Poets of the 18th century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Poets of the 18th century - Essay Example Likewise, Gulliver's adventures in Laputa illustrate Swift's negative opinion of the general value of science produced by the Royal Society as the scientists and doctors of the floating city continuously spend their time involved in meaningless pursuits that bring benefit to no one. Finally, in his fourth voyage, Gulliver's encounter with the Houyhnhnms creates a strong commentary on the true picture of human nature in which the conception of war has not even been considered, much less worked out to the fine science Gulliver describes to his astonished hosts. "Ironically Gulliver's Travels, a book thought by most people as a charming book of adventure popular with children, is one of the most powerful attacks ever made against man's wickedness and stupidity. Swift's book is full of personal, literary and political allusions" (Taralunga, 2003: 135). William Blake's poems typically focused on aspects of the human spirit as it comes in contact with authority figures, whether they be government or religious, as well as the joyful celebration of his idea of Christianity and humanity. As a result, his poems provided many with inspiration and hope in times that seemed overly chaotic as revolutions of various types were occurring on virtually every front and power structures were struggling to hold onto whatever controls they could. In "London" for example, a poem describing the way in which the human spirit had been shackled in 1794 when the poem had been written, Blake expresses an abiding belief in the unchristian nature of the restrictions on freedoms being experienced by the British people. The French Revolution had just occurred and sentiment in Britain had reached an all-time low as expressed in lines such as "How the chimney-sweepers cry" (9) and "' the hapless Soldiers sigh / Runs in blood down Palace walls" (11-12) in which it can be seen that even time-honored occupations such as chimney sweeps and soldiers had fallen into disrespect and despair. The red walls of the street depicted in the poem's illustration provide a subtle imagery of the British soldiers' and, by extension, the rest of the British population's plight. Although he is describing physical situations, "A mark in every face I meet / Marks of weakness, marks of woe" (3-4), he makes it clear that he is also discussing the state of the souls of people he meets, "In every voice; in every ban / The mind-forg'd manacles I hear" (7-8). 7. Write about one of the poets specifically and the subjects / themes he is best known for: Blake's dual nature of man; Burns's view of human position or importance; Wordsworth's child / man connection; Coleridge's flights of imagination; Shelley's willingness to bare his soul or his

Importance of Discrete Mathematics in Computer Science

Importance of Discrete Mathematics in Computer Science Computer science is the study of problems, problem solving and the solutions that come out of the problem solving process, B. Miller and D. Ranum (2013). A computer scientist goal is to develop an algorithm, a step by step list of instructions in solving a problem. Algorithms are finite processes that if followed will solve the problem Discrete mathematics is concerned with structures which take on a discrete value often infinite in nature. Just as the real-number system plays a crucial role in continuous mathematics, integers are the cornerstone in discrete mathematics. Discrete mathematics provides excellent modelling tools for analysing real-world phenomena that varies in one state or another and is a vital tool used in a wide range of applications, from computers to telephone call routing and from personnel assignments to genetics, E.R. Scheinerman (2000) cited in W. J. Rapaport 2013). The difference between discrete mathematics and other disciplines is the basic foundation on proof as its modus operandi for determining truth, whereas science for example, relies on carefully analysed experience. According to J. Barwise and J. Etchemendy, (2000), a proof is any reasoned argument accepted as such by other mathematicians. Discrete mathematics is the background behind many computer operations (A. Purkiss 2014, slide 2) and is therefore essential in computer science. According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000), discrete mathematics is an essential part of the educational curriculum (Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, p. 31). K. H Rosen (2012) cites several important reasons for studying discrete mathematics including the ability to comprehend mathematical arguments. In addition he argues discrete mathematics is the gateway to advanced courses in mathematical sciences. This essay will discuss the importance of discrete mathematics in computer science. Furthermore, it will attempt to provide an understanding of important related mathematical concepts and demonstrate with evidence based research why these concepts are essential in computer science. The essay will be divided into sections. Section one will define and discuss the importance of discrete mathematics. The second section will focus on and discuss discrete structures and relationships with objects. The set theory would be used as an example and will give a brief understanding of the concept. The third section will highlight the importance of mathematical reasoning. Finally, the essay will conclude with an overview of why discrete mathematics is essential in computer