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A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

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Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#31

Post by ph4 »

jonsen wrote: post #17
gradstudent wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't agree more re Epp. Best discrete maths book by a country mile (and I've seen a few!).

Could you tell what makes it better than Rosen's?: http://www.amazon.com/Discrete-Mathematics-Applications-Kenn...

I'm taking Discrete Math now and have both books. Epps' has much simpler explanations. I haven't taken algebra in 5 years and find that Rosen's assumes a lot more knowledge, frequently skipping lots of steps in its explanations, which can be very confusing if you are rusty in the basics.

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#32

Post by tpaksoy »

As a software developer who also started learning Mathematics for the same purpose (Machine Learning), I just could not do it with books. It is strange to explain, but I need someone with me to study.

I need that person to say: "I don't understand it". Even if I don't understand it myself, as I try explaining it to my study partner, it starts clicking in my brain. I suddenly start to understand these parts as I'm explaining it. Hands down the best way for me to learn: explain to others.

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#34

Post by vdnkh »

bndr wrote: post #3

I always thought that being an Engineer assumes you have knowledge of mathematics. The way this word is being used in Software ist kind of strange. "I built a blog in php, I'm a Software Engineer" - this feels kind of awkward to me.

I'm employed as a Software Engineer now but my degree is in ECE. The engineering curriculum at my university (Rutgers) was extremely math intensive. I didn't take a whole lot of software classes but I'm glad I did take all that math. I think it's dishonest to call yourself a Software Engineer and not have an engineering degree. Semantics, but I earned the title.

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#35

Post by pflats »

nabla9 wrote: post #29

Usually good books travel from English speaking world to other languages as translations. One of the masterpieces that has gone the opposite direction is: Mathematics: Its Content, Methods and Meaning (three volumes bound as one) by A. D. Aleksandrov, A. N. Kolmogorov, M. A. Lavrent'ev (18 authors total) http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Content-Methods-Meaning-Do... This book is really good companion for autodidacts…

>Usually good books travel from English speaking world to other languages as translations.

How do you know that?

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#36

Post by brudgers »

icantthinkofone wrote: post #22

This guy claims to be a software engineer but then asks this question, "Why spend your spare time learning math, which is challenging and sometimes dry?" The question invalidates anything he has to say on the subject and makes me question his claim of being a software engineer. No self-respecting person in that position would ever need to ask that question or write an article about it. Nor is it worth wasting anyone'…

Margaret Hamilton coined the term "software engineer." Anyone not doing landing-humans-on-the-fucking-moon level work can have their claim to the label questioned under any absolute standard.

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#37

Post by coldtea »

nabla9 wrote: post #29

Usually good books travel from English speaking world to other languages as translations. One of the masterpieces that has gone the opposite direction is: Mathematics: Its Content, Methods and Meaning (three volumes bound as one) by A. D. Aleksandrov, A. N. Kolmogorov, M. A. Lavrent'ev (18 authors total) http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Content-Methods-Meaning-Do... This book is really good companion for autodidacts…

>Usually good books travel from English speaking world to other languages as translations

Yeah, no. Usually good books get translated, period.

From Homer and the Bible to Pascal, Leibiz, Dostoyevsky, Godel and Einstein, good books fly the other way around all the time.

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#38

Post by coldtea »

pjmlp wrote: post #33

I don't get the title. At least on my home country, a Software Engineer job title implies a CS degree with at least two years full of math.

In real life, a software engineer can finish his studies and get a job with only a tiny knowledge of math, in every country, regardless what the curriculum says...

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#39

Post by danielscrubs »

bndr wrote: post #3

I always thought that being an Engineer assumes you have knowledge of mathematics. The way this word is being used in Software ist kind of strange. "I built a blog in php, I'm a Software Engineer" - this feels kind of awkward to me.

Feel exactly the same way. Why not just call yourself a software developer? Because software engineer sounds better. Because people expect a better math foundation.

Lived and breathed math for 5 years in college before I could look myself in the mirror and call myself an software engineer.

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#40

Post by jpitz »

tpaksoy wrote: post #32

As a software developer who also started learning Mathematics for the same purpose (Machine Learning), I just could not do it with books. It is strange to explain, but I need someone with me to study. I need that person to say: "I don't understand it". Even if I don't understand it myself, as I try explaining it to my study partner, it starts clicking in my brain. I suddenly start to understand these parts as I'm exp…

Maybe you could use a duck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging

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