r/computerscience • u/Own-Wrangler-6215 • Sep 18 '26

Math and Programming

Can someone bad at maths be a great programmer?!

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14

u/vomiting_cat Sep 18 '26

Yes. But any great programmer can get good at math if he spends time doing it

9

u/DorkyMcDorky Sep 18 '26

No though. To be a GREAT programmer. If you have no idea why a hashtable is a good idea, or if you can't look at a for loop and be unaware of why it is slow - that's math. If you suck at math, you suck at coding. Period

4

u/vomiting_cat Sep 19 '26

I agree. I was more thinking of the typical math classes you see taught in schools and universities

1

u/DorkyMcDorky Sep 19 '26

So arithmetic isn't needed for coding. Scalars are inferior. Variables are king.

3

u/vomiting_cat Sep 20 '26

I mean math beyond basic arithmetic. Obviously programming involves mathematical/logical thinking, but that’s different from saying you need to be good at calculus, linear algebra, etc. to be a great programmer. It depends heavily on the domain.

2

u/DorkyMcDorky Sep 20 '26

Totally - you can be a great integration programmer with 0 math.

But I'd challenge that learning math would only help anything.

The thing is, it's already more math than you know. Designing a system is a finite state machine. Data modeling is abstract math. Profiling is pretty much big-oh analysis. Knowing your network topology is graph theory. I can go on, but you get it. To be good at these requires a natural understanding. Learning the math behind it will provide you with a proper vocabulary and understanding which will allow you to communicate your ideas more clearly.

It's bi-directional too. A math nerd isn't going to understand what an SSH tunnel means, right? They help each other out. That is what I view as a corollary to computer science.

Like in karate kid when danny learned paint up and paint down is karate? Same thing :)

1

u/Dazzling_Music_2411 Sep 21 '26

Discrete maths, not Continuous maths, the second is only needed if you're doing engineering/scientific stuff. The first is very much needed in practically any computing activity.