In the Footsteps of Programming Teachers

"Krzysztof Frankowski has written an unusual book with a fresh look at many of the fundamental ideas behind the digital computer and the algorithms they run. This book should inspire the reader to explore these ideas further." -- Professor Daniel Boley, Data Science Director of Graduate Studies, University of Minnesota.

"I enjoyed reading mathematics viewed through the clear lens of a mathematical computer scientist."-- Professor Stanisaw Goldstein, Chair of the Department of Applied Computer Science, University of d, Poland.

This book is a meditation on the history and relationship of mathematics and programming by a pioneer from the early era of computing. Each of 13 chapters focuses on one or two master teachers and something they taught us. The teachings are broad concepts, but also concrete, with a problem defined in each chapter, and implemented in Mathematica (which can also be run in Mathics, a free and open-source tool). Spend a few hours reading some polished programming pearls.

"We live in times of awful extravagance and waste of resources. Indeed, our actions and attitudes may be threatening even the beauty and human habitability of the natural environment of our planet. Mindset and values are important from small to large. I want to teach students to recognize the beauty of small pearls rather than tolerate the wasteful tangles that result from laziness."