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  3. How much knowing math well helps programmer?!

How much knowing math well helps programmer?!

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  • H Henry Minute

    Mental block or deliberate error[^]?

    Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus! When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is.

    M Offline
    M Offline
    musefan
    wrote on last edited by
    #23

    I will say that one is deliberate. I have a habit of using that one quite a lot when I mean though - personally I think it does the job so I am happy enough with that. I do tend to make a lot a grammar mistakes similar to this though (2 extra seconds wasted they're :)) and that just comes with typing what I think and not taking time to look back at the context of the words. Knowing how picky you all are over grammar thou, I know that you will all understand exactly what I am trying to say anyway, so proof reading before I post is a waste of time

    My opinions are right, and yours are wrong! (or at least that is my opinion)

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    • M musefan

      I am not sure if you are for or against my comment with that one? However, there are multiple definitions of "Logic" so if you are against me then I meant one of the other ones :laugh:

      My opinions are right, and yours are wrong! (or at least that is my opinion)

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      Lost User
      wrote on last edited by
      #24

      You said maths is not required, but logic is. Therefore your comment made no sense. Unless of course you meant philosophical logic rather than mathematical logic. In which case you are lacking in logic because you do not fully understand the argument we are having.

      Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends.

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      • H hairy_hats

        TorstenH. wrote:

        Art is overrated.

        A lot of art certainly is, but I don't think you can dismiss the total artistic output of the human race as overrated.

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        TorstenH
        wrote on last edited by
        #25

        Art can just be valued on rating it. Most times the pure piece of art is not much - but as it gets rated it becomes "something special".

        regards Torsten I never finish anyth...

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        • H hakz code

          Recently I had a fun discussion with my colleague(he works on algorithms) on this topic, thought you guys would give some insight.

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          Tim Carmichael
          wrote on last edited by
          #26

          Depending on the type of work being performed, math may be very important. Working in a manufacturing environment, I use math every day to: determine the volume of a product produced (massive rolls of paper) determine the volume of a product in a cylinder (natural gas or LPG) Since we are a multi-national company, we are also required to convert between US and Metric systems and be able to report in either. Paper can be measured in pounds per ream (a standard size) or grams per square metre. Understanding the math, and hence the equation, is absolutely required. Tim

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          • Mike HankeyM Mike Hankey

            Good eye. He does seem hung up on that word doesn't he?

            I may be schizophrenic, but at least I have each other.

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            M Offline
            musefan
            wrote on last edited by
            #27

            Yes, I was physically abused with a copy of Hamlet as a child. My shrink says that is the reason I use it so much... I often have to see a shrink in to keep my grammar in check you see

            My opinions are right, and yours are wrong! (or at least that is my opinion)

            Mike HankeyM 1 Reply Last reply
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            • H hakz code

              Recently I had a fun discussion with my colleague(he works on algorithms) on this topic, thought you guys would give some insight.

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              Ian Shlasko
              wrote on last edited by
              #28

              Aside from the obvious need to understand logic, you need to have a firm grasp of algebra in many cases... Trigonometry and geometry are useful for graphics or game programming, but not that important for anything else. Calculus, you probably don't need, unless you're doing REALLY advanced stuff, like market trading algorithms or maybe some kinds of scientific research... EDIT: Ok, maybe Trig and Geometry have other uses (Seeing Tim's post above mine)... But if you're only using it that infrequently, you can probably just look up the formulas.

              Proud to have finally moved to the A-Ark. Which one are you in?
              Author of the Guardians Saga (Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels)

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              • H hairy_hats

                Dalek Dave wrote:

                unless you are developing for a very arcane discipline that requires obtuse and cryptic sums.

                Such as accounting, where very large sums on the Income sheet magically become small ones when moved to the Tax Due sheet.

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                Dalek Dave
                wrote on last edited by
                #29

                And where Fees are a discipline all on their own! :) [Evil Laugh]

                ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^] Trolls[^]

                H 1 Reply Last reply
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                • H hakz code

                  Recently I had a fun discussion with my colleague(he works on algorithms) on this topic, thought you guys would give some insight.

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                  Joan M
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #30

                  I think that the most appropiate answer here falls in the category of "depending on the task to be accomplished". :rose:

                  [www.tamelectromecanica.com] Robots, CNC and PLC machines for grinding and polishing.

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                  • L Lost User

                    You said maths is not required, but logic is. Therefore your comment made no sense. Unless of course you meant philosophical logic rather than mathematical logic. In which case you are lacking in logic because you do not fully understand the argument we are having.

                    Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends.

                    M Offline
                    M Offline
                    musefan
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #31

                    I didn't say logic was required. I said it helps, and by that I mean being a logical thinker is a plus. like someone that has good problem solving skills etc. If you mean the AND/OR/NOT etc. logic then that is certainly another plus in some areas of programming

                    My opinions are right, and yours are wrong! (or at least that is my opinion)

                    L K 2 Replies Last reply
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                    • H hakz code

                      Recently I had a fun discussion with my colleague(he works on algorithms) on this topic, thought you guys would give some insight.

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                      N Offline
                      Nagy Vilmos
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #32

                      A good solid understanding of maths - it's shortened from mathematics not mathematic - is a must in anything by the most trivial application. [example: How do you determine a hash code and how will you know if it's good?] You need a good knowledge of logic. Is the decision point in your if statement correct? An understanding of how things work under the hood helps when implementing. A true example, we had to sort a list on the fly as it came in, probably 80-100 items through per minute and it needed to refresh the display. Easy yes? The sort algorythym moved about the values rather than the references and it was pants, a quick index in the middle and sorting was reduced to negligible. Only sorting when refreshing the display was another cheap improvement.


