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From: bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein)
Subject: Re: Computer Science or Engineering (Re: most respected chinese SCIENTISTs)
In-Reply-To: wcn@cs.brown.edu's message of 15 May 91 10: 04:16 GMT
Message-ID: <BZS.91May18123141@world.std.com>
Sender: bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein)
Organization: The World
References: <1991May12.173021.4955@lynx.CS.ORST.EDU>
	<TSAO.91May12145829@bacchus.tcad.ee.ufl.edu>
	<1991May12.224331.20754@lynx.CS.ORST.EDU>
	<1991May14.190239.1330@cs.yale.edu> <75806@brunix.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 18 May 1991 17:31:41 GMT
Lines: 38


This is probably foolish, but I'll take a crack at it...

A scientist is primarily concerned with taxonomies (classification)
and discovering the unknown of phenomena, that is, new data to
taxonomize. Thus, an experimental physicist might work on finding a
new phenomena that is only suspected (perhaps by the theory.) Once
found, another might taxonomize it (show it fits some equation or
model.) Theoretical mathematics is largely the same, finding something
unusual, convincing oneself it's really there, then trying to puzzle
it into the bigger picture of what's already known (if it really won't
fit it's called "a major discovery".)

An engineer is primarily concerned with finding ways to apply that
which is known, usually trying to find some optimal fit of theory to
practice. The methodology for doing this can certainly be a science,
but that's a meta-issue (I can make a science out of discovering
engineering methods.)

Put another way, the scientist accepts the unknown as a challenge, and
the engineer accepts the unknown as a limitation to work within.

Consider matrix inversion, which is pretty much an O(N3) problem.  A
computer scientist might be interested in some way to reduce the
computational complexity by discovering new algorithms. The engineer
would be more interested in the fastest way to apply hardware to this
problem.

That the word "computer" comes up defines a boundary of interest.
There are always overlaps between mathematicians and scientists, since
scientists use math. But by constraining oneself to the physical
system (eg. limiting investigation to discrete solutions) the
distinction is clear.
-- 
        -Barry Shein

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