science. Discrete Mathematics According to K. H. Rosen, (2012) discrete mathematics has more than one purpose but more importantly it equips computer science students with logical and mathematical skills. Discrete mathematics is the study of mathematics that underpins computer science, with a focus on discrete structures, for example, graphs, trees and networks, K H Rosen (2012). It is a contemporary field of mathematics widely used in business and industry. Often referred to as the mathematics of computers, or the mathematics used to optimize finite systems (Core-Plus Mathematics Project 2014). It is an important part of the high school mathematics curriculum. Discreet mathematics is a branch of mathematics dealing with objects that can assume only distinct separated values (mathworld wolfram.com). Discrete mathematics is used in contrast with continuous mathematics, a branch of mathematics dealing with objects that can vary smoothly including calculus (mathworld wolfram.com). Discrete mathematics includes graph theory, theory of computation, congruences and recurrence relations to name but a few of its associated topics (mathworld wolfram.com). Discrete mathematics deals with discrete objects which are separated from each other. Examples of discrete objects include integers, and rational numbers. A discrete object has known and definable boundaries which allows the beginning and the end to be easily identified. Other examples of discrete objects include buildings, lakes, cars and people. For many objects, their boundaries can be represented and modelled as either continuous or discrete, (Discrete and Continuous Data, 2008). A major reason discrete mathematics is essential for the computer scientist, is, it allows handling of infinity or large quantity and indefiniteness and the results from formal approaches are reusable. Discrete Structures To understand discrete mathematics a student must have a firm understanding of how to work with discrete structures. These discrete structures are abstract mathematical structures used to represent discrete objects and relationships between these objects. The discrete objects include sets, relations, permutations and graphs. Many important discrete structures are built using sets which are collections of objects K H Rosen (2012). Sets As stated by Cantor (1895: 282) cited in J. L. Bell (1998) a set is a collection of definite, well- differentiated objects. K. H Rosen (2012) states discrete structures are built using sets, which are collections of objects used extensively in counting problems; relations, sets of ordered pairs that represent relationships between objects, graphs, sets of vertices and edges that connect vertices and edges that connect vertices; and finite state machines, used to model computing machines. Sets are used to group objects together and often have similar properties. For example, all employees working for the same organisation make up a set. Furthermore those employees who work in the accounts department form a set that can be obtained by taking the elements common to the first two collections. A set is an unordered collection of objects, called elements or members of the set. A set is said to contain its elements. To denote that a is an element of the set A, we write a â‚ ¬ A. For example the set O of odd positive integers less than 10 can be expressed by O = {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}. Another example is, {x |1 ≠¤ x ≠¤ 2 and x is a real number.} represents the set of real numbers between 1 and 2 and {x | x is the square of an integer and x ≠¤ 100} represents the set {0. 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100}, (www.cs.odu.edu). Mathematical Reasoning Logic is the science for reasoning, Copi, (1971) and a collection of rules used in carrying out logical reasoning. The foundation for logic was laid down by the British mathematician George Boole. Logic is the basis of all mathematical reasoning and of all automated reasoning. It has practical applications to the design of computing machines, to the specification of systems, to artificial intelligence, to computer programming, to programming languages and to other areas of computer science, K H Rosen, (2012 page 1). Mathematical logic, starts with developing an abstract model of the process of reasoning in mathematics, D. W. Kucker page 1. Following the development of an abstract model a study of the model to determine some of its properties is necessary. The aim of logic in computer science is to develop languages to model the situations we encounter as computer science professionals, in such a way that we can reason about them formally. Reasoning about situations means constructing arguments about them; we want to do this formally, so that the arguments are valid and can be defended rigorously, or executed on a machine. In understanding mathematics we must understand what makes a correct mathematical argument, that is, a proof. As stated by C. Rota (1997) a proof is a sequence of steps which leads to the desired conclusion Proofs are used to verify that computer programs produce the correct result, to establish the security of a system and to create artificial intelligence. Logic is interested in true or false statements and how the truth or falsehood of a statement can be determined from other statements (www.cs.odu.edu). Logic is represented by symbols to represent arbitrary statements. For example the following statements are propositions â€Å"grass is green† and â€Å"2 + 2 = 5†. The first proposition