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My favourite quote about Mathematics is from John von Neumann: "In mathematics you don't understand things. You just get used to them." - This quote highlights

My favourite quote about Mathematics is from John von Neumann: "In mathematics you don't understand things. You just get used to them." - This quote highlights precisely why I ended up choosing software engineering over maths. I'm just not very good at applying processes/methodologies which I don't fully understand. For example, I wasn't very good with linear algebra until I was able to visualize the equations in my head. For example, now, when I think about the equation 'f(x) = ax^2 + bx + c' - I can see that this represents the set of all possible quadratic equations and I can roughly visualize what that looks like on a cartesian plane (well it would turn the whole plane black because there would be an infinite number of graphs). Then if I choose any three points on that crowded cartesian plane, I can visualize that among this infinite set of curves, one of them passes through all three points. Thinking about it in that way allows me to make sense of Gauss-Jordan Reduction and other mathematical processes related to linear algebra. Programming is much easier for me because I can visualize the results instantly on a computer - I don't need someone else to explain it to me. Any uncertainty can be quickly resolved by simply running some code.

pixl97 10y ago
>Any uncertainty can be quickly resolved by simply running some code. Until you have to interact with a black box of someone else's code. You can only be certain that the data you sent that particular time works, not that all possibilities of valid data work.
- jondubois 10y ago
  I guess with programming, you can never get 100% certainty when it comes to correctness of your code - Unless you perform formal analysis which is impractical for most use cases.
  - chipsy 10y ago
    You might not succeed at 100%, but you can remove "classes of error" by adopting particular styles or techniques backed by formal analysis. That's one of the biggest appeals of compiler technology - it can encode an understanding of patterns proven to detect failure, and in so doing lower your resulting bug count.
- mrkgnao 10y ago
  So etale cohomology? :P
naasking 10y ago
> "In mathematics you don't understand things. You just get used to them." - This quote highlights precisely why I ended up choosing software engineering over maths. Haha probably the most unintentionally funny and ironic comment I've read in awhile. Given more than 50% of software projects fail, which is worse than chance, I think it's safe to say the no one really understands software engineering either. Like math, they just get used to doing some things that seem to work better than others.
- keyboardwarrior 10y ago
  Programming and math start at opposite ends but will eventually meet in the middle, they both deal with computation (modification through time). Only math as a language originates from past assertions to model a determinant factor, while programming deals with future assertions as to produce determinant factors. Its alot easier to make arbitrary mistakes in the latter then the former.

pixl97 10y ago

>Any uncertainty can be quickly resolved by simply running some code. Until you have to interact with a black box of someone else's code. You can only be certain that the data you sent that particular time works, not that all possibilities of valid data work.

jondubois 10y ago
I guess with programming, you can never get 100% certainty when it comes to correctness of your code - Unless you perform formal analysis which is impractical for most use cases.
- chipsy 10y ago
  You might not succeed at 100%, but you can remove "classes of error" by adopting particular styles or techniques backed by formal analysis. That's one of the biggest appeals of compiler technology - it can encode an understanding of patterns proven to detect failure, and in so doing lower your resulting bug count.
mrkgnao 10y ago
So etale cohomology? :P

naasking 10y ago

> "In mathematics you don't understand things. You just get used to them." - This quote highlights precisely why I ended up choosing software engineering over maths. Haha probably the most unintentionally funny and ironic comment I've read in awhile. Given more than 50% of software projects fail, which is worse than chance, I think it's safe to say the no one really understands software engineering either. Like math, they just get used to doing some things that seem to work better than others.

keyboardwarrior 10y ago
Programming and math start at opposite ends but will eventually meet in the middle, they both deal with computation (modification through time). Only math as a language originates from past assertions to model a determinant factor, while programming deals with future assertions as to produce determinant factors. Its alot easier to make arbitrary mistakes in the latter then the former.