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This is from the creator of APL and J.
This is a tour of interesting math ideas using J as an executable notation.
I haven't read this yet, but I am a long time fan of J and APL.
An HTML version.
From the preface:
In 1936, Lancelot Hogben published his still-popular Mathematics for the Million, stating his objective as follows: "The view which we shall explore is that mathematics is the language of size, shape and order and that is an essential part of the equipment of an intelligent citizen to understand this language. If the rules of Mathematics are the rules of grammar, there is no stupidity involved when we fail to see that a mathematical truth is obvious. The rules of ordinary grammar are not obvious. They have to be learned. They are not eternal truths. They are conveniences without whose aid truths about the sorts of things in the world cannot be communicated from one person to another."
Our objective is similar, but we now have new tools: the development of computer programming has provided languages with grammars that are simpler and more tractable than that of conventional mathematical notation. Moreover, the general availability of the computer makes possible convenient and accurate experimentation with mathematical ideas.
Posted to "" by Ehud Lamm on 1/4/01; 3:29:55 PM
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Math for the Layman, by Dr. Ken Iverson
