[Edu-sig] RE: [Tutor] Off topic musings

[Kirby Urner]

At 06:28 PM 8/21/2001 +0100, you wrote:

>The point made in the papers was that in SE we do not have that
>basic understanding. We do not really know the materials with
>which we work.

The compiler is a mass-production module which you might say
automates a lot of steps.

But at the higher level, we have human ingenuity developing
algorithms based on insights.  I don't see any way to automate
that entirely.

The algorithm thread stretches back to pre-computer days and
is therefore "platform independent" in a stronger sense.  I'd
start with algorithms, which is not entirely distinct from
data structures; the two concepts are intimately interwoven,
as are "game rules" and "game board" or "game apparatus".

Kirby