Self-study
Support More and more computer programs that provide solutions to mathematical problems in engineering are being produced, and it is thus Support increasingly unnecessary for practicing engineers to have a thorough understanding of fundamental mathematical principles. █████████████ ██ ████████ █████████ ███ ████ ████ ██ █████████ ████ ████████ ██████ ██ ██████ ██ ████████████ ███████████ ██ ████ █████ ██ ███ ███████████ ██████████ ████ ██ █████████ ███ █████ █████████ █████████
Summarize Argument
The author concludes that engineers who will work in industry should receive less training in fundamental mathematics. Why? Since new computer programs can solve many mathematical problems, it is less important for engineers to understand mathematics deeply. Time previously spent learning mathematics can be reapportioned to cover other topics.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that because the programs provide answers to mathematical problems, little mathematical knowledge is required to operate them. He also assumes that the computer programs in question will be used in industries where engineers work, and that other topics could use more coverage in the engineering curriculum.
1.
Which one of the following, ██ █████ ████ █████████ ███████ ███ ████████ █████ ███ ███ ██████████████ ██████
a
The effective use ██ ████████ ████████ ████ ███████ █████████ ██ ████████████ ████████ ██ ███████████ ████████ ██ █████████████ ██ ████████████ ███████████
This challenges the assumption that good computer programs can replace sound mathematical reasoning. It implies that engineers with little mathematical knowledge would not be able to use these programs effectively.
b
Many of the ████████ ████████ ████ ███████ █████████ ██ ████████████ ████████ ██ ███████████ ███ ███████ ██ ███████ ████
This is fully compatible with the conclusion. Whether the emergence of these programs occurs in the past or future, the author advocates a change based on the expectation those programs will be in use while current students are practicing engineers.
c
Development of composites ███ █████ ████ ███ █████████ ███ █████ ████ ███ ██████████ ███ █████████ ███ ████ ████ ██ ████████ ████ █████ ████ ███ ████████ ███ ██████████ ██ █████ ██████████
This strengthens the argument because it suggests time spent learning mathematical skills could be more productive if spent learning about composites.
d
Most of the ████████ ████████ ████ ███████ █████████ ██ ████████████ ████████ ██ ███████████ ███ ██ ███ ██ ███ █████ ██ █████████ █████████ ██ ████ ███████████ ██████
This strengthens the argument because it suggests that most engineers who work in industry will have the capability to run these programs. It eliminates the possibility that the programs will be inaccessible to most practicing engineers.
e
The engineering curriculum ███████ ████████ ████ ███████████ ████████ ██ ████████ ████ ███ ████ ██ ███ █ ███████ ██ ████████ █████████
Proficiency in those computer programs may not make engineers proficient in the mathematical programs described. It’s not stated whether the programs engineers are already familiar with require a strong mathematical foundation.