Software Engineering - Re: Mathematical Skills.

Author

Re: Mathematical Skills.

Michael Gaab

2006-06-19, 7:12 pm

"Maya" <malloo4u@gmail.com> wrote in message news:1149753359.797300.317770@y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Hello Friends,
> I'm fresh out of School and I've decided to
> take up MS- SE . But I shall be selected only on the basis of a
> mathematical assessment.Can someone recommend what kind of Mathematical
> skills I might be required to excel in to opt for this course? please
> help !
> regards

The following is a list of math courses that are required by most
accredited degree programs in computer science.

Deferential and Integral Calculus
Probability
Linear Algebra
Discrete Math ( includes the following and more.
Logic
Set theory
Combinatorics
Graph theory
Computability and complexity theories)

This is quite a handful.
Good luck.
Mike

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James Bond 007

2006-06-19, 7:12 pm

"Michael Gaab" <mike-g@montana.com> wrote in message =
news:1150746701_51979@sp6iad.superfeed.net...
>=20
> "Maya" <malloo4u@gmail.com> wrote in message =
news:1149753359.797300.317770@y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
Mathematical[color=darkred]
>=20
> The following is a list of math courses that are required by most
> accredited degree programs in computer science.
>=20
> Deferential and Integral Calculus
> Probability
> Linear Algebra
> Discrete Math ( includes the following and more.
> Logic
> Set theory
> Combinatorics
> Graph theory
> Computability and complexity theories)
>=20
> This is quite a handful.
> Good luck.
> Mike=20

After almost 30 years out of college, I still do not know why I had to =
take 4 quarters of calculus. I have not used it one iota. The other =
stuff is needed, along with Trigonometry.

James

Casey Hawthorne

2006-06-19, 7:12 pm

>
>After almost 30 years out of college, I still do not know why I had to take 4 quarters of calculus. I have not used it one iota. The other stuff is needed, along with Trigonometry.
>
>James
>

Because, calculus is about rates, which most scientific theories are
about!

That is, rates of change!
--
Regards,
Casey

Bradley K. Sherman

2006-06-19, 10:12 pm

In article < L_idnekaJP4YtwrZnZ2dnUVZ_tKdnZ2d@comcast
.com>,
James Bond 007 <007@hmss.uk.gov> wrote:
>
>After almost 30 years out of college, I still do not know why I had to
>take 4 quarters of calculus.
>

Funny, I have never written a compiler but I know why I studied
compiler design. YMMV.

--bks

Phlip

2006-06-19, 10:12 pm

Bradley K. Sherman wrote:

[color=darkred]
> Funny, I have never written a compiler but I know why I studied
> compiler design. YMMV.

Actually, high-schools teach calculus and trigonometry because you need them
to target missiles. Not balance the tables in a database.

Some generals sure are stuck on their last battles, huh? (Including quietly
causing them, again...)

--
Phlip
[url]http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?Z

Land[/url] <-- NOT a blog!!!

Mike Smith

2006-06-24, 8:15 am

Bradley K. Sherman wrote:
> In article < L_idnekaJP4YtwrZnZ2dnUVZ_tKdnZ2d@comcast
.com>,
> James Bond 007 <007@hmss.uk.gov> wrote:
>
> Funny, I have never written a compiler but I know why I studied
> compiler design. YMMV.

I agree to both comments. I have never written a compiler, but I have
written some small parsers and interpreters, and so the material covered
in my compiler design course was useful. However, never once in my
career as a developer of image processing/machine vision/metrology
systems can I recall ever having to calculate an integral or derivative.
This after four semesters of calc in college, including partial
differential equations. (Admittedly, I took the last semester for fun.)
On the other hand, vector math, linear algebra, discrete math, and
probability/statistics have all come in very handy.

--
Mike Smith

James Bond 007

2006-06-24, 8:15 am

"Mike Smith" <mikeUNDERSCOREsmith@acm.org> wrote in message =
news:129g42nk34j87ca@news.supernews.com...
> Bradley K. Sherman wrote:
to[color=darkred]
>=20
> I agree to both comments. I have never written a compiler, but I have =

> written some small parsers and interpreters, and so the material =
covered=20
> in my compiler design course was useful. However, never once in my=20
> career as a developer of image processing/machine vision/metrology=20
> systems can I recall ever having to calculate an integral or =
derivative.=20
> This after four semesters of calc in college, including partial=20
> differential equations. (Admittedly, I took the last semester for =
fun.)=20
> On the other hand, vector math, linear algebra, discrete math, and=20
> probability/statistics have all come in very handy.
>=20
> --
> Mike Smith

Thanks, Mike. That's the kind of comment I was looking for. Certainly, =
knowledge of compiler design is helpful for programmers. I had to write =
a compiler for a project in college. I think every programmer has had =
to write or at least utilize parsers and interpreters, so understanding =
how they work is vital. But, like you, I have never had to =
differentiate an equation or calculate an integral in my career, and =
like you, I had 4 quarters of calc including the partial differential =
stuff. I didn't think it was much fun, though. :) I have not used any =
calc since I graduated from college, and I wouldn't know where to start =
if I had to do it now. Fortunately, as a senior software test/QA =
engineer I don't need to worry about it. I'm more concerned with =
understanding the requirements and functionality of the components and =
systems I am responsible for testing, applying the software testing =
processes and methodologies that I have learned during my career to =
write comprehensive test plans and test cases that provide full =
coverage, reviewing software processes and documents to ensure quality, =
and mentoring new hires. None of that requires any calculus.

Trig, on the other hand, has been very helpful. Most of my career has =
been in telecom, and basic understanding of how data communication works =
using modems over phone lines requires trig.

James

xpyttl

2006-06-24, 8:15 am

"Mike Smith" <mikeUNDERSCOREsmith@acm.org> wrote in message
news:129g42nk34j87ca@news.supernews.com...

> I agree to both comments. I have never written a compiler, but I have
> written some small parsers and interpreters, and so the material covered
> in my compiler design course was useful. However, never once in my career
> as a developer of image processing/machine vision/metrology systems can I
> recall ever having to calculate an integral or derivative. This after four
> semesters of calc in college, including partial differential equations.
> (Admittedly, I took the last semester for fun.) On the other hand, vector
> math, linear algebra, discrete math, and probability/statistics have all
> come in very handy.

I thnk we all go different ways. To me, calculus is pretty basic,
underlying almost everything. Trig is similar. Statistics is pretty
fundamental, too. But I've never used discrete math, and only very rarely
linear algebra. So much depends on the path we end up on, and at the
beginning of the path, it is hard to tell what twists and turns it will
take.

...

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