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  3. How much knowing math well helps programmer?!

How much knowing math well helps programmer?!

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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.

    D Offline
    D Offline
    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.

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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.

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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

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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.

                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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                  • 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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                    • D Dalek Dave

                      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[^]

                      N Offline
                      N Offline
                      Nagy Vilmos
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #43

                      Touché M. Pussy-Cat


                      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
                      • L Lost User

                        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 Offline
                        M Offline
                        musefan
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #44

                        ChrisElston wrote:

                        Logic is vital in all areas of programming, you cannot do it without.

                        Are you just arguing with me for the sake of it? This is the second response where you are claiming I have said something that was not in my message. Why don't you read in again (or properly for the first time)... I said, "good logic skills is a big help for programming". This does not say it is required, this does not say you can program with zero logic. This means, better logic skills are of benefit.

                        ChrisElston wrote:

                        Logic is vital in all areas of programming, you cannot do it without.

                        If you learn to apply techniques you don't need to have logic. You get set requirements, you fulfil them with things you have read (other people's logic) and I would say (with my own logic) that there are programmers out that who get by like this just fine. Learn the theory, apply the theory. However, my opinion is a programmer will be better with good logic skills. Now, feel free to discard everything I just said, and comment on completely made up sentences as they form in your head

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

                        L 1 Reply Last reply
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                        • M musefan

                          ChrisElston wrote:

                          Logic is vital in all areas of programming, you cannot do it without.

                          Are you just arguing with me for the sake of it? This is the second response where you are claiming I have said something that was not in my message. Why don't you read in again (or properly for the first time)... I said, "good logic skills is a big help for programming". This does not say it is required, this does not say you can program with zero logic. This means, better logic skills are of benefit.

                          ChrisElston wrote:

                          Logic is vital in all areas of programming, you cannot do it without.

                          If you learn to apply techniques you don't need to have logic. You get set requirements, you fulfil them with things you have read (other people's logic) and I would say (with my own logic) that there are programmers out that who get by like this just fine. Learn the theory, apply the theory. However, my opinion is a programmer will be better with good logic skills. Now, feel free to discard everything I just said, and comment on completely made up sentences as they form in your head

                          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
                          #45

                          You said that knowing maths was not required. Knowing maths most definitely is. Even if it just logic.

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

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                          • L Lost User

                            In my opinion programing is maths. And maths is an art.

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

                            S Offline
                            S Offline
                            Slacker007
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #46

                            ChrisElston wrote:

                            In my opinion programing is maths.

                            Other than basic math, if that, how much of your programming involves math(s)? Just curious. :)

                            ----------------------------- Just along for the ride. -----------------------------

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                            • S Slacker007

                              ChrisElston wrote:

                              In my opinion programing is maths.

                              Other than basic math, if that, how much of your programming involves math(s)? Just curious. :)

                              ----------------------------- Just along for the ride. -----------------------------

                              L Offline
                              L Offline
                              Lost User
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #47

                              I think that all of it is. You have something, it has a value, what happens depends on what that value is in relation to some other value or values. I think that is maths.

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

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                              • L Lost User

                                You said that knowing maths was not required. Knowing maths most definitely is. Even if it just logic.

                                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
                                #48

                                In that statement, I indeed was thinking of maths as being the number crunching, algorithm aspect of it. Which was what I interpreted from the OP. But your reasoning of it meaning an all encompassing maths makes it a pointless topic

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

                                L 1 Reply Last reply
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                                • R rah_sin

                                  Without understanding maths you can not understand how to apply logic and entire programing is based on logic. rahul

                                  M Offline
                                  M Offline
                                  Maximilien
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #49

                                  most probably fuzzy logic! :rolleyes:

                                  Watched code never compiles.

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                                  • H hairy_hats

                                    But what is Art?

                                    B Offline
                                    B Offline
                                    Brady Kelly
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #50

                                    A little piece of SA 80's music: Niki Daly - Is it an Ism or is it Art[^] Maholy-Nagy, Maholy-Nagy I love his ism, but is it art? Tell me my Bauhaus baby Is it art? Is it an ism or is it an art? Marinetti, Filippo Marinetti I love your ism, but is it art? Futurisms so dynamic But it is art? René Magritte, Mr René Magritte I love your ism, but is it art? I’ll eat your black bowler hat If that is art Is it an ism or is it an art? Oskar Kokoschka, Oh Oskar Kokoschka I love your ism, but is it art? I’m chilled by the cold blue black of your nights But is it art? Neoplasticism, Automaticism, Televisionism Uh oh, Uh oh Is it art? Post Picasso-ism, hyper-realism, real hyperism Oh oh, oh Is it art? Keep looking for a sign For our own time There really isn’t any ism That I can call mine I know what I like But I don’t know if it’s art I really don’t know My ism from my art Is it an ism or is it an art? Oh Mr Mondrian, Mr Piet Mondrian I love your ism, but is it art? Your Boogie-Woogie-Woogie’s Jazzy But is it art? I know what I like But I don’t know if it’s art I really don’t know My ism from my art Oh, Is it an ism or is it art Salvador Dalí, I adore Dalí I love his ism, but is it art? It’s metaphysically superb But is it art Romanticism, minimalism, Disillusionism Oh oh, oh oh Is it art Supreme-tism, exoticism, simultanousism Oh oh, is it art? Keep looking for a sign For our own time There really isn’t any ism That I can call mine I know what I like But I don’t know if it’s art I really don’t know My ism from my art Is it an ism or is it art?

                                    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.

                                      E Offline
                                      E Offline
                                      Ennis Ray Lynch Jr
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #51

                                      If you program anything beyond a business application you will find the knowledge of math essential to your success. However, in the business domain it is actually a detriment. Management doesn't want the technically correct answer they want the answer everyone else is getting (check out mortgage calculators online)

                                      Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. I also do Android Programming as I find it a refreshing break from the MS. "And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs" -- Robert Frost

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                                      • L Lost User

                                        I think that all of it is. You have something, it has a value, what happens depends on what that value is in relation to some other value or values. I think that is maths.

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

                                        S Offline
                                        S Offline
                                        Slacker007
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #52

                                        Fair enough.

                                        ChrisElston wrote:

                                        You have something, it has a value, what happens depends on what that value is in relation to some other value or values.

                                        I don't really think of that as math, even though it technically is. My reason, it's second nature to us. I think of math as complex equations and/or mathematical algorithms. To me that is math in programming.

                                        ----------------------------- Just along for the ride. -----------------------------

                                        L M 2 Replies Last reply
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                                        • M musefan

                                          In that statement, I indeed was thinking of maths as being the number crunching, algorithm aspect of it. Which was what I interpreted from the OP. But your reasoning of it meaning an all encompassing maths makes it a pointless topic

                                          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
                                          #53

                                          Oh I see my problem. From now on you explain how I should interpret every topic and then I'll agree with you.

                                          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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