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> Master the mathematical foundations essential for computer science I get that this is marketing fluff, but I really don't like this sort of gatekeeping - it'
by bsnnkv 1y ago
> Master the mathematical foundations essential for computer science
I get that this is marketing fluff, but I really don't like this sort of gatekeeping - it's what kept me from programming until I was almost 30
These days I'm quite a prolific programmer both on the clock and in my free time, and I wish I could have started earlier now that I know how little math is involved or required to build useful and beautiful things as a programmer
- zmgsabst 1y agoAbout the only two things I’d say are required is Boolean logic and grade school arithmetic (eg, computing the right index). There’s certainly roles that require more — but they’re the minority and you can always be taught on-the-job if it really matters.
- criley2 1y agoI'd say algebra is required, just because that's what introduces variables and functions. If you get into programming without knowing algebra, you'll learn algebra on Day 1 without realizing that's what you're doing.
- zmgsabst 1y agoProgramming doesn’t require algebra[1], which is about manipulating equations. You only need to understand processes and assignments, neither of which appear in a typical algebra class. You certainly won’t learn how to pass an algebra class about manipulating equalities by programming. [1] — The high school kind.
- threatofrain 1y agoThose jobs won't teach math on the job.
- pseudocomposer 1y agoLLMs are also very prolific programmers that don’t actually understand any of the math underlying what they’re doing.
- criley2 1y ago"understand" is doing a lot of work here. LLMs can explain math and solve math problems better than most programmers.
- bsnnkv 1y agoIf you were trying to say something with this comment, it communicated nothing to me
- nh23423fefe 1y agoCategory errors are the new insults.
- sn9 1y agoIt's unambiguously true that some amount of math beyond high school like that studied in Discrete Mathematics is essential for computer science. That's not the same thing as being essential for programming. That being said, studying more CS will only open more doors for you, giving you the tools to solve ever more complex problems, or the ability to recognize when something is effectively impossible. It's not gatekeeping to point out that a field of knowledge will help you access other fields of knowledge. It's an invitation.