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This is a bit of a divergence, but a fun way to practice what you learn is Project Euler, which will link it to your programming. https://projecteuler.net/ It's more of an applied problem set of increasing difficulty than learning from first principles though.
I got started on "real" math with Spivak's Calculus. Some people start with Topology by Munkres, which is not a difficult book but is very abstract and rigorous so makes a good introduction. If you feel like you have ok calculus chops, maybe Real Mathematical Analysis by Charles Pugh. Other good books are Linear Algebra Done Right by Axler, or the linear algebra book by Friedberg, Insel, and Spence. Maybe even learn…
If OP wanted a more softer approach, Spivak's Hitchhiker's Guide to Calculus is probably a better option first before going full Spivak.
I got started on "real" math with Spivak's Calculus. Some people start with Topology by Munkres, which is not a difficult book but is very abstract and rigorous so makes a good introduction. If you feel like you have ok calculus chops, maybe Real Mathematical Analysis by Charles Pugh. Other good books are Linear Algebra Done Right by Axler, or the linear algebra book by Friedberg, Insel, and Spence. Maybe even learn…
Another area of math that you need to know for C.S. related activities is linear algebra. To get started I'd recommend reading 'Coding the Matrix' by Phillip Klein.
[1] => https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoROMvodv4rNMsVRnSJ44...
Once I was immersed in it for a while, I started getting into more CS related mathematics: things in computation theory, programming language theory, category theory--and I would spend a lot of time reading networks of wikipedia math articles from basically random starting points inspired by something I read. Didn't understand much to start with, but I'm glad I did it and I find them indispensable now.
I think it's of the utmost importance to go into it with an understanding that you SHOULD feel lost and confused for quite a while--but trust in your mind to sort it out with a little persistence, and things will start coming together. If you find yourself avoiding math, finding it unpleasant and something you 'just can't do,' check out Carol Dweck's 'Self-Theories.' Good luck!
I'm actually in a related situation in which I'm competent in analysis (bachelors in physics) but I struggle with all the category theory inspired design patterns in functional programming.
Every book/article I've tried to read is either far too mathematical and so is disconnected from programming or is too close to programming and lacking in general foundations (ie: a monad is a burrito).
I would greatly appreciate any suggestions!
There are a lot of layers of mathematics, the deeper you get, the more difficult it becomes. But for normal applications (like antenna design, machine learning, electromagnetism, cryptography etc), you don't need to get to the deepest level, which are mostly proofs for a formulation of the whole mathematics framework.
I had the same problem with math. There are two books which changed my mindset forever: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Is_Mathematics%3F http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_Mathematics The first one is the general book about math. It's a classical book. The second one is Donald Knuth's book written specifically for computer science guys.
I have the impression that it is mostly a book that teaches you techniques of how to solve recurrences. Am I wrong?
Seriously though, 'Euler: The Master of Us All' by William Dunham was the book that got it going for me. Good mix of history, narrative and mathematics. Really great read.
As an aside, it's absolutely fascinating to learn how much we don't know about maths.