|Speaker:||Roland BACKHOUSE, University of Nottingham, UK|
|Place:||Room B 216, Institute of Cybernetics, Akadeemia tee 21, Tallinn, Estonia|
|Time:||Monday, November 19, 2002, 11:00|
Our lives and livelihoods are now highly dependent on the reliable functioning of computer software. The sheer scale of software systems makes their design and implementation a highly demanding intellectual activity. Meeting these demands has inspired a revolution in the way that mathematics is conducted.
In this talk, I will discuss lessons that have been learnt in the process of developing a science of computing that have wider implications for the way we conduct and teach mathematics. I will argue the case for calculational logic, as opposed to, for example, natural deduction. I will also argue why construction is so much more important than verification. The talk will be illustrated by examples of good and bad practice in mathematics and will conclude with an outline of a "Grand Challenge'' with the goal of revolutionising the art of effective reasoning.