Need advice from coders in the field

[jfstarr]

Hi all,

I need some advice from people who are already working in the field of software development.

I am studying Java in school and working towards my BS in Computer Science. I really enjoy coding and thinking about algorithms to solve problems.

However I can't stand my Discrete Math classes. I find them difficult and a general struggle. So, how closely will these classes relate to a day to day job in software development?

If you are a coder in any language please let me know how prominantly math figures in your day to day job. If your job is very math intensive, please let me know what you do so I can avoid that as a career choice.

Thank you for your time,

jfstarr

[ArchAngel]

Discrete maths helps. It helps to have convered sets, probability, graph theory etc.

I hated discrete maths too - it was too abstract and theoretical. However, when I have come to problems which require that knowledge, it has been much more interesting because it's an actual problem.

"Hey, this problem could be represented as a graph and the most efficient route could be calculated with Dijkstra's algorithm".

However, I would by no means say that if you don't like discrete maths you shouldn't be a programmer. In my day-to-day programming at work I don't have anything to do with discrete maths. There are some programming jobs that will, but these will be the minority.

At University, I wouldn't expect for you to have more than a few modules which would cover this sort of stuff. Just have to stick it out like the rest of us...

[jfstarr]

Thank you for responding ArchAngel,

just in time too, as the last two lectures in the class have left me feeling profoundly stupid.

I suppose I will have to stick it out. I have to much fun programming to quit over something as trivial as inductive proofs of summations :-P

Anyway, I am doing average well in the class, it is just not the most enjoyable work.

What type of coding do you do? It seems that most of the math intensive coding would be related to writing engineering or scientific software. I would be happy just coding web applications or some such.

Thanks again for the encouraging words.

JS

[jfstarr]

Alright! Got a B on my second Discrete Math exam and discovered that Inductive Proofs aren't that bad after all.

One exam left to go and then on to "Formal Methods in Computer Science"! Woohoo!