🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Dec10.155710.24168@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca>  
mroussel@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca (Marc Roussel) writes:
>      The right thing to do is to stop sending physicists to math
> departments to learn calculus and linear algebra.  It just doesn't make  
sense.
> Physics is built on these elementary subjects.  The current
> arrangement serves the students very poorly since the math has to be
> taught in physics class anyway, not being taught quickly enough in
> "real" mathematics courses.  Any physicist worthy of the name can teach
> calculus and algebra as well as a mathematician could, and to any degree
> of rigour required. 

I would agree that physicists could teach calculus and algebra. "As well as  
any mathematician could..." is, of course, a statement whose truth relies at  
least upon what concepts and viewpoint is desired. My experience has been that  
the emphasis within physics is usually on manipulations and cookbook  
techniques (so that one can get down to the real work at hand.) That you claim  
it could be done to any degree of rigour required, I take as prima facie  
evidence that you suffer from a narrow viewpoint as to what calculus might be  
about, the ways in which the ideas can be presented and thus what role  
mathematics should play in a student's education. It is an attitude whose  
arrogance seems to occur from time to time among some in the natural  
sciences....( I didn't want to just offend you and the physicists who would  
agree with you, after all :-) )

> >Some years ago, we tried to put in a "Mathematical Methods" course, but
> >the math department made a fuss about our invading their turf, so the
> >proposal got shot down.
> 
>      The math department shouldn't be able to say how we will educate
> our physicists.  It's none of their business.
> 

I certainly agree to that, however you might wish to consider the fact there  
are perspectives on mathematics which are best conveyed by those who are  
mathematicians, and that even physicists can benefit from a broadened point of  
view.

-- 


-Michael