How's your math?
Just had math class this morning and I realize I suck at it, lol. Well, not suck but I have to use a lot of brain power to work a problem.
Anyone else suck at math? Or is it just me :-p
If yes, does it affect your programming abilities?
Btw, I'm taking Calculus.
Anyone else suck at math? Or is it just me :-p
If yes, does it affect your programming abilities?
Btw, I'm taking Calculus.
I took AP Calculus BC with a great teacher, and got a 4 on the AP exam (on the practice exam I was only a few points away from a 5, no idea about how close I was on the real thing).
Being good at math takes two things: practice and interest.
If you are not interested to understand why something is the way it is, you may never form a fundamental understanding of it, and it will hinder you. But you can still overcome the hindrance with practice, it's just a lot lot harder without interest.
I think math ability does very much affect programming ability, not because you have to use math in programming, but because the underlying concepts of logical thinking and problem solving are in both.
If you get confused about something for a moment, even something small, don't push it away, write it down as a note and then try and figure it out later. I often accidentally figured out that I had a fundamental misunderstanding of something and that by answering my own question I had gained a better understanding of the material.
EDIT: Oh, and when I say good at math, I don't mean adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing in your head - that's hard for me, and takes a lot of practice and training to make easier (our brains aren't designed to think that way). What I am talking about is understanding how the abstract concepts of math come together and how to use them to solve problems.
Calculators are designed to process numbers. Brains are designed to process ideas and solve problems. ;)
Being good at math takes two things: practice and interest.
If you are not interested to understand why something is the way it is, you may never form a fundamental understanding of it, and it will hinder you. But you can still overcome the hindrance with practice, it's just a lot lot harder without interest.
I think math ability does very much affect programming ability, not because you have to use math in programming, but because the underlying concepts of logical thinking and problem solving are in both.
If you get confused about something for a moment, even something small, don't push it away, write it down as a note and then try and figure it out later. I often accidentally figured out that I had a fundamental misunderstanding of something and that by answering my own question I had gained a better understanding of the material.
EDIT: Oh, and when I say good at math, I don't mean adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing in your head - that's hard for me, and takes a lot of practice and training to make easier (our brains aren't designed to think that way). What I am talking about is understanding how the abstract concepts of math come together and how to use them to solve problems.
Calculators are designed to process numbers. Brains are designed to process ideas and solve problems. ;)
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My interest might lacking due the fact that my professor sucks! He's a brilliant man but half the class is zoned out and I struggle to pay attention. I'm aware i'm pretty much going to have to teach myself because my programming is important to me.
Funny thing though is I learn more math in programming than in my actual math class.
Funny thing though is I learn more math in programming than in my actual math class.
What does half the class being zoned out have to do with you paying attention? Do you mean he is boring to listen to? Does he use powerpoint slides?
Math was generally one of my strong subjects. That and art. It was english classes where I had the most trouble.
He talks to himself at the board and uses bizarre examples like umbrellas that I don't get. It's hard to explain you just have to be in the class it's painful. He doesn't speak English well, which wouldn't be bad if he just tried to make the class participate.
No slides. He spends an hour on one problem and then turns to ask if we understand and when we say we don't he says, "Trust me you will. If not now in the future."
No slides. He spends an hour on one problem and then turns to ask if we understand and when we say we don't he says, "Trust me you will. If not now in the future."
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| It was english classes where I had the most trouble. |
I have never really had trouble in English class, but I hate it.
| Math was generally one of my strong subjects. That and art. It was english classes where I had the most trouble. |
I loved English and History and then theater class.
Edit: I loved creative writing not so much the rules of literacy and all that jazz.
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| I took AP Calculus BC with a great teacher, and got a 4 on the AP exam (on the practice exam I was only a few points away from a 5, no idea about how close I was on the real thing). Being good at math takes two things: practice and interest. If you are not interested to understand why something is the way it is, you may never form a fundamental understanding of it, and it will hinder you. But you can still overcome the hindrance with practice, it's just a lot lot harder without interest. I think math ability does very much affect programming ability, not because you have to use math in programming, but because the underlying concepts of logical thinking and problem solving are in both. If you get confused about something for a moment, even something small, don't push it away, write it down as a note and then try and figure it out later. I often accidentally figured out that I had a fundamental misunderstanding of something and that by answering my own question I had gained a better understanding of the material. EDIT: Oh, and when I say good at math, I don't mean adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing in your head - that's hard for me, and takes a lot of practice and training to make easier (our brains aren't designed to think that way). What I am talking about is understanding how the abstract concepts of math come together and how to use them to solve problems. Calculators are designed to process numbers. Brains are designed to process ideas and solve problems. ;) |
Really like what's said here, especially the edit. I've seen people claim that you can be terrible at math and still be a good programmer, but I kind of disagree with that. Honestly I'd actually say programming has helped my mathematical thinking, so I can relate to them being cognitively tied.
