How much maths is involved in Computer programming?

[nightsurge]

ebw said:

nightsurge said:

Faxanadu said:
Nothing very serious.

Only Algebra, Analysis and Numerics.

Wrong. You will want to be good at Calculus, Linear Algebra (much more complicated than normal algebra, don't let it fool you), Discrete, and depending on what you're doing, Physics classes could be helpful.

Unless you think those are all easy, but at my university they were insanely difficult :S

Your correction is a bit misguided.  Taken together, it's likely that Faxanadu was referring to three rather broad areas of mathematics, so it strikes me as facetious ("Ohhh nothing much, just nearly all of mathematics").  It sounds like you haven't taken any math above second-year university.  Calculus doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the field of Analysis.  Linear Algebra is the easiest and most well-understood part of Algebra (don't let it fool you, the "algebra" everyone learns in high school is entirely different from what mathematicians call algebra).

But you're right that Discrete is pretty darned important for programming and seems to be missing from the list.

Hmm, perhaps you did not have the same Linear Algebra level as I have? Regardless, with a CS degree, you really shouldn't be taking many math classes above the 200 (or second year) level. I had 3 Calculus classes my first and second year, as well as 3 physics classes. My highest math class was 351 (or third year level) being Linear Algebra and 511 (senior level) which was a stats class for science majors.

I think you are misguiding him if you suggest that Linear Algebra is easier than high school Algebra.

But you are right, after re-reading it, it does seem that he may have been trying to be facetious/sarcastic with his reply and it went over my head at the time. :)