                      Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett

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                      • M musefan

                        Yes, I was physically abused with a copy of Hamlet as a child. My shrink says that is the reason I use it so much... I often have to see a shrink in to keep my grammar in check you see

                        My opinions are right, and yours are wrong! (or at least that is my opinion)

                        Mike HankeyM Offline
                        Mike HankeyM Offline
                        Mike Hankey
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #33

                        Now we know the rest of the story.

                        I may be schizophrenic, but at least I have each other.

                        1 Reply Last reply
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                        • L Lost User

                          You said maths is not required, but logic is. Therefore your comment made no sense. Unless of course you meant philosophical logic rather than mathematical logic. In which case you are lacking in logic because you do not fully understand the argument we are having.

                          Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends.

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                          Dalek Dave
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #34

                          Sophistry is not big and it is not clever. Oh wait, yes it is! :)

                          ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^] Trolls[^]

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                          • N Nagy Vilmos

                            A good solid understanding of maths - it's shortened from mathematics not mathematic - is a must in anything by the most trivial application. [example: How do you determine a hash code and how will you know if it's good?] You need a good knowledge of logic. Is the decision point in your if statement correct? An understanding of how things work under the hood helps when implementing. A true example, we had to sort a list on the fly as it came in, probably 80-100 items through per minute and it needed to refresh the display. Easy yes? The sort algorythym moved about the values rather than the references and it was pants, a quick index in the middle and sorting was reduced to negligible. Only sorting when refreshing the display was another cheap improvement.


                            Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett

                            D Offline
                            D Offline
                            Dalek Dave
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #35

                            Much as I admire your attempt to teach them the correct spelling of MATHS, I feel I must pull you up on this line...

                            Nagy Vilmos wrote:

                            An understanding of how things work under the hood helps when implementing.

                            Bonnet, surely? Just sayin'

                            ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^] Trolls[^]

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                            • M musefan

                              I didn't say logic was required. I said it helps, and by that I mean being a logical thinker is a plus. like someone that has good problem solving skills etc. If you mean the AND/OR/NOT etc. logic then that is certainly another plus in some areas of programming

                              My opinions are right, and yours are wrong! (or at least that is my opinion)

                              L Offline
                              L Offline
                              Lost User
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #36

                              Logic is vital in all areas of programming, you cannot do it without. What you are calling logic or logical thinking, problem solving, is just more maths. Maths is not just numbers and equations.

                              Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends.

                              M 1 Reply Last reply
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                              • D Dalek Dave

                                And where Fees are a discipline all on their own! :) [Evil Laugh]

                                ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^] Trolls[^]

                                H Offline
                                H Offline
                                hairy_hats
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #37

                                In any other business (except perhaps law!) doing two minutes work and charging for 15 minutes would be classed as fraud.

                                N L 2 Replies Last reply
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                                • N Nagy Vilmos

                                  A good solid understanding of maths - it's shortened from mathematics not mathematic - is a must in anything by the most trivial application. [example: How do you determine a hash code and how will you know if it's good?] You need a good knowledge of logic. Is the decision point in your if statement correct? An understanding of how things work under the hood helps when implementing. A true example, we had to sort a list on the fly as it came in, probably 80-100 items through per minute and it needed to refresh the display. Easy yes? The sort algorythym moved about the values rather than the references and it was pants, a quick index in the middle and sorting was reduced to negligible. Only sorting when refreshing the display was another cheap improvement.


                                  Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett

                                  H Offline
                                  H Offline
                                  hairy_hats
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #38

                                  Nagy Vilmos wrote:

                                  algorythym

                                  And another one!

                                  N 1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • H hairy_hats

                                    Nagy Vilmos wrote:

                                    algorythym

                                    And another one!

                                    N Offline
                                    N Offline
                                    Nagy Vilmos
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #39

                                    Surrey, may spill chicken is bracken.


                                    Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • H hakz code

                                      Recently I had a fun discussion with my colleague(he works on algorithms) on this topic, thought you guys would give some insight.

                                      G Offline
                                      G Offline
                                      Gregory Gadow
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #40

                                      A lot depends on which field of mathematics, and on what you are coding. I was a math major in college. Some classes focused on logic and analysis: analytic geometry, abstract algebra and discrete math. That discipline is very helpful for just about any task. Most mathematics -- calculus, trigonometry, set theory, statistics -- are useful in programming only if you are going to be writing code that performs arithmetic calculations. Even then, you really aren't doing much original work, and a basic maths library will work just fine. Where you need a mathematical background is if you are, say, working for a company that writes basic maths libraries, or are part of a research team and need to take ideas and write them into simulations.

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                                      • H hairy_hats

                                        In any other business (except perhaps law!) doing two minutes work and charging for 15 minutes would be classed as fraud.

                                        L Offline
                                        L Offline
                                        Lost User
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #41

                                        I dunno. I get charged out by the half day or full day. And the rounding is most definitely up.

                                        Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends.

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                                        0
                                        • H hairy_hats

                                          In any other business (except perhaps law!) doing two minutes work and charging for 15 minutes would be classed as fraud.

                                          N Offline
                                          N Offline
                                          Nagy Vilmos
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #42

                                          A lawyer charges 15 minutes for the paperwork recording the fifteen minutes billed for the 2 minutes effort they got the secretary to do for them. :-D


                                          Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett

                                          1 Reply Last reply
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