4 ms·
> In software, a programmer calls a sort function from the supplied library. An engineer writes the sort function, and can tell you its complexity and why the a
by jgwil2 5y ago
> In software, a programmer calls a sort function from the supplied library. An engineer writes the sort function, and can tell you its complexity and why the algorithm he chose (or invented) is the most appropriate one for the particular sorting task, and what the cases are where the sort will perform poorly, and why.
Designing and analyzing algorithms is usually considered the work of computer scientists, I would think. Software engineers are something different.
- Jensson 5y agoIf you design and analyze algorithms intended to solve practical problems then you are an engineer. It is similar to the physicist vs engineer separation, they often do the same kind of calculations but physicists do it to create generic formulas while engineers do it to get formulas for the specific scenarios they are working on now. So if you design a sort function intended to be optimal for your given workload, then you are an engineer and not a computer scientist.
- WalterBright 5y agoScientists do research, engineers apply research.