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  3. Do you think math people are the best programmers?

Do you think math people are the best programmers?

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  • I innuendoreplay

    Hi, i have a theory...that is that people with math studies are the best in the programming field (if you don't trust me, check Dennis Ritchie, Bjarne Stroustup, Alan Kay, etc)...what is your opinions about this? Is convenient study math books instead of programming books?

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    wizardzz
    wrote on last edited by
    #8

    I see no correlation. People with different backgrounds approach problems differently, and that's fine. As long as logic is used, does it matter what the foundation of the logic is? I know math majors that don't code, and I don't think could never learn it. I also know people that have studied everything under the sun that are great programmers.

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    • W wizardzz

      Don't you have a queen to be worshiping today? I do say maths, and get weird looks in this country.

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      Lost User
      wrote on last edited by
      #9

      Queen worship is tomorrow. Today is last Monday's (whatever it was for) that got moved to today. As we all have tomorrow off extra drinking can be done today.

      Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends. Shed Petition[^]

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      • D Dalek Dave

        MATHS surely? The subject is MathematicS, a plural.

        --------------------------------- 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[^] English League Tables - Live

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        lewax00
        wrote on last edited by
        #10

        Only if you're from the crazy side of the Atlantic. But since you skip part of the middle, wouldn't it be a contraction and therefore "math's"?

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        • W wizardzz

          Don't you have a queen to be worshiping today? I do say maths, and get weird looks in this country.

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          Dalek Dave
          wrote on last edited by
          #11

          Just waiting for the concert. I had a bad game of golf and need something to kick! :)

          --------------------------------- 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[^] English League Tables - Live

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          • I innuendoreplay

            Hi, i have a theory...that is that people with math studies are the best in the programming field (if you don't trust me, check Dennis Ritchie, Bjarne Stroustup, Alan Kay, etc)...what is your opinions about this? Is convenient study math books instead of programming books?

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            lewax00
            wrote on last edited by
            #12

            I think it's more that the same kind of people are attracted to both fields, specifically people who are good at (and enjoy) solving problems.

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            • W wizardzz

              I see no correlation. People with different backgrounds approach problems differently, and that's fine. As long as logic is used, does it matter what the foundation of the logic is? I know math majors that don't code, and I don't think could never learn it. I also know people that have studied everything under the sun that are great programmers.

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              innuendoreplay
              wrote on last edited by
              #13

              Well, maybe i disagree when you mention that some people who know math can't code... i think in general cases that people who know math can code better than people who studio computer systems engineering (maybe because they know better the abstraction of the things).

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              • P Pualee

                In my experience, the far best programmers are people who studied electrical engineering, but took jobs as programmers. I think it has something to do with understanding logic and the inability to quickly "patch" their work... must be right when it is deployed. Some of the worst are CS majors.

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                innuendoreplay
                wrote on last edited by
                #14

                Yeah i think so...but if you analyze the people who study electrical engineering are like maths people, in fact, electrical circuits are math representations and i think this type of problem improve the logic substantially.

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                • W wizardzz

                  I see no correlation. People with different backgrounds approach problems differently, and that's fine. As long as logic is used, does it matter what the foundation of the logic is? I know math majors that don't code, and I don't think could never learn it. I also know people that have studied everything under the sun that are great programmers.

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                  AspDotNetDev
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #15

                  I agree, it would just focus their strengths, I would think. So if they're electrical engineers, maybe they focus more on the architectural aspects or on tinkering just until it works. Or maybe they like tests because they are used to working with things that are hard to fix once they're out in the wild. Maybe if they studied math, they focus more on the low-level optimizations or maybe they like to model systems before building them. And if they are CS majors, maybe they keep in mind big-O notation and avoid perfecting code when it does not change the big-O performance. That, of course, doesn't preclude each from performing tasks similar to the others, but it may on average reveal a trend of how each tends to work.

                  Thou mewling ill-breeding pignut!

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                  • D Dalek Dave

                    MATHS surely? The subject is MathematicS, a plural.

                    --------------------------------- 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[^] English League Tables - Live

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                    David Crow
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #16

                    Dalek Dave wrote:

                    The subject is MathematicS, a plural.

                    It's also considered a singular noun, which is why folks say, “mathematics is my best subject” and not “mathematics are my best subject.” What about economics? Did you take an econ or econs class in college? It all depends on where you are from.

                    "One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson

                    "Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons

                    "Show me a community that obeys the Ten Commandments and I'll show you a less crowded prison system." - Anonymous

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                    • P Pualee

                      In my experience, the far best programmers are people who studied electrical engineering, but took jobs as programmers. I think it has something to do with understanding logic and the inability to quickly "patch" their work... must be right when it is deployed. Some of the worst are CS majors.

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                      David Knechtges
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #17

                      Having a BSEE degree myself, I can explain why EEs tend to be better at it than others. A lot of us, especially software/firmware types, have to twiddle bits in assembly and get down to the true bare metal. We cut our teeth on that. So, when we move up to the other areas of programming like desktop and web apps, it is so much easier. I have also found that when you have to program without a nice IDE and lots of debugging tools like exist in and around Visual Studio, you tend to be a LOT more careful with what you are doing and typing.

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                      • I innuendoreplay

                        Hi, i have a theory...that is that people with math studies are the best in the programming field (if you don't trust me, check Dennis Ritchie, Bjarne Stroustup, Alan Kay, etc)...what is your opinions about this? Is convenient study math books instead of programming books?

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                        Lost User
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #18

                        IME the best programmers are those who can turn out product. Dont forget we work in a commercial world. If you cant deliver product that works, you arent much good.

