Subj : Re: Good math skills a requirement?
To   : comp.programming
From : raisenero
Date : Wed Aug 10 2005 04:52 pm

> This question is probably asked often, but can someone be a decent
> programmer without any advanced math skills? To be more specific, can
> someone get by in programming with simple arithmetic (i.e. addition,
> substraction, multiplication, and division)?

> I don't see how a programmer would need anything beyond simple arithmetic
> to write an email client in a programming langauage such as Delphi. How in
> the heck is geometry, trig, calculus, etc. going to aid in this type of
> project?

When I first started taking college math, that was a pretty frequent
question.  Obviously most people in the Math class weren't necessarily
programmers, but I was.  My professor replied something like this (not
verbatim, but to the best of my recollection):

The actual mathematical equations you learn how to solve aren't nearly
as important as understanding how to recognize types of problems.
Using that understanding you can always reference a book, chart, or web
site for the appropriate equation to solve it with.  If you don't
understand the problem, you don't know where to start looking.  And
there is always the fact that the process of learning math broadens
your knowledge base preparing your mind to accept more difficult
concepts.  You will only ever be as competent in your respective fields
as you are with the individual tools that compose them.  Math skills to
recognize and solve problems; Composition skills to communicate those
problems in a meaningful way to all the other people who didn't think
math was important.

And what experience has taught me...
While I was in a college "Programming 2" class with a guy complaining
about the math course we were taking.  He said he'd never need to know
any of that crap, like vector math or trig.  All he wanted to do was
get through school with his art degree so he could build cool effects
with 3DS Max for movies like Star Wars.

Aside from the very direct and obvious application of vector math to a
3D modelling utility, I commented on how trig might be important to
calculate the height, width, and position of a shadow cast by a light
sabre.  He immediately picked up on what I was saying and replied
"Light sabres don't cast shadows."

True story, that was 3 months ago.

.