Is math essential for programming?

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nahid
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Is math essential for programming?

Unread post by nahid » Wed Dec 08, 2010 3:20 pm

Is math essential for programming? Do we need to have a basic knowledge of math to be efficient at programming? Well, the answer is yes of course, but I don't know which fields of math are needed. It is certainly a truth that a genius computer programmer may not be very efficient at MATH but a mathematician is of course a good thinker than him. As far as I am concerned, you must have knowledge in the following fields if you want to be a good programmer:

a. Vector (Specially for game program)
b. Trigonometry (Specially for game program)
c. Basic knowledge on "series"
d. Linear Algebra
e. Logic
f. Basic Calculus
etc

(Collected & edited from net)
(I guess somebody will write better than me ;) )

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Zzzz
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Re: Is math essential for programming?

Unread post by Zzzz » Wed Dec 08, 2010 5:20 pm

Hi, I don't know much about which fields are needed. Now, I practice algorithms only for solving that kind of problems which are appropriate for contests like IOI(International Olympiad in Informatics). Here is something like syllabus for IOI (http://people.ksp.sk/~misof/ioi-syllabus/). You can download the pdf.

This is a complete syllabus and there is a part called 'Mathematics' :)
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TarifEzaz
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Re: Is math essential for programming?

Unread post by TarifEzaz » Thu Dec 09, 2010 1:33 am

i just want to add a few more topic in your list. If you are interested in competition programming, the following must be included in your arsenal.

1) Geometry ( Euclidian, Co-ordinate and Computational Geometry )
2) Probability and Statistics
3) Graph Theory
4) Number Theory

It's often the case the case when you will need not just the "maths" but the mathematical thinking to solve particular problems during a competition.

And about the queston, how much math is needed for the programmers, I just want to share a blog post that I came across a couple of weeks ago. It's here http://www.skorks.com/2010/03/you-dont- ... great-one/
The blog was written from a developer's point of view, but it clearly put the correct emphasis on Mathematics for Computer science in particular.

Cheers!
"Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you, mine are still greater" - Albert Einstein

nahid
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Re: Is math essential for programming?

Unread post by nahid » Thu Dec 09, 2010 5:54 pm

Thank you guys. By the way Moon bro tumi thank option ta add koro, naile reputation? Please bro, you done excellent so far.

otitkothabole
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Re: Is math essential for programming?

Unread post by otitkothabole » Thu Dec 09, 2010 6:57 pm

1. Discrete Mathematics and its application by Kenneth H. Rosen
2. Concrete Mathematics by Ronald L. Graham & Donald E. Knuth & Oren Patashni
:)

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rakeen
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Re: Is math essential for programming?

Unread post by rakeen » Sat Dec 11, 2010 4:31 pm

Algorithm ki keu ki ektu bolba? And thnx for the IOI.
r@k€€/|/

Hisham
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Re: Is math essential for programming?

Unread post by Hisham » Sat Dec 11, 2010 5:28 pm

An algorithm is a well-defined list of steps for solving a particular problem.just you want to find the GCD of two numbers then the one of algorithm is:
gcd(a,b:positive integers)

while(b\[\neq \]0)
begin
r:=a mod b
a:=b
b:=r
end{gcd(a,b) is a}
If you have any query then inform me.Enjoy the algorithm................

sakib
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Re: Is math essential for programming?

Unread post by sakib » Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:56 pm

For programming problem which you will face in IOI or ICPC,mathematics is essential.Most of these problems are mathematical.They are more algorithm oriented,somewhat different than you see in IMO but they are mathematical problems.In this year's IOI most of the speaker called this contest as a mathematical and programming contest.

Programming problems are so versatile u never know which mathematical tool you may need.In this year's ACM-ICPC Dhaka site there was a probability problem.To solve it u need to calculate the value of harmonic series for huge number which was possible very easily using gamma function which is maybe a topic of calculus.So calculus is even necessary for programming problem solving,so what not.You must have very good knowledge about mathematics to be a good programming problem solver.

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rakeen
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Re: Is math essential for programming?

Unread post by rakeen » Mon Dec 13, 2010 3:51 pm

0o0o0o perception ta khub mojar. But code gula ekhono bujhi ni. @H
r@k€€/|/

sakib
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Re: Is math essential for programming?

Unread post by sakib » Mon Dec 13, 2010 11:48 pm

@rakeen-তুমি খাতায় যেভাবে গ.সা.গু. বের কর সেটা একবার খেয়াল কর।যেটা ভাগ দিয়ে দিয়ে কর।তারপর ভাগশেষ দিয়ে আবার ভাগ কর।তারপর এই অ্যাল্গরিদমের প্রত্যেকটা while loop এর পর মানগুলা কেমন হয় একটু খেয়াল কর।তাহলেই বুঝবা যে তুমি আসলে খাতায় যেটা কর সেটাই এইখানে লুপ দিয়ে করা হইছে।এই যেমন তুমি কিন্তু ভাগশেষ ০ আসলে থেমে যাও।এটাও ঠিক তাই।

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