Ask HN: Math for hackers.

#1

Post by RiderOfGiraffes » Wed, Jun 24, 2009, 1:56 PM UTC

After the large number of posts I've seen asking about reading math, returning to study, wanting to know more about foundations, etc, I've decided to make some of my writings and masterclass material available on the web. There's a lot of it, and it needs work, so I'd appreciate some comments about what you'd like to see first.

I'm intending to create an undirected graph of topics, so you can start where you want, then go forward once you get the idea, or back if you're struggling. Then you can concentrate on the bits you're most interested in.

But what should I start with? I've read what people have advised others to read, and I'm looking for a start point.

Oddly enough, I will start with "Adding Fractions" and basic algebra (expanding, factoring and simplifying), but where then? I will eventually cover O(..) notation, basic calculus, infinities, series, convergence, combinatorics, graphs (vertices and edges) and more, but what do you want to see first?

It will also be on a wiki-like system so you can contribute later if you want, although not at first while I get it running.

Comments, thoughts, suggestions welcome.

Re: Ask HN: Math for hackers.

#2

Post by jgrahamc » Wed, Jun 24, 2009, 2:07 PM UTC

I like this idea. Have you seen HyperPhysics? It's a physics version of what you are suggesting.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/HFrame.html

Re: Ask HN: Math for hackers.

#3

Post by sp332 » Wed, Jun 24, 2009, 2:18 PM UTC

Of all the math I learned in HS + college, I think basic calculus has been the most valuable. Even a conversational understanding of a derivative or an integral can be a useful mental tool in day-to-day decision making.

Re: Ask HN: Math for hackers.

#4

Post by Beanblabber » Wed, Jun 24, 2009, 2:23 PM UTC

This would be absolutely awesome. I'm 14 and going into 9th grade. I'm taking algebra 2 / trig next year but I hate how they teach it so I use the internet to teach me. This would be a really cool idea, I'd definitely use it.

Re: Ask HN: Math for hackers.

#5

Post by smanek » Wed, Jun 24, 2009, 2:26 PM UTC

As a really high level overview of math, I like The Princeton Companion to Mathematics (or the ~1/4 I've made my way through so far). It's a bit too abstract though - it covers an immense amount of material so they have to be - but I still feel like something is missing.

My 'overview of math' is probably The Road to Reality (which is ostensibly about Physics, but really spends just as much time talking about math) - which is a little bit more hands on and concrete. It makes a bit tougher to get through (difficulty, and quantity), but I think it's worth it.

Re: Ask HN: Math for hackers.

#6

Post by gnuchu » Wed, Jun 24, 2009, 2:31 PM UTC

I'm very interested in this - hopefully you'll announce it on HN when it ready?

Re: Ask HN: Math for hackers.

#7

Post by 3dFlatLander » Wed, Jun 24, 2009, 2:43 PM UTC

Beanblabber wrote: post #4

This would be absolutely awesome. I'm 14 and going into 9th grade. I'm taking algebra 2 / trig next year but I hate how they teach it so I use the internet to teach me. This would be a really cool idea, I'd definitely use it.

The amount of math resources available today online is amazing. I congratulate you on your efforts to teach yourself what you don't feel you're getting in school. When I was in high school around 1999, I found myself in situation like yours, but was unable to find quality (and free) resources available online.

Re: Ask HN: Math for hackers.

#8

Post by nihilocrat » Wed, Jun 24, 2009, 2:44 PM UTC

During college, I must admit that I would kind of space out whenever math discussion entered a CS class, and would regain my attention once the professor said "and here's how that looks in code" because I would end up thinking of the math the same way I thought of code anyways. It would be neat if you expressed some of the concepts in source code examples in some sufficiently high-level and clean-syntax language of your choosing.

Re: Ask HN: Math for hackers.

#9

Post by tagnu » Wed, Jun 24, 2009, 2:44 PM UTC

Cool! Looking forward to your website.

Re: Ask HN: Math for hackers.

#10

Post by 4180122 » Wed, Jun 24, 2009, 2:46 PM UTC

Basic linear algebra is extremely important in conjuncture with rudimentary matrix manipulation. I am always astounded by the number of college graduates who can't perform simple matrix multiplications, cross-products, dot-products, L-U factorization, etc without references.

Without these basics, it becomes increasing difficult to grasp more advanced subjects such as (non)linear optimization, calculating computation complexity, numerical methods, root finding, game theory, and so on. The importance of calculus and combinatorics, as mentioned, should not be undermined either.

EDIT: How could I have forgotten about Eigen Decompositions! I never fully understood its significance until the last two years of college when all fragmented subjects I had learned (in terms of CS, Engineering, and Control Theory) finally fell into place.