what is known.
- Abductive reasoning
- Modal reasoning Argumentation Theory (grounded in Epistemiology):
- Inductive reasoning - Enhanches the expressiveness of konwldege trhough
the inconsistencies and imcompletness of information.
- Deals with different veracity degrees of arguments
- since from skeptical arguments to grounded arguments
All these philosophical logics were abstracted into a mathematical representation,

with theories and proofs that anable them to be abstracted into a computational representation.
Patterns, it is all about patterns
One definition of mathematics is that it is “the study of patterns” –

patterns of life, nature and the universe.
(Devlin K., Mathematics: The Science of Patterns, 1994)
In the preceding problem, we will see a closer connection between

mathematics and computing.
Problem
Eight people meet in a room. Each shakes hands with every other person
once. How many total handshakes are there? If n > 1 people met, how
many handshakes would there be?
What is the lesson students learn from such problems?

Hint: Patterns
Problem solving
Student A’s “brute-force” approach: preforms an experiment using 8

people.
Student B’s abstract representation of the problem: draws 8 circles, their
connections and, then, starts counting the lines.
Computer scientist student’s approach in seeking solution for general

problem: e.g. “if n > 1 people met, ...”.
Problem solving
According to 3rd student, instead of finding a general solution, it would be
wiser to find a general pattern.
Then, one is able in finding problem restrictions, variables and rules.
(
1 if n = 2
Shakes(n) =
shakes(n − 1) + (n − 1) for all n > 2
n shakes
2 1
3 3
4 6
5 10
... ...
Problem solving
The astute student will note that this computation is inefficient for larger
values of n.
Ideally, we seek an expression directly relating shakes(n) with n which does
not require computing intermediate values. With some hints students can
find the relationship:
shakes(n) = 1 + 2 + 3 + ... + (n − 1)
and ultimately the efficient “closed form” expression:
shakes(n) = n(n − 1)/2

Here, students used inductive reasoning to discover the relationship:
1 + 2 + 3 + ... + (n − 1) = n(n − 1)/2for all n > 1
Question
Is math really important for computing?

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The importance of mathematics in computing

MSc. Daniel da Silva Souza1,2

1 University of Brasília (UnB)

December 4th, 2018

Mathematics is the main pre-cursor of computing

Mathematics is the main pre-cursor of computing

Von Neumann Model

Turing Machine Church-Turing thesis:

Von Neumann Model

Classical logic Epistemic logic perspective:

All these philosophical logics were abstracted into a mathematical representation,

One definition of mathematics is that it is “the study of patterns” –

In the preceding problem, we will see a closer connection between

What is the lesson students learn from such problems?

Student A’s “brute-force” approach: preforms an experiment using 8

Computer scientist student’s approach in seeking solution for general

shakes(n) = n(n − 1)/2

1 + 2 + 3 + ... + (n − 1) = n(n − 1)/2for all n > 1

Is math really important for computing?

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