Computer Laboratory for Mathematical Experimentation

曼荷莲学院数学系将购买微型VAX-II、外围设备和软件，以建立一个可供三种用途使用的数学计算机实验室。首先，在一门被称为数学实验实验室的专业必修课上，学生们将研究最容易使用计算机攻击的数学问题。这些主题的例子有色多项式和单峰性；涉及素数的主题；随机性；混沌动力系统；Mandelbrot集。这个实验室将迫使学生通过实验和猜测来掌握数学思想，确保对计算机有一定的熟练程度，并帮助培养准确的思维和写作。其次，在高级课程中，学生可以在实验室经验的基础上，更容易地使用计算机来解决有趣的问题。第三，在高级独立工作中，计算机的可用性将增加学生可以进行的独立项目的数量和复杂性，而且她将拥有相当多的经验，这样她就可以在更高的水平上开始项目。

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.