Meeting Agenda Meeting AgendaAfter reviewing interpolation from (perhaps) a new point of view, we will discuss some of the difficulties in multivariate polynomial interpolation and examine what looks to be the ``correct'' solution to this problem. This will be followed by a brief discussion of why people interested in computer graphics might want to study this solution.
May 20/21, 1997
Teaching & Learning Innovations
``Teaching and Learning: Making the Link''
University of Guelph conference
for more info: phone 519-824-4120 x3106 ruthgill@uoguelph.ca
see poster on CS bulletin board
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How Java's Floating-Point Hurts Everyone Everywhere
Professor W. Kahan
Computer Science Division
Department of EE & CS
University of California, Berkeley
(Recipient of an Honorary D.Math degree at UW's May '98 Convocation)
DATE: Thursday, May 28, 1998
TIME: 3:30 PM
PLACE: Davis Centre, Room 1302
University of Waterloo
** A reception will follow in MC5158 **
ABSTRACT
Java's floating-point arithmetic is blighted by five gratuitous mistakes:
1. Linguistically legislated exact reproducibility is at best
mere wishful thinking.
2. Of two traditional policies for mixed precision evaluation,
Java chose the worse.
3. Infinities and NaNs unleashed without the protection of
floating-point traps and flags mandated by IEEE Standards
754/854 belie Java's claim to robustness.
4. Every programmer's prospects for success are diminished by Java's
refusal to grant access to capabilities built into 95% of
today's floating-point hardware.
5. Java has rejected even mildly disciplined infix operator overloading,
without which extensions to arithmetic with everyday mathematical
types like complex numbers, matrices, geometrical objects,
intervals and arbitrarily high precision become extremely
inconvenient.
To leave these mistakes uncorrected would be a tragic sixth mistake.
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A TRACE Event
Teaching Resources and Continuing Education, MC 4055, Ext. 3132
TA Brown Bag Workshop
Assessing Your Students:
Issues of Fairness
Friday, May 22, 1998
Math and Computer Building, room 5158
12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Co-facilitators: Donna Ellis and William Hamlin, TRACE
In most university-level courses, students are assessed by the
adequacy of their knowledge, understanding, and skills. Although many
departments provide grading policies, the evaluation process can still
be a challenge for many instructors. Whether you are a TA responsible
for an entire course, a lab assistant, or a marker, you may be
confronted with issues of fairness in grading. In this workshop, we
will view three videotaped critical incidents dealing with complaints,
instructor feedback, and cheating. Working in groups, we will develop
strategies and then share our responses so that all can benefit. Join
us for this interactive workshop and meet TAs from across campus!
The workshop is open to all teaching assistants at UW, so please pass on
this notice to your colleagues. Remember to bring your lunch. Juice will
be provided.
We ask that you pre-register for this workshop by sending an e-mail to:
trace@watserv1 by Thursday, May 21, 1998. You may also register by
sending in the form below to TRACE, MC 4055. If you have any questions,
please contact TRACE at ext. 3132.
" " " " " " " " " "
" " "
Assessing Your Students: Issues of Fairness
I will attend the workshop from 12:00 - 1:30 on May 22, 1998.
Name: Dept.:
E-mail: Ext.:
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SYSTEMS SEMINAR
Maria Klawe
Department of Computer Science
University of British Columbia
"Can Computer Games Help Children Learn Mathematics?"
Saturday, May 23, 1998 at 2:00 p.m.
Theatre of the Arts, Modern Languages Building
University of Waterloo
Tickets are free and available at Humanities Theatre Box Office.
Tickets are required. x4908
A dessert party will follow, sponsored by Waterloo Maple Inc.
This is a special lecture in the occasion of
"A Celebration of Women in Mathematical, Statistical and Computer Sciences"
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The Faculty of Mathematics & The infraNET Project
University of Waterloo present ...
"EMBEDDED APPLICATIONS - TECHNOLOGY FOR THE REAL WORLD"
By: Dan Dodge
Recipient of the 1998 J.W. Graham Medal in Computing & Innovation
Of: Co-founder and President, QNX Software Systems Ltd.
Date: Friday, May 29, 1998
Time: 2:30 - 4:00 PM
Place: Davis Centre, Room 1350
University of Waterloo
** A reception will follow in The Great Hall, Davis Centre.
** There is no charge for this event. All are welcome.
** Pre-registering to reserve your seat is recommended.
** Seats are reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis.
** Register via our web site at: http://infranet.uwaterloo.ca/
or call 519-888-4567 ext. 5611.
ABSTRACT
Microprocessors are everywhere, from our phones and TVs, to
aircraft control and nuclear power plants. This is the "embedded"
market, the alter-ego of desktop computing, where microprocessors are
ubiquitous - taken for granted while just doing their job. Many
embedded applications must meet real-world deadlines and, of course,
reliability is paramount. Embedded technology has become a part of
our daily lives, yet most of us are not aware of it - everyday
activities like credit card authorization, cash registers, car
navigation, traffic lights, home security, even surfing the web
through your TV.
In this presentation, Dan Dodge will explain and demonstrate embedded
systems and the related enabling technologies. He will focus on the
QNX realtime operating system and Photon windowing system that deliver
technology suitable across an enormous range of applications. QNX
offers a unified operating system that provides high reliability and
enormous scalability - suitable for anything from toasters to chemical
processing plants.