has a truth value of â€Å"true† and the second â€Å"false†. According to S. Waner and S. R Constenoble (1996) a proposition is any declarative sentence which is either true or false. Many in the computing community have expressed the view that logic is an essential topic in the field of computer science (e.g., Galton, 1992; Gibbs Tucker, 1986; Sperschneider Antoniou, 1991). There has also been concern that the introduction of logic to computer science students has been and is being neglected (e.g., Dijkstra, 1989; Gries, 1990). In their article â€Å"A review of several programs for the teaching of logic†, Goldson, Reeves and Bornat (1993) stated: There has been an explosion of interest in the use of logic in computer science in recent years. This is in part due to theoretical developments within academic computer science and in part due to the recent popularity of Formal Methods amongst software engineers. There is now a widespread and growing recognition that formal techniques are central to the subject and that a good grasp of them is essential for a practising computer scientist. (p. 373). In his paper â€Å"The central role of mathematical logic in computer science†, Myers (1990) provided an extensive list of topics that demonstrate the importance of logic to many core areas in computer science and despite the fact that many of the topics in Myers list are more advanced than would be covered in a typical undergraduate program, the full list of topics covers much of the breadth and depth of the curriculum guidelines for computer science, Tucker (1990). The model program report (IEEE, 1983) described discrete mathematics as a subject area of mathematics that is crucial to computer science and engineering. The discrete mathematics course was to be a pre or co requisite of all 13 core subject areas except Fundamentals of Computing which had no pre requisites. However in Shaw’s (1985) opinion the IEEE program was strong mathematically but disappointing due to a heavy bias toward hardware and its failure to expose basic connections between hardware and software. In more recent years a task force had been set up to deve lop computer science curricula with the creation of a document known as the Denning Report, (Denning, 1989). The report became instrumental in developing computer science curriculum. In a discussion of the vital role of mathematics in the computing curriculum, the committee stated, mathematical maturity, as commonly attained through logically rigorous mathematics courses is essential to successful mastery of several fundamental topics in computing, (Tucker, 1990, p.27). It is generally agreed that students in undergraduate computer science programs should have a strong basis in mathematics and attempts to recommend which mathematics courses should be required, the number of mathematics courses and when the courses should be taken have been the source of much controversy (Berztiss, 1987; Dijkstra, 1989; Gries, 1990; Ralston and Shaw, 1980; Saiedian 1992). A central theme in the controversy within the computer science community has been the course discrete mathematics. In 1989, the Mathematical Association of America published a report about discrete mathematics at the undergraduate level (Ralston, 1989). The report made some recommendations including offering discrete mathematics courses with greater emphasis on problem solving and symbolic reasoning (Ralston, 1989; Myers, 1990). Conclusion The paper discussed the importance of discrete mathematics in computer science and its significance as a skill for the aspiring computer scientist. In addition some examples of this were highlighted including its usefulness in modelling tools to analyse real world events. This includes its wide range of applications such as computers, telephones, and other scientific phenomena. The next section looked at discrete structures as a concept of abstract mathematical structures and the development of set theory a sub topic within discrete mathematics. The essay concluded with a literature review of evidence based research in mathematical reasoning where various views and opinions of researchers, academics and other stakeholders were discussed and explored. The review makes clear of the overwhelming significance and evidence stacked in favour for students of computer science courses embarking on discrete mathematics. Overall, it is generally clear that pursuit of a computer science course w ould most definitely need the associated attributes in logical thinking skills, problem solving skills and a thorough understanding of the concepts. In addition the review included views of an increased interest in the use of logic in computer science in recent years. Furthermore formal techniques have been acknowledged and attributed as central to the subject of discrete mathematics in recent years. References A. Purkiss 2014, Lecture 1: Course Introduction and Numerical Representation, Birkbeck University. B. Miller and D. Ranum 2013. Problem Solving with Algorithms and Data Structures: accessed on [18.01.15] Berztiss, A. (1987). A mathematically focused curriculum for computer science. Communications of the ACM, 30 (5), 356–365. Copi, I. M. (1979). Symbolic Logic (5th ed.). New York: Macmillan Core-Plus Mathematics Project 2014: Discrete Mathematics available at http://www.wmich.edu/cpmp/parentresource/discrete.html [accessed on 25.01.14] 6. D W Kucker Notes on Mathematical Logic; University of Maryland, College Park. Available at http://www.math.umd.edu/~dkueker/712.pdf Accessed on [24.01.15] Denning, P. J. (chair). (1989). Computing as a discipline. Communications of the ACM, 32 (1), 9–23. Dijkstra, E. W. (1989). On the cruelty of really teaching computing science. Communications of the ACM, 32 (12), 1398–1404. Discrete and Continuous Data, (2008). Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. Available at http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.2/index.cfm?TopicName=Discrete%20and%20continuous%20data [accessed on 18.01.15]. Discrete Structures (2010) available at http://www.cs.odu.edu/~toida/nerzic/content/schedule/schedule.html#day3 [accessed on 25.01.15] Edward R. Scheinerman (2000), Mathematics, A Discrete Introduction (Brooks/Cole, Pacific Grove, CA, 2000): xvii–xviii. Cited in W. J. Rapaport (2013). Discrete Structures. What is Discrete Maths? available from http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~rapaport/191/whatisdiscmath.html-20130629 accessed on [25.01.2015] Galton, A. (1992). Logic as a Formal Method. The Computer Journal 35 (5), 431–440 Gibbs, N. E., Tucker, A. B. (1986). A model curriculum for a liberal arts degree in computer science. Communications of the ACM 29 (3), 202–210 Goldson, D., Reeves, S., Bornat, R. (1993). A review of several programs for the teaching of logic. The Computer Journal, 36 (4), 373–386. Gries, D. (1990). Calculation and discrimination: A more effective curriculum. Communications of the ACM. 34 (3). 44–55. 16. http://www.cs.odu.edu/~toida/nerzic/content/intro2discrete/intro2discrete.html : Introduction to Discrete Structures What’s and Whys IEEE Model Program Committee. (1983). The 1983 IEEE Computer Society Model Program in Computer Science and Engineering. IEEE Computer Society. Educational Activities Board J. Barwise and J. Etchemendy, Language, Proof and Logic, Seven Bridges Press, New York, 2000, ISBN 1-889119-08-3. J. L. Bell Oppositions and Paradoxes in Mathematics and Philosophy available at http://publish.uwo.ca/~jbell/Oppositions%20and%20Paradoxes%20in%20Mathematics2.pdf accessed on [25.01.2015] 20. K. H Rosen 2012 Discrete Mathematics and its Applications, 7edn, Monmouth University. Myers, Jr. J. P. (1990). The Central role of mathematical logic in computer science. SIGCSE Bulletin, 22 (1), 22–26. Ralston, A. (Ed.) (1989). Discrete Mathematics in the First Two Years. MAA Notes No. 15. The Mathematical Association of America. Ralston, A., Shaw, M. (1980). Curriculum 78 Is computer science really that unmathematical? Communications of the ACM, 23 (2), 67–70. Rota, G.-C. (1997). The phenomenology of mathematical proof. Syntheses, 111:183-196. S. Waner S. R. Costenoble (1996) Introduction to Logic. Saiedian, H. (1992). Mathematics of computing. Computer Science Education, 3 (3), 203-221. Shaw, M. (Ed.) (1985). The Carnegie-Mellon Curriculum for Undergraduate Computer Science. New York: Springer-Verlag Sperschneider, V., Antoniou, G. (1991). Logic: A foundation for computer science International Computer Science Series. Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000). Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Tucker, A. B. (Ed.) (1990). Computing Curricula 1991: Report of the ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Curriculum Task Force Final Draft, December 17. ACM Order Number 201910. IEEE Computer Society Press Order Number 2220

The Storm :: essays research papers

To write a story, an author must take in consideration all aspects of the world he is creating for us to imagine. Choplin's 'The Storm'; however, takes the setting of a story to a different level, the setting can be said to take on a life of it's own, and to manipulate the two characters into passion with one another. In 'The Storm'; , Choplin uses the quick intensity of the weather to symbolize, and provoke the relationships and actions of the character's in the story. An author has complete control over his or her story: the setting, the weather, location, characters, the list could go on and on. So it's important that the reader pick up on every aspect that the author has created, because, the author has intended for it to be that way, and to help round out the story.This is especially important with the way the actions between Calixta and Alcee relate to a storm that had started almost as soon as Alcee rode up on his horse. As Alcee stands on the porch, (the actual text notes tha t he had no intention of walking inside the house), the water beat through the boards forcing Alcee to enter the house. The water even went so far as to actually follow Alcee into the house, to the point where it was necessary to put something beneath the door to keep the water out. More instances where the storm relates with the characters is when Calixta is looking out the window, and a lightning bolt strikes a tree, and causes Calixta to fall into the arms of Alcee, foreshadowing the passion that is to come later between the two. Also, it introduces them to their lust for each other, which not only foreshadows what it to come, but, it also initiates them into their path to love making. Another aspect is the fact that when the storm begins to fade away, the story notes that at this point it invites them to sleep, but they dare not stop what they were doing. This is a crucial part in the story, it is where the two characters do not yield to what the storm has suggested. At this par t, they take over and let nothing stop them. Finally, the storm ends, and Alcee leaves. This suggests the storm represented passion, and when the passion was over, Alcee departs just a fast as he came.

