Javier Burroni
ABSTRACT
Classically, computers have been used as knowledge discovery tools insofar as the result of executing a program provides useful insight. For instance, the solution of a differential equation may help us understand the natural world, the value of a parameter of a statistical model may help us understand the probabilistic structure of a domain, the variable assignment maximising an objective function may help to further business goals. A secondary class of knowledge discovery stems from the act of using a programming language. By modeling a domain computationally, the developer can discover new and interesting properties of that domain, and better convey those insights to others. The purpose of this work is twofold: First, we want to show that programming languages can help their users achieve knowledge discovery moments and, secondly, that this property is the least exploited feature of programming languages in the general science community. We want to outline a research program with the objective of making scientific programming more efficient in its ultimate goal of knowledge discovery.
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Index Terms
- The Act of Computer Programming in Science
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