I hope to gather your opinions on the following:
1) Do you need to be good in mathematics in order to program well? In other words, is a solid grounding in mathematics a precondition to being able to program well?
2) Are people who have no training in Computer Science disadvantaged in how far they can get in programming?
3) Are some programming languages more "friendly" to learners who are not mathematically inclined and who received no formal training in Computer Science?
I'm very keen to hear what your responses are to the above thoughts.
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Re: Programming and math
by jeffa (Bishop) on Aug 09, 2003 at 14:41 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
jeffa L-LL-L--L-LL-L--L-LL-L-- -R--R-RR-R--R-RR-R--R-RR B--B--B--B--B--B--B--B-- H---H---H---H---H---H--- (the triplet paradiddle with high-hat) | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by TomDLux (Vicar) on Aug 10, 2003 at 03:34 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
From the schools I've been to, and the places I've worked, I'd say many CS geeks barely struggled through Math. I was borderline, was planning a split honours, until I discovered how hard math became in third year. Mathematicians SHOULD be able to program, first, because they have to to do their work, second because thinking analytically, handling all circumstances, etc, should come naturally to trained mathematicians. However, they may not do so well at the aspects that involve daily experience. For some aspects of programming, understanding math is usefull, even essential. Obviously things that are mathematical need math; on the other hand, a flight simulator, interplanetary rocket simulator, nuclear controller or simulator, could effectively isolate the math to certain sections. You would need a specialist in mathematical programming to handle those segments, but anyone could do the rest. -- | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by hding (Chaplain) on Aug 10, 2003 at 13:17 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mathematicians SHOULD be able to program, first, because they have to to do their work, second because thinking analytically, handling all circumstances, etc, should come naturally to trained mathematicians I'd have to say that while I agree with the second half, very few of the mathematicians that I dealt with while I was in graduate school had any need to program to do their work (and at that time in my life, nor did I). Of course there are some (depending on field of interest) that do. | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by zby (Vicar) on Aug 11, 2003 at 10:41 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Update: This is just a comparison. I really do not say that lambda calculus or Turing Machines are useless. To the contrary - as I've explained somwhere else in this thread I believe it is quite importand to know some theory - because only theory would give you sound reasoning why something is impossible. | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by jeffa (Bishop) on Aug 11, 2003 at 14:52 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Please don't discourage anyone from learning something new. jeffa L-LL-L--L-LL-L--L-LL-L-- -R--R-RR-R--R-RR-R--R-RR B--B--B--B--B--B--B--B-- H---H---H---H---H---H--- (the triplet paradiddle with high-hat) | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by zby (Vicar) on Aug 12, 2003 at 09:49 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by benn (Vicar) on Aug 09, 2003 at 14:44 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1) My gut instinct is to say "no" (despite the fact that I studied maths to degree level :)). "Programming Well" involves many different skills, some almost orthogonal to the ones traditionally regarded as being mathematical - personally, I'd say that the ability to *spell* is nearly as important as the ability to count. :) The 'higher maths' side of programming is, I think, quite rare in the 'real world' of user interfaces and database munging - even in the wild and wonderful world of 3D graphics etc., familiarity with basic trig. and matrices is about as much as you need. There are many many 'intuitive' programmers out there who can produce wonderful algorithms, but would have great difficulty in showing mathematical proofs for them. 2) Again - no. Like many things, it depends on what is taught, and how. I have no doubt there are some marvellous CS courses out there...but I often recount the story of when I was interviewing programmers - I had an applicant with an MSc in CS , who got confused when I started asking about boolean algebra. He thought "they might have done something about it" as part of his Visual Basic module...:) 5 years ago, I used to joke about graduates with a degree in MS Word...then I met one. 3) Perl :) Seriously though, to my eyes, they're all pretty much alike until you get deep enough to appreciate the differences (if that makes sense...). It's a bit like playing musical instruments...if you learn music rather than just a specific instrument, then you'll be able to pick up any instrument and play it - they're all just machines for expressing what's already in your head. Similarily, the process of breaking down a real-world problem into a series of code-able routines goes on in your head, not your fingers. Once you've cracked the problem, you can use whatever language is to nearest to hand, as it were. Hope this helps, | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by The Mad Hatter (Priest) on Aug 09, 2003 at 14:51 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(BTW, good question! I'll be interested in hearing what the other monks have to say...) | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by phydeauxarff (Priest) on Aug 09, 2003 at 16:12 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2. Perhaps...but I was an Art/Music major in college and I think I am pretty fair at programming. Again, I think the key is to be a natural problem solver...if you get some formal training on top of that it is icing on the cake. (btw, I am in the process of going back to school to get that formal training...it never hurts to learn new things. 3. Since I don't have much formal CompSci training, I don't feel qualified to answer that for you..I have programmed in a few languages and as most, tend to gravitate to what I am already comfortable with and know....I think someone with a more formal training in Computer Science who was exposed to a larger variety than I could answer better ;-) | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by chunlou (Curate) on Aug 09, 2003 at 20:12 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Maybe we could draw some parallelism between mathematician and programmer.