Drovers Wife

Comparing the female characters in the short stories The Drover's Wife by Henry Lawson and The Chosen Vessel by Barbara Baynton. †¢Brief biography of Henry Lawson and Barbara Baynton. †¢The Drover's wife was published in the Bulletin in 1892 and The Chosen Vessel in 1896. †¢From the 1900s to the onset of WW1, pioneers made their homes in the dangerous outback of Australia. †¢Pioneering women are left alone to encounter the scourge of nature ( examples). The women became principal caregivers to sick travelers. †¢Most of these women rose to the challenge and endured the incredible hardship of life in the outback. Brief summary of both stories. The Drovers Wife revolves around the hardship and bravery of a bush woman who lives with her 4 children and snake dog. The Chosen Vessel is about a bush woman who is left alone and one day, she encounters a swagman who rapes and murders her. †¢The themes for both stories are similar – loneliness of being in th e bush and battling an enemy to save their children and themselves. †¢The drover's wife fights through many battles during her husband's absence. She suffered several hardships. †¢The woman in â€Å"The Chosen Vessel† is also left alone to care for her young child when faced with dangers. In â€Å"The Drover's Wife† the enemy is the five-foot long poisonous snake. The snake that the woman battles against is a representative of her enemy which is the bush. Throughout her whole life, she has been battling against nature. †¢The enemy in â€Å"The Chosen Vessel† is the swagman. The woman is fighting against man, her husband and the swagman. †¢The ways in which both the women approach the dangers they are faced with are different. †¢The drover's wife attacks and faces her problems whereas the woman in † The Chosen Vessel† hides from hers. †¢The lies in which each women tells the swagmen they come across emonstrates their diff erent characters. †¢Both the women have different respects and expectations from their husband. †¢The drover's wife respects his husband and knows that he if he had the means, he would treat her like a princess. †¢The husband of the woman in â€Å"The Chosen Vessel† is cruel to his wife. Despite being ill-treated, she still counts the days till his homecoming even though he had not been gone for long. †¢The emotions of the women vary in each story. †¢Beneath her tough exterior, the drover's wife is a sensitive and emotional. woman. †¢The only emotion shown by the woman in Barbara Baynton's story is fear. The drover's wife may be more physically isolated, but she had been given help from various people. The other woman however, is left completely alone to care for her young child. †¢Although both stories revolved around the same theme, time and setting, the presentation of the setting through their characters gave a different representation t o the readers. †¢Henry Lawson's writing was more favorable compared to Barbara Baynton's gothic style. His story succeeded in giving tribute and admiration to the hardship and struggles of the Australian bush people.

Pussy Riot

This group has approximately 11 members, with women ranging from age 20 to 33. This group's activities include staging unauthorized provocative performances in public places and then video taping them to post on the internet. These women protest with lyrical songs consisting of topics on feminism, LIGHT rights, opposition to the policies of the Russian President Vladimir Putting. They also make inks between Putting and the Russian Orthodox Church.Puss Riot is already a controversial group because they perform in Inappropriate places, but one specific performance at Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior threw these women overboard. Their actions were immediately stopped by church security guards and two of the group members were arrested and charged with â€Å"hooliganism motivated by religious hatred. † They were each sentenced to two years in prison. The trial for this case became exhausting and complicated very fast and retests were being held all over the world after the gr oup's sentence was announced.What is interesting about this documentary Is that, although this group Is a subculture and they are definitely going against many social norms by performing provocative unpleasant to hear songs about their beliefs, many people actually like and support them. However, others may consider this a disgusting act of pure deviance. Although this group of women may look more like a counterculture than a subculture, considering their appearance and vulgarity, they actually do not fall ender this category because they are not trying to hurt anyone.As said In the documentary, these women are nice people who Just want to express their beliefs. We all have beliefs and we all probably express them from time to time, but these women Just decided to express them In more of an Inappropriate, blunt, and passionate way that goes against the social norm. This still means that these women were deviant. They were deviant In the fact that they were going against the norm as well as In the fact that they were arrested and charged with hooliganism.