How much maths is involved in Computer programming?

[Dr.Grass]

ebw said:

nightsurge said:

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. :)

True, CS majors will probably never see a real Algebra course in their degree.  At my university the highest math required for CS was 300-level numerics course which covers sensitivity to rounding errors and such (most majors avoided taking it for as long as possible!).  There are also a couple of math courses in disguise, such as formal logic (taught by the Philosophy department) and many of the theoretical CS courses (notably language theory, which covers finite state machines and Turing machines).

Sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like Linear Algebra is easier than high school.  What I was trying to say was that Linear Algebra is much easier than the rest of Algebra (which is a huge research area that no one could hope to grasp in its entirety).  A university-level algebra course typically starts with this kind of material in third or fourth year (it demands a significant comfort level with proofs):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_(mathematics)

The courses I did were pretty tough! Final exam was like this: 1.5 hours. 3 proofs (out of 50!) and 10 multiple choice questions. It was a massacre.