| Date | Speaker | Talk |
| May 02, 2006 | Peter B. Henderson | The Role of Mathematics in Undergraduate CS & SE Education |
Computer science and software engineering are young, maturing disciplines. As with other mathematically based disciplines, such as the natural sciences, economics and engineering, it takes time for the mathematical roots to grow and flourish. The current mathematics requirements for computer science and software engineering majors may not be appropriate, and the mathematics material that is appropriate is not integrated into the courses. Computing Curricula 2001 (CC 2001) and Software Engineering 2004 include discrete mathematics in the core and recommends that this material be covered early. This partly addresses the requirements issue, but not the integration problem. This presentation will identify and motivate the topics to be included in freshman discrete mathematics, discuss curricula issues, present evidence that teaching discrete mathematics and problem-solving early is beneficial, and discuss ways in which mathematical concepts can be integrated and reinforced throughout undergraduate computer science and software engineering curricula.