                        ============================== Nothing to say.

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                        • D Dalek Dave

                          MATHS surely? The subject is MathematicS, a plural.

                          --------------------------------- 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[^] English League Tables - Live

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                          Dr Walt Fair PE
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #19

                          I think it's a shame that you Brits have to break up mathematics into pieces. My experience is that it's all tied together in one broad subject area. So, do they give you several diplomas when you get a degree in mathematicS or just 1 diploma?

                          CQ de W5ALT

                          Walt Fair, Jr., P. E. Comport Computing Specializing in Technical Engineering Software

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                          • I innuendoreplay

                            Hi, i have a theory...that is that people with math studies are the best in the programming field (if you don't trust me, check Dennis Ritchie, Bjarne Stroustup, Alan Kay, etc)...what is your opinions about this? Is convenient study math books instead of programming books?

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                            OriginalGriffO Offline
                            OriginalGriff
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #20

                            I went to Uni to study Maths and CS. At the end of the first year I realized that I was a lot, lot cr@ppier at maths than I had thought (and my exam results had previously suggested). I dropped the maths, and went to pure CS. I don't think I'm a bad programmer - I think I'm pretty good. I do know that I have never used more than one tenth of the mathematics I learnt in order to get on the Maths and CS course in the first place...

                            Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water

                            "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
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                            • D Dalek Dave

                              MATHS surely? The subject is MathematicS, a plural.

                              --------------------------------- 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[^] English League Tables - Live

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                              PIEBALDconsult
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #21

                              Dalek Dave wrote:

                              MathematicS, a plural

                              No, it's simply a word that ends in s. Or at most a collective noun.

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                              • D Dalek Dave

                                MATHS surely? The subject is MathematicS, a plural.

                                --------------------------------- 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[^] English League Tables - Live

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                                Chris Losinger
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #22

                                what's a mathematic?

                                image processing toolkits | batch image processing

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                                • I innuendoreplay

                                  Hi, i have a theory...that is that people with math studies are the best in the programming field (if you don't trust me, check Dennis Ritchie, Bjarne Stroustup, Alan Kay, etc)...what is your opinions about this? Is convenient study math books instead of programming books?

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                                  Lost User
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #23

                                  Well you cherry picked a nice example there. Meanwhile in the real world, there are plenty of mathematicians who can't program (or not well) and plenty of good programmers who didn't study maths. I have a a different theory: people who would have made good programmers were likely to study maths before computer science as a separate study was invented. edit: with that I don't mean to say that all good programmers have studied CS, just that the more theoretical guys have a study of their own now.

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                                  • I innuendoreplay

                                    Hi, i have a theory...that is that people with math studies are the best in the programming field (if you don't trust me, check Dennis Ritchie, Bjarne Stroustup, Alan Kay, etc)...what is your opinions about this? Is convenient study math books instead of programming books?

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                                    R Giskard Reventlov
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #24

                                    You're theory is incorrect and I don't trust you: why would I? I don't know you. In any case, it's a simple matter to prove that mathematicians are the very worst programmers. Here is the proof: a = b a^2 = ab a^2 - b^2 = ab - b^2 (a - b)(a + b) = b(a - b) a + b = b b + b = b 2b = b 2 = 1 Since that proves that 2 = 1, which is plainly incorrect, it further proves that mathematicians are stupid, dull and boring people without a brain cell between them. Let me prove that as well... :-)

                                    "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair. nils illegitimus carborundum me, me, me

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                                    • I innuendoreplay

                                      Hi, i have a theory...that is that people with math studies are the best in the programming field (if you don't trust me, check Dennis Ritchie, Bjarne Stroustup, Alan Kay, etc)...what is your opinions about this? Is convenient study math books instead of programming books?

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                                      PIEBALDconsult
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #25

                                      No, I'm horrible at math. And I'm saddened that you didn't include Alan Turing in your list. Someone who is good at math may be better suited to some types of programming domain, but I doubt that such an animal would be superior at writing something like a hotel reservation system for instance.

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                                      • R R Giskard Reventlov

                                        You're theory is incorrect and I don't trust you: why would I? I don't know you. In any case, it's a simple matter to prove that mathematicians are the very worst programmers. Here is the proof: a = b a^2 = ab a^2 - b^2 = ab - b^2 (a - b)(a + b) = b(a - b) a + b = b b + b = b 2b = b 2 = 1 Since that proves that 2 = 1, which is plainly incorrect, it further proves that mathematicians are stupid, dull and boring people without a brain cell between them. Let me prove that as well... :-)

                                        "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair. nils illegitimus carborundum me, me, me

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                                        Lost User
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #26

                                        Imagine a set with 2 objects in it, me and The Duke of Edinburgh. If 2 = 1 then I am the DofE. I've got to go now, my bladder hurts.

                                        Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends. Shed Petition[^]

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                                        • R R Giskard Reventlov

                                          You're theory is incorrect and I don't trust you: why would I? I don't know you. In any case, it's a simple matter to prove that mathematicians are the very worst programmers. Here is the proof: a = b a^2 = ab a^2 - b^2 = ab - b^2 (a - b)(a + b) = b(a - b) a + b = b b + b = b 2b = b 2 = 1 Since that proves that 2 = 1, which is plainly incorrect, it further proves that mathematicians are stupid, dull and boring people without a brain cell between them. Let me prove that as well... :-)

                                          "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair. nils illegitimus carborundum me, me, me

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                                          lewax00
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #27

                                          mark merrens wrote:

                                          Since that proves that 2 = 1

                                          Except you divided by zero to get the result (step 4, if a = b then a - b = 0), which is not a valid step.

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