If you're going to be a programmer, you're going to need skillset that's shared by mathematicians and engineers, even though they may not feel like they're doing the same things. The differences vary probably more by what you actually do than by the nature of your discipline alone. Many people from arts and social science fields did become good programmers after much practice and persistence. Java is probably the most resources-rich and popular among beginners (partly due to its successful marketing). Eventually you'll decide for yourself which tools you feel most comfortable to work with. | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by allolex (Curate) on Aug 09, 2003 at 19:36 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I think standardized exams like the GRE (Graduate Records Examination) are onto something when they test the verbal, mathematical, and analytical capabilities of potential graduate students. I think most good programmers are people who would have high analytical scores in such exams, with mathematics being much less relevant. Analytical people are often those who understand the intuitive and qualitative aspects of mathematics, but who have trouble with quantitative methods, which require much more work before they become intuitive. It is, however, useful for programmers to have a good feeling for arithmetic. The limits on how far you can go in programming depend a lot on the direction you are going in. As a linguist, I see this problem a lot in the way mathematicians and computer scientists are taught to think; they tend to look for statistical solutions to problems better-solved by someone with a more thorough understanding of the cognitive processes underlying human language. This is just one example from my area, but I'm sure there are many others that require much more knowledge about the system you are trying to implement rather than about abstractions taught to most mathematics and computer science students (probably many engineering fields, biology, etc.) Luckily for these students, there is still a lot that can be represented in terms more familiar to them. So, if you're bad at mathematics, be good at something else. It will pay off in the end.
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by Aristotle (Chancellor) on Aug 10, 2003 at 17:09 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I forcefully agree. Programming, although this may seem surprising to many, is far more about verbal than mathematical skill. It is computer sciene (of which Dijkstra said that it “is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes”) which requires a mathematical mindset. And obviously, both directions require great analytical skills. Makeshifts last the longest. | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by liz (Monsignor) on Aug 09, 2003 at 19:59 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Having a good memory, some math and visualization skills, are a plus. Being able to be consistent, is a plus. Having had a formal CS education is a minus. All of this of course in general: there are always exceptions to the rule. Liz | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by adrianh (Chancellor) on Aug 09, 2003 at 20:38 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Having had a formal CS education is a minus. I'm curious about this - since a CS education only makes a developer better in my experience. I'm not saying that somebody needs to have a formal CS education to be a good developer, but having it be a "minus" seems a tad strong. Of course the individual in question has to want to be a programmer in the first place. If they just went on a CS degree because they heard that the job pays well they're less likely to be competent :-) (and if anybody cares my answers to the OP are: No - but it can help. No - but it can help. Mostly no - but some are easier to learn in general than others). | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by liz (Monsignor) on Aug 09, 2003 at 21:07 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It is exactly that. I've been exposed to too many "fast moving" CS students in the past years, who are only in it for the suits and the leased cars. Together with what I think is a sub-optimal, if not sub-standard, CS education in most institutions, makes me say that having had a CS education, is a minus. In that respect it's a good thing that the number of new CS students in the Netherlands this year, has significantly dropped. Hopefully, there'll be more students in it for love of the subject matter, than for the great salaries. Liz | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by adrianh (Chancellor) on Aug 10, 2003 at 07:28 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by Anonymous Monk on Aug 10, 2003 at 08:20 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Re: Programming and math
