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再次谢谢19楼，我找到了 Hamming, R.W.的书 Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers, 2nd ed, Dover, 1987.
该书的卷首语（motto）就是“THE PURPOSE OF COMPUTING IS INSIGHT, NOT NUMBERS”
这一页的第二句话用的是孔子语录：子曰：“学而时习之,不亦悦乎?”这是《论语》的第一句话。不过，Hamming用的英文译文却是：
“ To study, and when the occasion arises to put what one has learned into practice-is that not deeply satisfying?
Confucius, Analects 1.1.1 ”
意思似乎有点变了（恕我文言文水平低）：“学而时习之”的“习”字不单是“复习”，而又有“实践”的意思。从含义上看，Hamming是不是发展了孔子的原意呢？我看发展得挺好。
书的第3页，解释了卷首语：
Numerical methods use numbers to simulate mathematical processes, which in
turn usually simulate real-world situations. This implies that there is a purpose
behind the computing. To cite the motto of the book, The Purpose of Comput-
ing Is Insight, Not Numbers. This motto is often thought to mean that the
numbers from a computing machine should be read and used, but there is much
more to the motto. The choice of the particular formula, or algorithm, influences
not only the computing but also how we are to understand the results when they
are obtained.
读到这里，我有个补充：如果计算用的是数学模型，而不是物理模型，那么计算结果怎么理解也只是“仿真”，而不可能理解客观世界。只有计算用的是物理模型，那么就有可能逼近并理解这个客观世界。似乎Hamming还没有对此有深入的看法。看来，物理学家、数学家和工程师三者的思想还是有差别的。
又：找书的同时，又偶遇Hamming, R.W.的另一本书，翻翻后觉得也很有意思，故附上共享。 |
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