Let me recommend, however, that you skip exercises that involve draw.ss. If you can, make up alternatives using image.ss or universe.ss (see teachpack docs).
— Matthias
(via PLT)
Tag: HTDP
HtDP Makes SICP Easier
Recommendation: do the math-y sections in HTDP. This will give you a flavor of the kind of mathematics you get in SICP, even though there are non-overlapping examples in each. I would especially focus on the examples from calculus (numeric differentiation, integration, taylor series etc) but the graph traversal (network flow) things are good for you too. Once you are at east with those, you can tackle SICP and get through fast
–Matthias
(via PLT)
HtDP Teaches More Than Programming
…you won’t believe it but by reaching part VI, you have mastered a significant chunk of mathematics that you would have never considered within reach had I told you at the outset of your studies that you’d understand rudimentary concepts from “higher” algebra (advanced college material).
— Matthias Felleisen
(via PLT)
A peasant revolt against DrScheme!
Here is an interesting thread in the PLT discussion archive discussing the want of beginning programmers only to learn things that are clearly useful!
(surely via the PLT Discussion list, but I can’t recall or find it…)
HtDP Languages and Math
A comment by Matthais on the nature of the first three HtDP languages:
HtDP’s first three teaching languages are basically mathematics, ignoring the parentheses. We use
— arithmetic, for many different forms of data
— algebra, for (potentially conditional) function definitions
— pre-calculus, for induction and recursion (these things converge, like series)