by antirice (Priest) on Aug 09, 2003 at 23:57 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hope this helps. antirice | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by Anonymous Monk on Aug 09, 2003 at 21:26 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Quite simple really: Common rule: the higher level of abstraction, the less you need to know. Executable pseudo-code requires less knowledge to program effectively in than portable assembler. The more theoretical the work, the more a math background helps. And if you want to mathematically prove your code is correct, then you'll definately need at least an undergrad level of understanding. Don't forget the old saying: biologists want to think they're chemists, chemists want to think they're physicists, and physicists want to think they're mathematicians. Personally I don't think computer scientists really exist, they're just script kiddies who are starting to learn math ;-) The only advantage in making computers understand English is that it will prove once and for all that programmers can't write English. - Mike Taylor | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by Anonymous Monk on Aug 09, 2003 at 21:33 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I forgot something: whenever you ask a question like this you'll get two types of answers: So it all comes down to who you want to believe: the arrogant mathematicians who are trying to artificially inflate what they do, or the non-mathematicians who are commenting on something they don't fully understand :). | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by Dog and Pony (Priest) on Aug 10, 2003 at 00:47 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2. Some may disagree, but I say a CS degree has nothing to do with it. It may have something to do with how far you can get in your career, but most probably how fast you can get there. But as for what you can accomplish in the end, it has no bearing at all. Either you have it in you, or you haven't. In my opinion, CS educations, just like any chef school or whatever, is completely wasted unless you already has it in you. If you are fit for the task, you may benefit (but you will not learn anything you can't get from another place). If you aren't cut for it, you can go to any amount of schools and you will still suck. 3. Again, mathematical doesn't have as much to do with it as logical has IMO. And again, I think that either you got it or you don't. Some languages are easier to learn, and of course there might be differences according to what background you have. But it all boils down to if you are a "born" programmer or not, when push comes to shove. On one hand, people with no talent at all can do working programs in Visual Basic or some lame games in flash, but it takes a programmer to go from there. You are asking tough questions, but I think that no matter what language, platform or area you choose, there are no real shortcuts. To be good, it will always take hard work and at least some natural grasp of the task at hand. You have moved into a dark place. It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue. | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by perrin (Chancellor) on Aug 10, 2003 at 02:36 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Re: Programming and math
by Boots111 (Hermit) on Aug 10, 2003 at 23:31 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
<rant> 1) All programmers should have a basic grounding in math. I have seen way to many programmers who do not know de Morgan's law (!(a && b) )== (!a || !b) and that is not even remotely high level math. I have also seen too many people fail to realize that the converse of a true statement is not necessarily true. One needs a basic understanding of math in order to program well. 2) All programmers should have a basic grounding in theoretical Computer Science. I have had coworkers refuse to implement more efficient algorithms because they did not understand the concept of a DFA and did not care to listen to my explanation of it. Also one ought to understand why certain things simply cannot be determined by a computer program and what class of things this usually is. </rant> 3) Probably has a lot to do with the inclinations of the person. Also, before anyone takes me out of context here I would like to point out that I am only calling for a "basic grounding" in the above. This does not necessitate formal education (although that is the most common method). A person could teach these things to herself; however, it is important that one actually learn them rather then delude oneself into thinking that they are known. Boots --- Computer science is merely the post-Turing decline of formal systems theory. --??? | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] [d/l] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by allolex (Curate) on Aug 11, 2003 at 00:15 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
That's not math, that's symbolic logic! (Which, to be fair, a lot of people learn in math classes.) And even though De Morgan probably had some mathematical application in mind, De Morgan's rules are a reformulation of some of Occam's teachings, which (al)most certainly did not have mathematics as their basis. And while knowing about finite state automata may be useful for some applications, I don't really see them as something that can't be learned along the way, should a programmer ever need to know how to implement them. In any case, a lot of smart programmers come up with this kind of thing on their own and are often surprised to hear it has a name. :) (That said, possessing more knowledge only enhances your ability to solve problems.)
-- | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by Boots111 (Hermit) on Aug 11, 2003 at 01:41 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
While you are right that De Morgan's law is part of logic, I consider logic to be part of Math. This might be a slightly contentious claim, but I know a few logicians who agree with me about this. Plus you can prove some nifty isomorphisms between abelian algebras and various logics. But I have a fairly wide view of what qualifies as Math... Boots --- Computer science is merely the post-Turing decline of formal systems theory. --??? | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by dragonchild (Archbishop) on Aug 11, 2003 at 13:17 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by Anonymous Monk on Oct 03, 2003 at 20:47 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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by allolex (Curate) on Oct 03, 2003 at 20:51 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dragonchild's requirements for programmers
by dragonchild (Archbishop) on Aug 11, 2003 at 13:25 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
------ The idea is a little like C++ templates, except not quite so brain-meltingly complicated. -- TheDamian, Exegesis 6 Please remember that I'm crufty and crochety. All opinions are purely mine and all code is untested, unless otherwise specified. | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by Abigail-II (Bishop) on Aug 11, 2003 at 13:48 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
But if you are programming the automated pilot of an airplane, the robotic arm that allows a surgeon to perform an operation at a distance, a program that interprets the data from a seismologic experiment of an oil company, we are talking a totally different game. Then you do need skills, lots of skills, and math skills can be very useful. As for question 2, I do believe that people with no education in Computer Science have a disadvantage. Again, for you garden variety programming, it hardly matters. But it does matter for more advance programming. Compare it with driving a car and knowledge of car mechanics. For your average commuter, it hardly matters whether you have knowledge of car mechanics. But if you look at the Formula-1 or NASCAR drivers, you'll see that most of them have quite a lot of knowledge of car mechanics. As for question 3, about programming languages that are more friendly towards those who don't have a mathematical or computer science education, the classical answer is "COBOL". Some languages that will appeal more to mathematical people that to others are, IMO, Lisp, Haskell, Fortran and SQL. Abigail | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by didier (Vicar) on Aug 10, 2003 at 08:49 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
But when you write poetry, you are speaking about soul. 1) .. 3) Math as a tool for your work give you shortcut. To be a good programmer need programming xp-rience and insight. 1) In mathematic field yes, in real word you just need to be able to describe formally a problem. Solutions can breaks some rules, math cannot (do you use strict:)) 2) They will get a better salary for sure! All algorithm doesn's need an hardware knowledge 3) You should get a look at Perl :) | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by YAFZ (Pilgrim) on Aug 11, 2003 at 10:45 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Or if you want to develop new algorithms and data structures then mathematics and symbolic analysis are going to be useful for you. However, the world of programming is so diverse that you can spend decades without seeing any math at all. Think about building a web based content management system, think about programming a commuminty message board, routine SQL programming, etc. 2) It depends. Just like the first question, the important thing is which field of programming you are working in. If you are into the algorithm development, doing theoretical work, building some security protocol, cryptography, etc. then formal CS education can be the right place to start. But never forget that there are thousands of programmers who don't have any formal education in CS. Maybe the problem is with the meaning of the word "programming", it is too wide! :) I'm doing very high level web programming, Linus Torvalds is doing very low level multitasking, multiuser operating system programming. We are both programming, but are we doing the same thing? 3) Well you must change the question: Are there languages who are more friendly to the mathematically inclined? ;-) I don't think well known, procedural (imperative) programming languages look like "mathematical". | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by husker (Chaplain) on Aug 15, 2003 at 15:25 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Math proficiency helps you develop the mental discipline and rigor that really helps solve a problem ... whether a problem on paper, or a problem in magnetic storage. Most computer applications involve transforming some set of input (input from the user, a database record, a real-world event) into some related set of output .. a report, a transaction, a web page. Math is all about transformations too. It's also about "following the rules". You can't take shortcuts in math, or be sloppy, and get correct results. The same is true for programming. Leave out a detail, make a wrong assumption ... in math, you get the wrong answer. In programming, you get the wrong output. As others have pointed out, thinking up a solution to a problem (analysis) and implementing it (programming) are two separate things. I think math skills definitely help you with the analysis. It helps with the programming skill too, since math aptitude gets you comfortable working with formal grammars and symbols ... something you'll need to be able to do when you work with any programming language. As far as not having a BS degree, it may limit you in career advancement from an HR perspective, but it should not limit you in how good an analyst or programmer you might be. Getting a BS just means you learned some stuff in