What level of math do you need to know before programming?

[WingedPanther]

I would suspect that depends on the branch of pure mathematics in question. Algebraists, for example, need to be able to think at the abstract level of fields, rings, and groups, while also staying focused on the various concrete examples of these objects.

I think the real issues is that pure mathematicians tend to have different problem constraints from applied mathematicians. Logicians are content to view a Turing machine in terms of "halts" or "doesn't halt" and end their concern there. Applied mathematicians are more likely to be concerned with WHEN the Turing machine halts, and whether it occurs in an acceptable time-frame.

Ultimately, every advanced branch of math I've encountered involves a balancing act between dealing with abstractions and being able to apply them with exacting detail.

[dk1983]

Logical thinking is essential in programming. Good math knowledge is optional, IMHO.

Like quite a few people, I was programming with variables in BASIC before I'd been taught about algebra.

I was writing code such as '((x * y) / 25) * 100' when I didnt know about 'bracket notation' and I certainly couldnt add up or multiply in my head (still cant ).

I've written assembly in base 16, when I cant even do intermediate math in base 10.

Logic can go a long way I think. But for me, trig will always be a b*tch

[semprance]

I think that all programmers have to have, at the least, a basic understanding of the differences between real-world mathematics and discrete mathematics, particularly when it comes to the use of real and rational numbers.

For example, knowing how many decimal places pi will be printed within a given programming setup, and the effects or innacccuracies that may be caused when using the 'version' of pi that your programming setup provides you with.

[Guest]

I was writing code such as '((x * y) / 25) * 100' when I didnt know about 'bracket notation' and I certainly couldnt add up or multiply in my head (still cant ).

It shows, better algorithm:

x*y*4

^ Now that's fancy ^

[Walle]

It shows, better algorithm:

x*y*4

^ Now that's fancy ^

Lol. Ownage.

[Alex3k]

Hey,
I am new to the programming world and i am not very condifdent in maths.
I am going well in VB so i thought of spreading into C++ a lil bit to get the verrryyyy basics of it just so i understand what to do when i tackle it head on.

My dream is become a Game programmer:
Is this abit silly for someone to make a list of things i will guarntee need to know then i may need to know becuase reading this thread has worried me a bit :S.

I see all you programmers talking about maths and i feel that i can be at the level of maths as i need to be if i get the chance. If someone could make a list i could talk to my old math teacher ( i didnt take maths at A level which is what im currently doing) and i could spend after school lessons going over these things till they are second nature...
Thanks in advance and thanks for the advice i have read in your posts

Alex

[WingedPanther]

Game programming is much more likely to need a lot of math.

[semprance]

It's also dependent on what type of game programming you want to do.

If you want to be a one-man game-making machine then WingedPanter is right, you're going to need to know alot of Maths, and different types of Maths depending on whether you're dealing with 2D or 3D. But then you're also going to need to know how to draw and produce digital imagery; to create 3D models and meshes; to write music and then record and sample it; and to combine all these to make a smooth running and good looking game.

However, if you're looking to program games in a team, there are alot of different areas of game programming that you can specialise in. Saying that it doesn't hurt to dip into each of them to get a good all round knowledge of what it takes to create a fully functioning game.

Check out this wikipedia page for a rundown of what different programmers contribute to games: Game programmer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[DenKain]

I think it depends on what type of programming you will be doing and what subject matter it pertains to. Such as software for medical insurance that at most needs a low lever understanding of Algebra, or then there is something that plans trajectory, etc. In my opinion a high understanding of math wouldn't hurt you but may not be necessary depending on what field you are developing software for.

I myself do a lot of small business applications (custom inventory apps, book keeping, etc) and at most I only ever use Algebra.

Personally, I know basic math, Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, and Trigonometry.

[DarkLordoftheMonkeys]

I know high school mathematics up through AB calculus, as well as some linear algebra, set theory, discrete mathematics, and vector analysis. I don't use a lot of it for programming, though.

What mathematics you learn depends on what area of programming you are going into:

Set theory for database management
Propositional logic for AI
Graph theory for networking
Calculus of variations for AI (I read about this on Usenet)
Boolean algebra for pretty much everything

That's as much as I know. Personally, I've never used anything higher than logarithmic calculations (and that was only for assessing the respective bit sizes of the integer types in C99).