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Ask HN: How essential is math for programming?

3 points by Alec91 ↗ HN
So here is my story in a nutshell. I'm in my final year of studying computer science/programming in university. I'm pretty good at programming, infact I'm one of the top in my class. However, I struggle with my math classes, barely passing each semester. Is this odd, to be good at programming but be useless at maths? What worries me the most is what I've read about applying for programming positions in places like Google and Microsoft, where they ask you a random math question. I know that I'd panic and just fail on the spot... edit: Thanks for all the tips and advice. I was only using Google and Microsoft as an example, since everyone knows them. Oh and for all the redditors commenting about 'Maths' vs 'Math', I'm not from the US and was unaware that it had a different spelling over there. Perhaps I should forget the MATHS and take up English asap!

7 comments

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arethuza
"Is this odd, to be good at programming but be useless at maths?"

Not at all - I suspect the overwhelming majority of development jobs have pretty much no need for anything other than basic mathematical knowledge. I don't think I've ever met anyone who was good at everything so I'd suggest just accepting that maths isn't your thing and focusing on what you do find enjoyable.

Risc12
It isn't very odd, I know a lot of good programmers that are bad at math, but I also know a lot of awesome programmers that are good at math. One does not lead to the other.

That being said, when you are not good at math it is not something that is instilled in you. Probably the way you are being teached in a way that doesn't help you very much. I recommend looking at some online classes and tutorials. Once you get the hang of math it can even be pretty enjoyable!

blobman
Most programming these days is more like learning a language than doing maths. Most jobs in the programming world don't require much knowledge of maths at all. However, learning maths will improve your problem solving skills and will broaden the horizon of things you can do.
arethuza
"learning maths will improve your problem solving skills"

I'm not sure about that - I think it helps with dealing with abstractions which can help with design of solutions but I'm not sure that the type of reasoning that maths itself promotes is especially applicable to working out solutions.

LarryMade2
I think programming is more about problem solving than math - now if it is math based problems then math is a desirable skill. But even with dunderhead math skills you can google up most answers and learn solutions. Ive applied and learned more math than I had in school through developing stuff.