Learning Maths - where to start???

I sent some correspondance to an online friend the other day whom I know is a dabbler in many intellectual pursuits. I wrote to him because I've started to get interested in learning mathematics - I have to admit that I'm a dummy at maths. I'm quite good with numbers and simple creative numerical analysis but, when it comes to some of those "math sciences" I have no idea. What I wanted to know is... Is Mathematics similar to computer programming languages?

He returned my correspondance with some useful pointers as to where I might head to find out more about maths and also chimed in with a listing of some of the different streams of maths:

number theory ... probability and statistics ... complex analysis ... calculus and differential equations ... game theory ... real analysis ... cellular automata ... set theory ... logic ... numerical methods ... combinatorics ... geometry ...

 

The problem with Maths is that it seems so damned big! Surely maths is like learning a massive programming language - you learn the keywords, the syntax, the loops and conditionals, variable usage, and the common algorithms. In fact, I also imagine that the different Math streams which I've shown above could probably be compared to different streams of programming within a language...

database programming ... game programming ... windows applications ... web applications ... framework building ...

 

Each particular stream has it's own "objects" and terminology but each one uses the core features of the language and "the framework" to solve different problems."

I guess the trick to learning Maths is that, like programming, you need to know where to start. Let's see, I can count... I know my simple times tables... I sorta remember long division and Pythagoras' theorem; hrmmmm let's see I think that I'll start with set theory!

16 Comments

  • Let me know how it goes. I've been trying to teach myself trigonometry for a long time. Part of the problem is the lack of educational resources complete with an answer key (how do I know if I got the friggin answer right?) followed by the disruption of a two and six year old child.



    I'd be especially interested in any books you find that help you along the way. I've only found a few -- very thing -- books.



  • Likewise, if you come across any good books I'd like to know. Maybe we could start a .NET maths study group ;)

  • "To be accepted into university to study computer studies (at least in South Africa... in fact, all my comments will be based for South Africa), you will need to have Maths on a C for higher grade or a B for standard grade. "



    That is your final high school results (they call this "matric" mark in South Africa).


  • Wow! Thanks for all of the great feedback guys.



    The 2 "bits" of Maths that I think I'd most like to understand are: Set Theory and Logarithms. Sets come up quite a bit at work when we are trying to do overly complicated matching of sets of data - I'm hoping that there's something in set theory which might make me a better Sql programmer. Logarithms interest me because "boffins" always talk about them when discussing the efficiencies of this sorting algorithm over that sorting algorithm; how can I ever hope to argue against them when they are speaking a language I don't understand :-)



    I'll look into it a bit more over the coming month and maybe find a discrete maths book. I'll blog my findings into a new category titled "Maths".



    Again... thanks for all of the great feedback :-)

  • Well, you should hit logs first then and branch into Big O notation. That is an area of work that should take far less time than examining all of the intricacies of set theory.



    I'd be very interested in hearing how your meetings use set theory in order to examine SQL matching. Too big for a blog, drop me an email or something. People always use different tools when looking at problems, and if I have used sets in solving SQL problems, it has only been a cursory use.

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  • When i learn maths it gets so confusin that i cannot even study other subjects

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