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How Good at Math Does a Programmer Need to Be? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 2 weeks ago by anonymouse2@sh.itjust.works to c/programming@programming.dev

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I'm working my way to a CS degree and am currently slogging my way through an 8-week Trig course. I barely passed College Algebra and have another Algebra and two Calculus classes ahead of me.

How much of this will I need in a programming job? And, more importantly, if I suck at Math, should I just find another career path?

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[–] refalo@programming.dev 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Depends entirely on your definition of "gamedev", IMO. If you're trying to write a platformer in basic C with no external libraries, you will absolutely need to use algebra/geometry/etc. and maybe even some more advanced things like physics/calculus depending on what features/effects you want to put in your game.

[–] tiddy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I would uh consider that pretty in deep gamedev, even lower than some shader code lmao - so yes you would need to know some math.

Cracking open Godot and using a bunch of premade assets hardly even requires programming, much less mathematical knowledge

[–] refalo@programming.dev 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Be that as it may, I personally wouldn't consider someone to be a very knowledgeable (on how games actually work) game developer if they didn't at least know how to use things like linear algebra to make a character run and jump naturally and such, even if they're not coding like that day to day and just using a higher level framework.

You don't have to agree with me, and I still respect your opinion either way.

[–] groucho@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 2 weeks ago

I agree with you. Even if you never touch it, it's nice to know what the libraries you're calling are doing under the hood.

[–] GetOffMyLan@programming.dev -1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That's a really ridiculous example though. No one is doing that.

[–] refalo@programming.dev 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm doing that. I know several others who have as well.

[–] GetOffMyLan@programming.dev 0 points 2 weeks ago

But when you are talking about professional games development that is a very specific thing they almost no one is doing.