On An Easy Construction of a Computing Machine
Melvin Hausner · Mathematics Teacher Learning and Teaching PK-12 · 1966
In Common with most universities and colleges in the country, New York University offers a survey course in mathematics to liberal arts students who will not major in mathematics or any of the exact sciences. At NYU it is a four-credit course called “Introduction to Mathematics,” although it is known to our computing machine by the more endearing name “A63.0001.” Because of the profound effect that computing machines have on our lives, and because of the mathematical nature of their theory and logic, I decided, on an experimental basis, to devote a few lectures to this topic. This note is devoted to what happened. It is my belief that a similar technique would work very well in the high schools. It should be remembered that the students in the class, as nonscience majors taking a minimal requirement course, were on the average less mathematically talented and trained than a group of scientifically minded high school juniors and seniors.