From: "Ruth A. Kramer" <rhkramer@...>
Date: 2005-02-15T01:14:02+09:00
Subject: Re: Printing why's (poignant) guide to ruby

Alexander Kellett wrote:
> how can a variable confuse? its just a name. anyone who's done basic
> algebra gets it straight away surely?

Probably, but a = a + 1 was confusing for me when I first started
programming (30+ years ago) (solving for a gives a = 1/2 ;-)

Of course, I learned algebra a long time ago also, maybe today the
computing paradigm (incrementing a) is more common to incoming algebra
students and a teacher has to explain the algebraic paradigm?

I'm seriously wondering--feedback from anybody that's learned algebra
more recently than I?

Randy Kramer