the classroom. If you can learn the same things in your living room or your office, that knowledge is still as useful. You may learn things in different order, or it may take you longer (since you'll sometimes have to go search out knowledge, instead of being told to read chapters 4 and 5 and do the programming exercises when you're done). But in the end, a non-degreed programmer is just as capable of producing working code as a degreed one. As for which languages are "easy" ... well, for novices, complicated syntax will become a discouraging obstacle. The two easiest languages I learned were BASIC and COBOL. Neither language is very "powerful" in their base implementations. COBOL was made for the business world so that non-CS people (like accountants and managers) could read the code and help the programmer decide if the code was solving the problem correctly. For this reason, novices often find it easier to read and write. BASIC is similar. It doesn't have a bunch of complicated operators or constructs. (I'm talking the original BASIC here, not Visual BASIC or whatever). Both these languages are easy on the novice but still allow you to write functional programs. If you're just starting out, that's your main goal .. just to figure out if you have the smarts to solve a problem (analysis) and then implement the solution (write a program). | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by Vorlin (Beadle) on Aug 10, 2003 at 21:45 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I would tend to think the following: I also know that even though someone has a lot of Computer Science, that doesn't mean they are intelligent on a programming level, even if they have a lot of math training. I've seen a lot of people with Comp Sci degrees who are a lot less intuitive in many aspects of Comp Sci simply because the formal training gives them blinders that inhibit their expansion and creativity. I've also seen those who are utterly amazing, with degrees and without. It's all dependent on how one can learn, I think. | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by zby (Vicar) on Aug 11, 2003 at 11:29 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Re: Programming and math
by kiat (Vicar) on Aug 11, 2003 at 14:31 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thanks to all for sharing your opinions on the above questions I have regarding programming and its relationship with Mathematics and Computer Science. I had some thinking about those issues before posting them and I'm now quite convinced that I'm not alone in my views on them. 1) While having a good grounding in Mathematics is definitely a plus in one's mastery of programming, its relevance/contribution to programming is dependent to a large extent on the nature of the programming task. The more arithmetic the task, the more Mathematics is required. Certain programming tasks like coding a forum script has little to do Mathematics. 2) Again, while it's good to have a formal training in CS, it's not necessarily an advantage. Practical experience, logical thinking and other factors come into play. 3) I think perl is one such langauge to me - not that I know a lot of progrmaming languages. But I think it helps that Perl's creator, Larry Wall, is a linguist :) | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by bwelch (Curate) on Aug 12, 2003 at 15:01 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1. Yes and no. The math I learned in college was not that useful. If I'd gotten a minor in statistics and emphasized matrix math several jobs would have been much easier. 2. Some computer science programs are useful in the real world, others teach bad habits that need to be broken later. It depends. The best developer I've ever met hated computer science and dropped out of college. 3. I think the most abstract languages are easier in some ways, but that might depend on the individual. | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by blue_cowdawg (Monsignor) on Aug 10, 2003 at 22:26 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Let me apply my life's experiences to these wonderful questions and hopefully shed some light here. Answer to question #1:
Having said that I can think of some programming I did in the past where knowing how to do interpolation and extrapoltation held me in good stead. In fact I don't belive I could have solved the problem without those skills. (Had to do with RF measurement automation) In other cases I can think of I had to work with mathemetitians (sp?) extracting from them programming requirements for a project. Without a base knowlege of math I would have been lost. As to question #2:
Now.. if you were to ask me what languages I think I am more productive the list would change somewhat. Peter @ Berghold . Net Sieze the cow! Bite the day! Nobody expects the Perl inquisition! Test the code? We don't need to test no stinkin' code! Brewer of Belgian style Ales | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by poqui (Deacon) on Aug 18, 2003 at 16:30 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I came to programming through math myself. In highschool, I found that I enjoyed the proof process in Geometry. Later I had a friend who was in the math club and he had time on the school's computers. He showed me his implementation of "Single Pile Nim" on punched paper tape, then told me about Basic programming. I immediately went to the library and started looking at Basic books and was struck at how the structure of programming was like the structure of proofs. I was hooked. I began pestering math teachers for computer time, and was able to get an entire semester of lab time without having to take a class. Next semester though, I had to take a class to get more lab time. So, at least for me, it was the synchrony of having had Geometry, and then going to a school which had computers which got me into programming. | [reply] [Watch: Dir/Any] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Re: Programming and math
by oRg (Initiate) on Aug 14, 2003 at 06:01 UTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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