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People with programming jobs

clamum

clamum

Lifer
I'm a CS major, I like programming, and am currently taking a discrete math course. It's fvcking hard. So at your job, do you spend time using the Binomial Theorem, doing proofs by induction, figuring out if a relation on a set is transitive, that type of thing?
 
I'd say it probably depends on your job. If you're just a code monkey, then chances are slim to none.

EDIT: And btw, I have CMSC250: Discrete Structures next semester, so I shall feel some of your pain. (That's actually our former Discrete Mathematics class, but since its so CS oriented, they turned it into a CS course).
 
No, but the skills you learn changes affects your views on coding, and even your thought process!

Simple discrete math is extremely beneficial to programming skills. (Like unions, sets, etc...)
 
Discrete math isn't that hard. Induction is probably the hardest part of it, and even then, the concept of proof by induction is easy to understand.
 
Originally posted by: notfred
Discrete math isn't that hard. Induction is probably the hardest part of it, and even then, the concept of proof by induction is easy to understand.
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The individual topics themselves aren't real hard, there's just a lot of information to take in. The professor said back in China they split the class into three separate classes, and other schools sometimes split it in two. The average for the class is a 60.89% so either it's hard, most of the class are idiots, or some of both.
 
Originally posted by: BigJ
I'd say it probably depends on your job. If you're just a code monkey, then chances are slim to none.

EDIT: And btw, I have CMSC250: Discrete Structures next semester, so I shall feel some of your pain. (That's actually our former Discrete Mathematics class, but since its so CS oriented, they turned it into a CS course).
Click to expand...

umm.. since when did it "change?" it's been cmsc250 for 4yrs.. or 5... used to be 150...poor freshmen. heh
 
Originally posted by: lnguyen
Originally posted by: BigJ
I'd say it probably depends on your job. If you're just a code monkey, then chances are slim to none.

EDIT: And btw, I have CMSC250: Discrete Structures next semester, so I shall feel some of your pain. (That's actually our former Discrete Mathematics class, but since its so CS oriented, they turned it into a CS course).
Click to expand...

umm.. since when did it "change?" it's been cmsc250 for 4yrs.. or 5... used to be 150...poor freshmen. heh
Click to expand...

Thats what the advisors told us. Don't shoot the messenger! I'm only a freshmen myself.
 
Originally posted by: clamum
Originally posted by: notfred
Discrete math isn't that hard. Induction is probably the hardest part of it, and even then, the concept of proof by induction is easy to understand.
Click to expand...

The individual topics themselves aren't real hard, there's just a lot of information to take in. The professor said back in China they split the class into three separate classes, and other schools sometimes split it in two. The average for the class is a 60.89% so either it's hard, most of the class are idiots, or some of both.
Click to expand...

There is a lot of material to learn in a CS curriculum, regardless of how many classes it's split into. The fact that your particular course is hard doesn't really have much bearing on the difficulty of understanding any of the individual concepts involved.
 
Originally posted by: clamum
Originally posted by: notfred
Discrete math isn't that hard. Induction is probably the hardest part of it, and even then, the concept of proof by induction is easy to understand.
Click to expand...

The individual topics themselves aren't real hard, there's just a lot of information to take in. The professor said back in China they split the class into three separate classes, and other schools sometimes split it in two. The average for the class is a 60.89% so either it's hard, most of the class are idiots, or some of both.
Click to expand...

You call 60.89 average hard?

Try my Financial Derivatives and Advanced Option Pricing Models class. Average: below 45%. Half of the class will have to drop.
 
Originally posted by: clamum
Originally posted by: notfred
Discrete math isn't that hard. Induction is probably the hardest part of it, and even then, the concept of proof by induction is easy to understand.
Click to expand...

The individual topics themselves aren't real hard, there's just a lot of information to take in. The professor said back in China they split the class into three separate classes, and other schools sometimes split it in two. The average for the class is a 60.89% so either it's hard, most of the class are idiots, or some of both.
Click to expand...

yeah my school had it split here as well. Second half was a bitch, and the prof didnt help either. He is prone to thinking he has cancer (he doesnt) and threatening to sue students that post bad reviews of his teaching online. The class is actually why i changed from a CS Major to a CS Minor
 
Originally posted by: SP33Demon
I'm a programmer w/out a degree in CS, so nope, just do basic math most of the time.
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Ditto here on the program w/o a CS degree part, but if you're going to write efficient code (ugh DBs) then you'll need to know more than just basic math. Really depends on what you get into.
 
Originally posted by: virtuamike
Originally posted by: SP33Demon
I'm a programmer w/out a degree in CS, so nope, just do basic math most of the time.
Click to expand...

Ditto here on the program w/o a CS degree part, but if you're going to write efficient code (ugh DBs) then you'll need to know more than just basic math. Really depends on what you get into.
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Please explain yourself, because I fail to understand how writing efficient code requires "more than just basic math" unless you're writing heavy algorithms or math applications. The only correlation I think worth drawing is that math teaches you how to better think abstractly, but quality code is far removed.
 
Depends on what you get into hey...

Part of the reason I asked is that I was considering taking it over next semester if I get a C in it... and if you need to know this crap then after this semester I won't have a very good grasp of it.
 
I'm an unemployed business programmer/dba/sys.admin....

pretty much the most complicated it got was basic accounting and dealing with exchange rates

But I also can't imagine being a student interested in computer programming and also not finding discrete mathmatics fairly easy. I'm not saying you gotta get an "A"... but if you can't easily get a "C", maybe this line of work isn't for you.
If it's just an abstract topic or two, fine... but if it's the whole mathmatics subject then maybe not.
(I certainly don't mean my comment to be offensive. )

I can imagine "harder" math being used at the "business-analytical" programming level (like data warehousing/analysis) -- but I think most companies would just buy one of the top-notch apps. already on the market than to develop anything new in house.
 
Originally posted by: ttown
I'm an unemployed business programmer/dba/sys.admin....

pretty much the most complicated it got was basic accounting and dealing with exchange rates

But I also can't imagine being a student interested in computer programming and also not finding discrete mathmatics fairly easy. I'm not saying you gotta get an "A"... but if you can't easily get a "C", maybe this line of work isn't for you.
If it's just an abstract topic or two, fine... but if it's the whole mathmatics subject then maybe not.
(I certainly don't mean my comment to be offensive. )

I can imagine "harder" math being used at the "business-analytical" programming level (like data warehousing/analysis) -- but I think most companies would just buy one of the top-notch apps. already on the market than to develop anything new in house.
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Is it really that important? Then most of the class shouldn't be doing programming jobs I guess. I definitely could study more so that's probably the reason I'm getting a C instead of a B or AB. I'm better at more detailed stuff I guess... my CS3421 Architecture class is waaayyyy easier than this CS2311 class.

EDIT: The difficulty is kind of beside the point... I'm more interested how often you use the theory in this class at a job.
 
Originally posted by: BigJ
Thats what the advisors told us. Don't shoot the messenger! I'm only a freshmen myself.
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Here's a little tid bit about the UMD advisors, they're all #%@%@$# morons who really can't help you w/ lunch let alone your class load. Ask other people in CS regarding what you should and shouldn't take.

 
I'm a mathematician with a degree in CS. I use discrete math all the time, both when I'm programming and not.
 
I'm taking Discrete right now, and have been programming for some time, so I can attest that yes, some of what you learn is useful. Especially when dealing with complex algorithms, using the logic to debug, analyze and make them as efficient as possible. Sucks, especially because I don't have a shred of logic in me, but oh well.
 
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