118
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
74 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] refalo@programming.dev 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

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

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)

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

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

[-] refalo@programming.dev 2 points 2 weeks ago

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.

this post was submitted on 08 Nov 2024
118 points (100.0% liked)

Programming

17314 readers
235 users here now

Welcome to the main community in programming.dev! Feel free to post anything relating to programming here!

Cross posting is strongly encouraged in the instance. If you feel your post or another person's post makes sense in another community cross post into it.

Hope you enjoy the instance!

Rules

Rules

  • Follow the programming.dev instance rules
  • Keep content related to programming in some way
  • If you're posting long videos try to add in some form of tldr for those who don't want to watch videos

Wormhole

Follow the wormhole through a path of communities !webdev@programming.dev

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
snowe@programming.dev
Ategon@programming.dev
MaungaHikoi@lemmy.nz