>>2
This, it takes pages of Lagrange'ian equations until the first Scheme is presented, and without a formal education in physics, I don't know how to get that. Even Wikipedia says (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structure_and_Interpretation_of_Classical_Mechanics):
The book is used at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to teach a class in advanced classical mechanics, starting with Lagrange's equations and proceeding through canonical perturbation theory.
I'll be waiting for Software Design for Flexibility.
>>1
Normally I would love to, but to my everlasting shame I'm still working through SICP. Shhhh.
>>3
"Advanced" here is a bit vague. Best to check out the actual course website:
https://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/users/gjs/6946/index.html
This subject awards G-LEVEL Graduate Credit, however the subject is appropriate for undergraduates who have taken the prerequisites. Undergraduates are welcome.
Prerequisites: 8.01, 18.03, programming experience
8.01 is introductory classical mechanics, i.e. the Newtonian mechanics that everyone has to take, and 18.03 is differential equations. I don't know how it is in the CS world, but in my real engineering major it was a basic requirement. So it is a graduate course, but with some relatively fundamental prerequisites. That said, I just took a look at the first few pages and I agree that it's dense. In that respect it looks like the second edition is a bit more gentle than the first edition that OP linked to:
https://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/titles/content/sicm_edition_2/book.html
I can't vouch for it personally, but for an introduction to the subject it might be worth checking out The Variational Principles of Mechanics by Cornelius Lanczos, which Sussman recommends at http://aurellem.org/thoughts/html/sussman-reading-list.html and which seems to be highly regarded.
>>3-5
There's really no hurry, threads are not pruned and we can start with introductory material.
8.01 is available with lectures videos at MIT OCW
https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01sc-classical-mechanics-fall-2016/
and EDX (archived, you must log in)
https://courses.edx.org//courses/course-v1:MITx+8.01.1x+3T2019/course/
https://courses.edx.org//courses/course-v1:MITx+8.01.2x+3T2019a/course/
https://courses.edx.org//courses/course-v1:MITx+8.01.3x+3T2019a/course/
For a calculus refresher:
https://www.coursera.org/learn/discrete-calculus
https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-01sc-single-variable-calculus-fall-2010/
https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-02sc-multivariable-calculus-fall-2010/
And then 18.03
https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-03sc-differential-equations-fall-2011/
No deadline.