Computer Laboratory for Mathematical Experimentation

霍利奥克山学院的数学系将购买 微VAX-II，外围设备和软件，以建立一个 数学计算机实验室的使用方法有三种。 第一、 学生在一门课程，要求专业，所谓的实验室， 数学实验，将研究数学问题 最好用电脑攻击 例如， 在色多项式和单峰;主题处理素数 数字;随机性;混沌动力系统;曼德尔布罗特集。 这个实验室将迫使学生掌握数学 通过实验和猜想的想法，确保一些熟练 用电脑，帮助培养精确的思维和写作。 第二，在高级课程中，学生可以利用他们的经验， 实验室使用计算机更容易有趣的工作 问题 第三，在高级独立工作中， 计算机将增加独立的数量和复杂性， 学生可以使用的项目，她将有相当多的 这样她就可以在更高的水平上开始这个项目。

The Mathematics Department at Mount Holyoke College will purchase a micro VAX-II, peripherals, and software in order to establish a mathematics computer laboratory to be used in three ways. First, students in a course, required of majors, called Laboratory in Mathematical Experimentation, will investigate mathematical problems which are best attacked using a computer. Examples of these are topics in chromatic polynormials and unimodality; topics dealing with prime numbers; randomness; chaotic dynamical systems; the Mandelbrot set. This laboratory will force students to come to grips with mathematical ideas through experimentation and conjecture, ensure some proficiency with the computer, and help foster precise thinking and writing. Second, in advanced courses students can build on their experience in the laboratory to use the computer more easily to work on interesting problems. Third, in senior independent work the availability of the computer will increase the number and sophistication of independent projects available to a student, and she will have had considerable experience so that she can start the project at a higher level.