I'm currently going through "Math for programmers" (Manning Publ.) and I enjoy it immensely! A lot of math books can feel too abstract and dry but this book was perfect for me coming mostly from a programming background.
Start learning learning linear algebra and you will soon find yourself in graphics programming and game engines. That's where I am at the moment and I feel I regained my passion for programming after years in webdev..
Ask HN: I suck at math, where to start?
31–40 of 154 posts
Re: Ask HN: I suck at math, where to start?
#32Chances are you actually suck at algebra. I went through this issue when I started electrical engineering as part of an overly elaborate midlife crisis. I got the book in the bookstore that was supposed to bring you up to high school level and just did all of the exercises. Then I did a whole lot of exercises for the introductory university math courses. Basically it is something you have to grind at. Once you do eno…
100% agree this is something you grind at. Calculus, even multivariate, and even the stuff beyond that, still grind. I used to be really good at it, definitely not the best but among the higher scores in my college math classes. But 10+ years later, when I go and look at stuff that would have barely fazed me then, I go cross eyed now. I remember the concepts, vaguely, but following the math and linking together the various theorems and transformations feels like wading through syrup. It’s a problem for me as I’m trying to dig into data science stuff, and it feels like getting back into marathon shape after 10 years of not running.
There’s absolutely a component of learning the concepts, but a huge part of being good at the math is just building up the mental muscle memory for symbolic manipulation. Sure there’s innately talented people out there, but the consistent application of incremental effort will get you very far regardless of talent.
Re: Ask HN: I suck at math, where to start?
#33I was asking a similar question a few years ago and found Ivan Savov’s “No Bullshit Guide to Math & Physics” to be really helpful.
I really like the "placement exam" in this, that tells you where your weaknesses are and what to focus on. I feel like this is the kind of tool I want when someone says "I suck at X".
Re: Ask HN: I suck at math, where to start?
#34Chances are you actually suck at algebra. I went through this issue when I started electrical engineering as part of an overly elaborate midlife crisis. I got the book in the bookstore that was supposed to bring you up to high school level and just did all of the exercises. Then I did a whole lot of exercises for the introductory university math courses. Basically it is something you have to grind at. Once you do eno…
Agree with this and would also add: in addition to being able to do algebra fast and have it be second-nature, at higher levels it helps if you are able to do it 100% accurately. 5 nines isn't enough.
I didn't appreciate this until I was a graduate physics student and was frequently frustrated by minor algebra errors in long, complex problems.
Re: Ask HN: I suck at math, where to start?
#35Personal advice: unless you have a very specific reason to do so, completely pass on advanced calculus, real/complex analysis etc., and continue with discrete maths instead - you will find it immediately useful. Only later, when you find you need it, choose other topics, carefully selected. We only have so much time in life, and the range of fields to study is enormous, so choose wisely. Don't blindly follow the advice of people who will tell you to study everything, you will soon realize it's impossible and it will only leave you sad.
Re: Ask HN: I suck at math, where to start?
#36First Khan Academy, then if you want to go further: Bill Shillito | Introduction to Higher Mathematics (YouTube lecture course) - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZzHxk_TPOStgPtqRZ6Kz... Richard Hammack | Book of Proof (pdf book) - https://www.people.vcu.edu/~rhammack/BookOfProof/ Taylor Dupuy | Fundamentals of Mathematics (YouTube lecture course) - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJmfLfPx1OedcIUn5nSCZ.…
Saving this for later by commenting it. Many thanks for curating this!
You can click on the timestamp of the comment and then "favorite" to save it :)
Re: Ask HN: I suck at math, where to start?
#37Chances are you actually suck at algebra. I went through this issue when I started electrical engineering as part of an overly elaborate midlife crisis. I got the book in the bookstore that was supposed to bring you up to high school level and just did all of the exercises. Then I did a whole lot of exercises for the introductory university math courses. Basically it is something you have to grind at. Once you do eno…
3Blue1Brown series on linear algebra is an amazing resource as a starting point. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0-GT3co4r2y2YErbmuJw2L5t...
I was going to add my own post recommending 3Blue1Brown. I'm glad you've already recommended it :)
Re: Ask HN: I suck at math, where to start?
#38I'm currently going through "Math for programmers" (Manning Publ.) and I enjoy it immensely! A lot of math books can feel too abstract and dry but this book was perfect for me coming mostly from a programming background. Start learning learning linear algebra and you will soon find yourself in graphics programming and game engines. That's where I am at the moment and I feel I regained my passion for programming after…
I completely agree about a lot of math books seeming too abstract. I hated math until I took an interest in physics and realized I needed math to understand the ideas being presented. Suddenly it clicked that the math was actually a way to better represent the ideas, not just a trick for getting answers. Seeing how math applies to create and represent knowledge gave me a huge appreciation for it.
Re: Ask HN: I suck at math, where to start?
#39Chances are you actually suck at algebra. I went through this issue when I started electrical engineering as part of an overly elaborate midlife crisis. I got the book in the bookstore that was supposed to bring you up to high school level and just did all of the exercises. Then I did a whole lot of exercises for the introductory university math courses. Basically it is something you have to grind at. Once you do eno…
3Blue1Brown series on linear algebra is an amazing resource as a starting point. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0-GT3co4r2y2YErbmuJw2L5t...
Linear algebra is _much_ more complicated than normal algebra
Re: Ask HN: I suck at math, where to start?
#40Chances are you actually suck at algebra. I went through this issue when I started electrical engineering as part of an overly elaborate midlife crisis. I got the book in the bookstore that was supposed to bring you up to high school level and just did all of the exercises. Then I did a whole lot of exercises for the introductory university math courses. Basically it is something you have to grind at. Once you do eno…
I‘ve enjoyed revisiting topics I learned in school through the Kahn Academy[1]. You can pick any topic you want to start with and follow it through as far as you want.