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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

#211

Post by hobbyist »

decasteve wrote: post #205
tokenrove wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Part of the reason I began studying math, is that I felt it was my limiting factor. The range of problems I could tackle as a programmer was limited by math. It turns out this was partly true. I started studying math intensely (doing every exercise in books, etc) when I realized the same thing: math was a limiting factor for my programming ability. Michael Abrash hints about this in some article, and I sneered at i…

It was a big hassle and a big life change. But I've always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to do it and I'm glad I did. I put it off because the money I was making, and the places I was traveling, was too good to pass up at the time. So I saved money with the idea that I would get the chance to go to school. I did try to learn math as an autodidact before I began the degree. The more abstract the math, the h…

I am guessing you went for a graduate degree in math. How hard was it to get admission? Would you like to recommend some good schools for doing something like you did. I am just a little younger but hungry for math knowledge.

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#212

Post by ivansavz »

I like the author's attitude---math really is power[1], and everyone can get into it. Also reviewing high school math was a good move...

Another thing that can help a lot is using a computer algebra system to solve tedious arithmetic steps or to verify one's calculations[2].

[1] http://nobsgui.de/

[2] http://minireference.com/static/sympy_tutorial.pdf

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#213

Post by nandemo »

agentultra wrote: post #92

Awesome. Good for you. Keep at it. Keep a journal. Share with others what you learn. Learn from others when they share it. I'd add a few of books to your list: Graph Theory by W. T. Tufte: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/9780521794... On Numbers and Games by John H. Conway: http://www.amazon.com/On-Numbers-Games-John-Conway/dp/156881... And for good re-introduction to geometry and it's practical app…

"On Numbers and Games" is a great book but it can be tough. "Winning Ways for your Mathematical Plays" by Berlekamp, Conway & Guy is a gentler introduction to surreal number. It's also very fun.

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#214

Post by mdn0420 »

Do you have issues remembering what you learn? Sure, we've all studied these topics before in school but have forgotten since. I brush up on some geometry or linear algebra every now and then for work. But I'm sure I'll forget if I don't use it after a year or two.

Are there any projects you maintain to keep your knowledge fresh?

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#216

Post by greggman »

decasteve wrote: post #48

This topic comes up every so often. I think my previous comment applies here [1]: I started a Math degree after 16 years of programming without any Math beyond high school (the highest being high school calculus). Most of my work as a software developer didn't require any "higher" Maths. Once I began studying math, including Modern Algebra, Analysis, Graph Theory, Category Theory, etc., I realized I understood many t…

I wish more people would scream this from the rooftops. There's that whole movement trying to get more people into programming like code.org and they all say "If you're good at math you'll love this". I feel like that's scaring away lots of people who would otherwise do just fine.

Examples, there's almost no math running Hacker News. There's no math in programming most blogs. There's no math in most apps. There's no math in most text editors. etc etc etc. Most programs don't need anything more than arithmetic.

I'm not saying math won't help with lots of problems. Like you said you found it limiting at some point. But you managed 16 years as a programmer without much math. I'm in a similar boat. I've shipped 17 commercial games, written 6 game engines, world on Chrome for 5 years. My math sucks. Would I be better if my math was better? Of course! But that I've been productive without much math knowledge shows, at least one data point, that you don't have to be good a math to program

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#217

Post by cagilerbas »

Mikushi wrote: post #55
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.

And that assumption is wrong. You don't need any knowledge in advanced mathematics to engineer many types of software, that doesn't make the creator less of a Software Engineer. Being an engineer means using technology, science, mathematics to solve problems. Well in many cases you don't need math to solve these problems. The word itself as no root in math either, it's based on latin for devise/contrive, sure it was…

You can use technology stacks but designing these technologies themselves most of the time requires math knowledge.

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#218

Post by kevbin »

DennisP wrote: post #115
brational wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For LA a great place to start is http://codingthematrix.com/ For programmers with less math experience it serves as a perfect transition with which to then go into more theoretical aspects of LA.

A Coursera course based on that textbook, taught by its author, just started a couple days ago.

I'm enrolled in that class. In the introductory lecture Professor Klein shows a flowchart of the course†. This is the best course overview I've ever seen in any math class! I've spent /semesters/ in math sequences thinking "how the #@%! does this all fit together?!?!"

He says: "Don't try to read it all. It's a map... It's there to help you keep track of where you are and where we're going." Every professor should do that for their course. And every department should put up a big poster with something similar: these are the subject areas you will study, how they relate to each other, and the courses that cover those areas; if you choose this specialization these are the areas you'll focus on. Put-out a mind-map of the subject area that relates to the available courses—help students start building Elon Musks' mental-hyperloop / semantic-tree.

†: http://picpaste.com/Screen_Shot_2015-02-05_at_1.58.47_AM-AnX... available on the course website: http://cs.brown.edu/courses/cs053/current/graphical-outline.... ††: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2rgsan/i_am_elon_musk...

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#219

Post by hugofirth »

greggman wrote: post #216
decasteve wrote: post #48

This topic comes up every so often. I think my previous comment applies here [1]: I started a Math degree after 16 years of programming without any Math beyond high school (the highest being high school calculus). Most of my work as a software developer didn't require any "higher" Maths. Once I began studying math, including Modern Algebra, Analysis, Graph Theory, Category Theory, etc., I realized I understood many t…

I wish more people would scream this from the rooftops. There's that whole movement trying to get more people into programming like code.org and they all say "If you're good at math you'll love this". I feel like that's scaring away lots of people who would otherwise do just fine. Examples, there's almost no math running Hacker News. There's no math in programming most blogs. There's no math in most apps. There's no…

I would have thought game engines would require a strong grounding in maths across a lot of their "moving parts"? Not being dismissive, just curious how you found working in that environment without strong maths skills.

Re: A Software Engineer’s Adventures in Learning Mathematics

#220

Post by fnordfnordfnord »

dsuth wrote: post #187
engi_nerd wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I understand where this feeling comes from. You worked hard to earn what is (or what should be) a title with prestige: engineer. I too worked hard to earn degrees in engineering. I try to live up to that title every day, and I'm sure you do, too. But my years of engineering experience have shown me that the title "Engineer" is really more about how you approach problems and what you do to solve them and less about de…

There's more to it than that. In most places, the title 'Engineer' is a legal entity. In Australia, signing off on a design as an engineer makes you legally responsible for guaranteeing that it has been correctly designed, and is safe for public use. This includes personal liability in the case that it fails (bridge, software, whatever), and can be shown that it was not designed according to appropriate standards, or…

In the US we have the title PE, Professional Engineer, which requires some additional qualifications (exams, supervised apprenticeship, etc), and of course a state license. Most people don't bother any more, which has lead to a much smaller number of PE-Engineers many of whom are relegated to being mere license-holders who sign drawings for others, who do the actual engineering.

>So basically, don't call yourself an engineer unless you're willing to sign off on something, and be legally bound by it.

I'm sorry to say it (not really); but for a number of reasons, some good and some bad, the title has been co-opted, and there is no going back.

>This implies a strong background in problem solving and structured design processes

As far as that goes, I've met a number of pedigreed folks who can't engineer their way out of a wet paper bag.

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