Andrew writes -

...

Indeed - math has made a science of the algorithm. Yet I can't help but wonder whether or not it is the emphasis on math and such technicality that tends to leave many feeling excluded from (or reluctant to attempt) programming. Consequently, this emphasis might have a tendency to elide

Kirby writes-

That's a good point too. I take a page from the explosive popularity of fractals. Here was a grass-roots, up welling of interest on the part of not math-specialists. With computers, we can do art. Math and art may be bridged, especially through geometry, and here especially is where computers really shine (PyGeo is a good example) -- much more so than calculators.

I had specifically logged on line to respond to this same point of Andrews, in a very similar way. Kirby beat me to it. Certainly the history of math and philosophy are intertwined to very strong degree. I think both Kirby and myself are trying - partly through the use of technology - to revitalize an interest in mathematics, as it relates to philosophy, art, design, etc. These is *not* a new concept. The concept that mathematics is somehow divorced from these pursuits is the new concept. A newer new concept, which is an old concept, is the convergence. I happen to be fascinated by projective geometry. It was developed intially by great artists, in studying perspective, then formalized by great philosophers, some of whom were also considered to be the great mathematicians of their day (or vice, versa - depending on how one wants to look at it). In fact many liberal artists hardly understand that the names they know as the significant philosophers, are the same names one studies in the history of mathematics. This is true into the modern era. I didn't understand it, until I began studying mathematics - which I happen to do in conjunction with studying programming. Lots of fireworks went off, in fact. And giving strong emphasis to visual mathematics is - as of today, I think - elevating it, rather than dumbing it down. Chaos theory, as Kirby points out. Wolfram's work. Many, many other examples. There *is* something to overcome, in terms of resistance. At one point some young folk - I think high schoolers - joined in to a discussion here, protesting the concept of bringing to together math and programming curriculum. They like programming and are good at it, they hate math and are bad at it. I don't blame them - if math is being presented to them as it was presented to me. I like to think they would by no means hate math taught by Kirby or myself, though. If they don't like history, philosophy, art -- they might have a problem, though. Art