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During my maths BA I took: Foundation of computer science Data structures and algorithms (SML) Software engineering (Java) Operating systems (C) Numerical

by jamii 17y ago

During my maths BA I took: Foundation of computer science Data structures and algorithms (SML) Software engineering (Java) Operating systems (C) Numerical algorithms (C++) as well as yearly catam projects: http://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/catam/ http://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/catam/ There were also optional classes in bioinformatics and computational statistics and a number of lecturers encouraged the use of programming in solving weekly problem sheets. I would estimate at least a third of my year-group were fairly competent programmers come graduation.

tome 17y ago
I don't know when you took it, but that's not possible today unless you do the Mathematics with Computer Science option, which most Maths undergraduates do not, and certainly not the ones who are more into the applied side of things and are likely to end up in climate research.
- jamii 17y ago
  That's unfortunate. Given the nature of modern applied maths it seems like that should be the preferred route.
  - tome 17y ago
    Quite right. Understandably the applied maths department wants to give a rigorous theoretical training, but rigorous programming training ought to be given at some point before research starts.
- Silhouette 17y ago
  So you meant Cambridge as "the most highly regarded mathematics undergraduate programme in the UK"? I was afraid of that. Cambridge's mathematics research may be world class, but their teaching of undergraduates is very poor. It helps if you're an undergraduate at one of the more mathematically inclined colleges, of which Trinity is traditionally the strongest. Even then, there is only so much that small group supervisions or example classes can make up for if the basic syllabus and presentation in lectures is poor. Sadly, both the Mathematics with Computer Science tripos option and the Diploma in Computer Science conversion course have been dropped recently, removing two genuinely useful choices. As far as I can tell, this leaves only the well-intentioned but usually poorly realised CATAM projects as the main source of computational mathematics background for students, and the criticisms of insufficient training in real programming skills are entirely justified there. There is a new MPhil course running from this year in the Computer Lab, but this is more like Part III CompSci than the old Diploma. (Some of these comments are based on my own experiences studying at Cambridge in the '90s, though my general view is more coloured by the many graduates from Cambridge and elsewhere with whom I have worked since that time.)

by jamii 17y ago

tome 17y ago

I don't know when you took it, but that's not possible today unless you do the Mathematics with Computer Science option, which most Maths undergraduates do not, and certainly not the ones who are more into the applied side of things and are likely to end up in climate research.

jamii 17y ago
That's unfortunate. Given the nature of modern applied maths it seems like that should be the preferred route.
- tome 17y ago
  Quite right. Understandably the applied maths department wants to give a rigorous theoretical training, but rigorous programming training ought to be given at some point before research starts.
Silhouette 17y ago
So you meant Cambridge as "the most highly regarded mathematics undergraduate programme in the UK"? I was afraid of that. Cambridge's mathematics research may be world class, but their teaching of undergraduates is very poor. It helps if you're an undergraduate at one of the more mathematically inclined colleges, of which Trinity is traditionally the strongest. Even then, there is only so much that small group supervisions or example classes can make up for if the basic syllabus and presentation in lectures is poor. Sadly, both the Mathematics with Computer Science tripos option and the Diploma in Computer Science conversion course have been dropped recently, removing two genuinely useful choices. As far as I can tell, this leaves only the well-intentioned but usually poorly realised CATAM projects as the main source of computational mathematics background for students, and the criticisms of insufficient training in real programming skills are entirely justified there. There is a new MPhil course running from this year in the Computer Lab, but this is more like Part III CompSci than the old Diploma. (Some of these comments are based on my own experiences studying at Cambridge in the '90s, though my general view is more coloured by the many graduates from Cambridge and elsewhere with whom I have worked since that time.)