Striving for Mathematical Thinking Peter B. Henderson (Chair') Butler University, USA phenders @ butler.edu John Hamer University of Auckland, NZ j-hamer@ cs.auckland.ac.nz Doug Baldwin SUNY Geneseo, USA baldwin @brastias.cs.geneseo.edu Lew Hitchner California Polytechnic State University, USA hitchner @ falcon.csc.calpoly.edu Venu Dasigi Southern Poly State University, USA vdasigi @ spsu.edu Will Lloyd University of West Georgia, USA Wlloyd @ westga, edu Marcel Dupras Universite Laval, Canada marceLdupras @ ifl.ulaval.ca Bill Marion Jr. Valpariso University, USA Bill.Marion @ valpo.edu Sister Jane Fritz St. Josephs College, USA jfritz @ sjcny.edu Charles Riedesel University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA riedesel @ cse.unLedu David Ginat Tel Aviv University, Israel ginat @ post.tau.ac.il Don Goelman Villanova University, USA goelman @monet, vill. edu Abstract Computer science and software engineering are young, maturing disciplines. As with other mathematically based disciplines, such as the natural sciences, economics, and engineering, it takes time for the mathematical roots to grow and flourish. For computer science and software engineering, others have planted these seeds over many years, and it is our duty to nurture them. This working group is dedicated to promoting mathematics as an important tool for problem-solving and conceptual understanding in computing. Motivation for this Working Group There is significant interest stirring regarding the important relationships between mathematical reasoning and problem-solving in computer science [1]. Recent papers, articles, and studies have raised serious concerns regarding the role mathematics should play in computer Henry Walker Grinnell College, USA Walker @ cs.grinnell.edu science and software engineering education. There are arguments and surveys that recommend less mathematically rigorous curricula [32, 38, 20, 24], and papers/presentation that suggest there are trends toward less rigor, for example [31, 53, 54]. This leads to a contradiction since other surveys indicate that mathematics and mathematical thinking are central to computer science education [27, 32]. Also, there is evidence from within the computer science education community that mathematics is important. For example, Curriculum 2001 [50, 51, 57] is the first to explicitly include discrete mathematics in the core, and its discrete mathematics focus subcommittee is recommending 2 semesters of discrete mathematics. Over the past 20 years, discrete mathematics has migrated from a graduate or third/forth year course to a first or second year course. Because of the importance of providing students with any early introduction to mathematical skills and thinking, several universities require discrete mathematics during 114