Do we need math for programming?
When studying programming, many people worry about the necessity of mathematics.
Since programming has an image of science, some people may think that knowledge of mathematics is also necessary. In fact, there are many cases where people who are good at mathematics are good at programming.
However, programming does not necessarily require mathematics, and in fact most of them do not use any knowledge of mathematics.
What is the relationship between programming and mathematics?
Both programming and mathematics are fields that require logical thinking and are suitable for those who have logical thinking.
Programming needs to be logical in order to achieve the desired result. Also, mathematics uses formulas and calculations to derive answers, so both require logical thinking.
Here, I will introduce the relationship between programming and mathematics, so why not use it as a reference?
When using programming and math
Mathematics is necessary in fields such as game development and AI.
When programming in AI fields such as game development and image recognition, programming also requires knowledge of mathematics.
For example, when developing games, it is necessary to program using mathematical physics calculations. In this way, basic knowledge of mathematics is required in some fields that require programming.
Mathematics Helps Understand Algorithms
Mathematics helps us understand the algorithms necessary for programming.
An algorithm is a procedure that computes something computable, or a formal representation of it. Building a program is also building an algorithm, but having knowledge of mathematics will help you better understand the nature of algorithms.
Therefore, knowledge of mathematics is also useful for programming.
6 Fields Where Mathematics Is Useful in Programming
Here are some areas where mathematics can be useful in programming.
Many areas of programming do not require mathematics, but as mentioned above, there are cases where knowledge of mathematics is required in certain areas. Therefore, it is better to learn mathematics depending on the field of engineer you are aiming for.
Here are six areas where mathematics can be useful in programming. How about using it as a reference?
Areas where math can help in programming 1: AI
Mathematics is useful for programming in the field of AI development.
AI development, which has been attracting attention in recent years, requires specialized knowledge such as mathematical calculus, statistics, and linear algebra in addition to general programming knowledge.
When developing AI, we deal with big data and carry out machine learning, and in that case, the theory of university mathematics is applied. Therefore, it is difficult to develop AI without knowledge of mathematics.
Mathematics Useful Areas in Programming 2: Working with Statistics
Mathematics is useful for programming in the field of statistical processing.
In recent years, there are many cases where companies use statistical processing to analyze a huge amount of data and use it for their own marketing. In addition, knowledge of statistics is required when performing programming related to such statistical processing.
When performing statistical processing in programming, you will use knowledge such as using probability distributions and obtaining numerical values using standard deviations.
Areas where Mathematics Helps in Programming 3: Game Programming
Mathematics is useful in game programming.
Knowledge of mathematics is useful in game development, especially when doing 3D game programming. When developing 3D games, knowledge of mathematics such as trigonometric functions is necessary to express realistic movements of characters.
Also, game development requires knowledge of physics in addition to mathematics, so if you want to become a game programmer, it is recommended that you acquire it as well.
Mathematics Useful Areas in Programming 4: Image Processing
Mathematics is useful for programming in the field of image processing.
As mentioned above, knowledge in the field of mathematics is also required when performing image processing. For example, filters in Photoshop and smartphone camera apps perform a Fourier transform on the image.
The Fourier transform in mathematics is a data transformation algorithm that performs frequency analysis on data strings.
Area where mathematics can help programming 5: signal processing
Mathematics is useful for programming in the field of signal processing.
Signal processing is a technology that analyzes and processes signals such as light, sound, and images using mathematical methods. There are two types of signal processing: analog signal processing and digital signal processing. Signal processing requires knowledge of mathematics such as discrete Fourier transform and discrete cosine transform.
Areas where math can help in programming 6: Text mining
Mathematics is useful for programming in the field of text mining.
Text mining is a method of extracting information from text data, and in business, text mining is performed on information collected from questionnaires and call centers, and is used to identify problems.
In addition, this text mining uses a mathematical technique called support vector machines.
5 important skills in programming other than mathematics
Here are the non-mathematical skills you need in programming.
Mathematics knowledge is necessary when programming in a specific field, but there are other basic skills that are required when programming.
Here, we will introduce 5 important skills in programming other than mathematics, so please refer to them.
Non-mathematical Programming Skill 1: Logical Thinking
Programming requires logical thinking.
When programming, it helps to have the ability to think logically in order to construct an efficient path to achieve the desired result.
Also, if you have the ability to think logically, you will be able to efficiently fix bugs in programs and perform non-programming tasks such as exchanging business emails and holding meetings.
Important Ability 2 in Programming Other Than Mathematics: Communication Ability
Programming requires communication skills.
Programmers tend to think that they work individually, but in actual projects, they often work in teams of multiple people.
In addition, some engineers have meetings with clients and people in charge of other departments, so they are required to have the communication skills to understand the other person’s words correctly and to convey their thoughts in easy-to-understand words.
Ability 3 important in programming other than mathematics: Information gathering ability
Programming requires the ability to gather information.
Information changes rapidly in the IT industry, and new technologies are born every day. Also, since the specifications of programming languages may change due to version upgrades, it is necessary to constantly learn new technologies even after becoming an engineer in order to be active on the front lines as an engineer.
Therefore, information gathering ability to collect information from a wide perspective is required.
Non-mathematical programming skills 4: English
English proficiency is required for programming.
Since the code used in programming is basically written in English, learning programming will go smoothly if you have basic English skills.
For example, a conditional branch is written with “if”. If you can understand the meaning of English words, it will be easier to understand the meaning of the syntax used.
Non-Mathematical Programming Ability 5: Perseverance
Programming requires persistence.
When programming at work, if an error is found in the program test, it will be corrected, and if an error is found in the test, it will be fixed repeatedly. The program is not complete until an error occurs, so you cannot abandon your work in the middle.
In this way, the work of removing bugs is very persevering work, so engineers need persistence.
Is it possible to aim to be a programmer even in the humanities?
It is possible to become a programmer even in the humanities.
Programming may require knowledge of mathematics, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be science. In fact, there are many people who come from the humanities and work as engineers.
Of course, even in the humanities, there is a possibility that those who have high logical thinking ability can be active as engineers.
Points to note when changing jobs to programmers in the IT industry
If you want to become a programmer, you have to keep studying.
As mentioned above, it is necessary to keep learning the latest technology in order to be active as a programmer. Therefore, the goal is not to work hard to acquire programming skills and become a programmer.
If you want to change jobs to a programmer, it is important to have the motivation to continue learning IT-related knowledge even by yourself.
Find out where mathematics is useful in programming
Programming requires knowledge of mathematics and other skills in addition to programming language skills.
Mathematics is useful for game development and development in the AI field. By all means, why don’t you acquire useful skills and aim to become a programmer by referring to the relationship between programming and mathematics, the fields where mathematics is useful in programming, and the skills that are important in programming other than mathematics introduced in this article?