Yeah it annoys the hell out of me when someone says they're good at math because they've gotten quick with arithmetic. I'm not really fast but I can do a lot of problems in my head with the exception of division problems. I can multiply 3 digit numbers by 3 digit numbers but I wouldn't be able to tell you what 4/13 is without a calculator within a minute lol. At the same time though when I was taking Geometry back then I was appalled when these "bright" kids could do arithmetic very quickly yet couldn't see the blatantly obvious fact that distance formula and Pythagorean Theorem are tied. I've never been an exceptionally fast thinker but I've been recognized to solve very difficult ones if I'm given time and not rushed when it comes maths. I prefer having the ability to solve more difficult problems over time over being fast but only with smaller problems.
EDIT: Oh and difference between "bright and bright.
Most of us here I'm sure already know that sine of 30 degrees is .5 In Physics yesterday we've just been doing classical mechanics and of course you need a lot of trigonometric functions. Well we're going over problems on the board getting walked through one and we're asked what the sine of 30 degrees is. I already knew off the top of my head that it was .5, so I just answered immediately. Then these annoying girls on the other side of the room say "No it's 1/2!"
I was honestly so irritated at the moment I just outburst "1/2 is .5 are you kidding me!"
These were all girls who thought they were especially bright, which I usually disagree with. Working hard doesn't necessarily mean you're bright.
What's funny is the teacher just looked at me and kind of laughed to himself.
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| Most of us here I'm sure already know that sine of 30 degrees is .5 In Physics yesterday we've just been doing classical mechanics and of course you need a lot of trigonometric functions. Well we're going over problems on the board getting walked through one and we're asked what the sine of 30 degrees is. I already knew off the top of my head that it was .5, so I just answered immediately. Then these annoying girls on the other side of the room say "No it's 1/2!" I was honestly so irritated at the moment I just outburst "1/2 is .5 are you kidding me!" These were all girls who thought they were especially bright, which I usually disagree with. Working hard doesn't necessarily mean you're bright. What's funny is the teacher just looked at me and kind of laughed to himself. |
That's funny. I have girl like that in my Stat class who does the same homework as everyone else who is the first to answer all the questions before anyone else has a chance though everyone knows the answer. And stays when the class is over to walk the Prof through the door. Gosh, she's annoying!
I mean, i'm a kiss up as well (Not ashamed to mention it) but she takes kissing up to whole new level.
I studied Calculus in highschool when my friends were in AP and actually (kinda) tutored one of them. I did my roommates homework with them when they were in Calc, Calc 2, and Calc 3 and I was not. I've spent a preposterous amount of time learning the basics of set theory, type theory, category theory, general algebra, some more advanced facets of linear algebra, etc etc. And yet somehow, for 3 years now, I have managed NOT to pass pre-calculus.
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| I was honestly so irritated at the moment I just outburst "1/2 is .5 are you kidding me!" |
To add a bit of perspective, when I was studying mathematics my professors (all of them) insisted on fractional notation when doing trigonometry and identities. We even lost part marks on our tests and assignments for not using "proper" notation. Their reasoning was that, when you do a trig functions involving things like pi/2, you aren't going to write 1.57079632679, so when you do sin(30 degrees) you should write 1/2 to be more consistent with the other representations that aren't so "precise".
Strong in some areas and very patchy in others. I tried to start a mathematics degree at university last year, but got turned down. I thought the degree would fill in the gaps, but apparently you have to have decent exam results to get to a university. >.<
That said, it's rarely the maths that I fail at in programming... It's usually actually translating the maths into something the compiler accepts. So, my exams say I suck at maths, but I say I suck at programming. ;)
That said, it's rarely the maths that I fail at in programming... It's usually actually translating the maths into something the compiler accepts. So, my exams say I suck at maths, but I say I suck at programming. ;)
I personally love math, and take to it pretty easily. I must say though, at least you have an instructor, mine is online. it uses quite an annoyingly finicky program called my math lab. however im currently in college algebra, so i hope that is an in class only type deal
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