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Induction is basically the first thing you learn in your freshman intro to proofs class. Probably US high school geometry classes teach it too, I don't remember
by kelipso 3y ago
Induction is basically the first thing you learn in your freshman intro to proofs class. Probably US high school geometry classes teach it too, I don't remember, but it can be easily taught to sophomore high school students. So you saying it's not intuitive is a bias that came from your previous experience, not from reality.
Induction is literally the simplest type of proof you do in math, and of course there's a 1-1 relationship between induction and recursion. Induction is also the basic way that you discover/invent an algorithm in CS, which is usually taught in junior level CS algorithms classes in all the top colleges.
So I think it's just a problem with people just not learning a fairly simple concept or just skipping intro to algo classes altogether.
- QuercusMax 3y agoInduction and proofs are taught REALLY REALLY badly in most US high schools and many colleges. It's not intuitive, even though it may be simple.
- kelipso 3y agoSince it's simple, the question of whether it is intuitive or not depends on how well you learn it. It's such a core part of algorithm design that you should make it intuitive to yourself in order to be a better programmer.