Meeting Agenda

Date:	February 11th
Location:	DC 1331
Time:	1:30
Chair:	Gabriel Esteves

1. Changes to the Agenda - additions or deletions

2. Coffee Hour

Coffee hour last week:: Andrea- thanks!
Coffee hour this week:: Volunteers?
Coffee hour next week:: Volunteers?

3. Forthcoming

Date:	February 18th	February 25th	March 4th	March 11th
Location:	DC 2314 1:30	DC 2314 1:30	DC 2314 1:30	DC 2314 1:30
Chair:	Elodie Fourquet	Richard Fung	Eugene Greene	Marshal Hahn
Technical Presentation:	Bill Cowan	Gabriel Esteves	Elodie Fourquet	Richard Fung

4. Technical Presentation

Andrea Bunt	Title : Friend or Foe? Examining CAS Use in Mathematics Research Abstract: Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) provide sophisticated functionality to assist with mathematical problem solving. Despite their widespread adoption, however, little work in the HCI community has examined the extent to which these computational tools support domain experts. In this talk, I'll describe a qualitative study investigating the work practices and tools of nine mathematicians in a research setting. Counter to our expectations, our data suggests that computational tools play only a minor role in these mathematicians' workflow, with the limited use of CAS owing primarily to four factors: (1) the need for transparency in CAS's reasoning to explain computed results; (2) the problem of rigidity and formality in CAS's input/output style dialogue; (3) the need for 2D input to support a wide range of annotations, diagrams, and in-place manipulation of objects of interest; and (4) the need for collaboration, particularly in early stages of problem solving.

Andrea Bunt

Title : Friend or Foe? Examining CAS Use in Mathematics Research

Abstract:
Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) provide sophisticated functionality to assist with mathematical problem solving. Despite their widespread adoption, however, little work in the HCI community has examined the extent to which these computational tools support domain experts. In this talk, I'll describe a qualitative study investigating the work practices and tools of nine mathematicians in a research setting. Counter to our expectations, our data suggests that computational tools play only a minor role in these mathematicians' workflow, with the limited use of CAS owing primarily to four factors: (1) the need for transparency in CAS's reasoning to explain computed results; (2) the problem of rigidity and formality in CAS's input/output style dialogue; (3) the need for 2D input to support a wide range of annotations, diagrams, and in-place manipulation of objects of interest; and (4) the need for collaboration, particularly in early stages of problem solving.

5. Discussion Items

None so far...

6. Action Items

7. Conferences and Special Journal Issues

8. Directors' Meeting

9. Seminars and Events

2009 Feb 12, 14:00 Symbolic Computation Group Seminar: Gabriel Dos Reis (Texas A&M) What Can Symbolic Computation Do For Programming Languages?
2009 Feb 13, 10:30 Software Engineering Research Group Seminar: Ayse Bener, Department of Computer Engineering, Bogazici University Defect Prediction in Practice
2009 Feb 13, 14:00 Database Research Group PhD Seminar: Shahab Kamali, PhD candidate, David R. Cheriton School of Comp. Sci., Univ. Waterloo A framework for mathematical information retrieval
2009 Feb 23, 11:00 Symbolic Computation Group PhD Seminar: Daniel S. Roche, PhD candidate, David R. Cheriton School of Comp. Sci., University of Waterloo Fast Multiplication without Extra Space

Also see other Math and CS postings.