symbol pusher

plural symbol pushers

1. derogatorymathematicsSomeone who engages in symbol pushing; someone solving mathematical problems by manipulating symbols (as in algebra) rather than through visual or intuitive understanding.

   That is to say, in both cases we have in mind an intended model or structure for our theory. We are not in the position of mere "symbol pushers."

   1985, Jerry R. Hobbs, Robert C. Moore, Formal Theories of the Commonsense World, Ablex Pub., →ISBN, page 444

   2 more examples

   […] it is clear that the symbol pusher does not understand Chinese at all; he is only following meaningless instructions. Because computer models, particularly of the symbolic variety, are merely manipulating symbols, and hence understand nothing about what they are doing, they are poor models.

   2003, Thomas R. Shultz, Computational Developmental Psychology, MIT Press, →ISBN, page 227

   While known today as a theoretician, Einstein was not just a symbol pusher; the physics of D appears in much detail in his papers on Brownian motion.

   2009, Paul J. Nahin, Mrs. Perkins's Electric Quilt, Princeton University Press, →ISBN, page 282