Maths needed for IT?

[Sutto]

I'm looking to get a job some where in the field of IT (whether it be technician, web design, programming havn't decided yet). Thing is, every one seems to think Math is a large part of landing sucess in the IT field.

What is the truth behind this? I suck at Maths, but if there was an incentive to learn and do a higher Math class in later years of school I could probably manage. I fail to see where the bullshit we learn will ever serve a purpose though.

[Vardsy]

It just helps with understanding exactly how computers do what they do - plus if you get into any sort of programming what so ever you are going to need to be quite handy in maths

[King_Crud]

yeah I'm not sure of the details but my mate was studying computer science when we were flatmates and he was constantly doing long mathematical algorithms. I'm currently doing a masters in finance and the maths i do is nothing compared to what he did.

[BlueBoy]

I studied nothing but VegeMaths/SpasticMaths in High School and got into IT easy enough.

You need a larger knowledge of Maths to be a Tradie.

[Sutto]

yeah I'm not sure of the details but my mate was studying computer science when we were flatmates and he was constantly doing long mathematical algorithms.

I think we'll rule out Computer Science then.

[Aardvark]

Learn for the sake of knowledge. If you can master that, you'll have no troubles getting into the field of your dreams, by jingo. Also, you'll be smarter than everyone around you who learn because they have to, so hate it in the face

[108]

I think we'll rule out Computer Science then.
I'm getting by easily just creatively using + - * /. You don't need to learn calculus or anything.

[Sutto]

I studied nothing but VegeMaths/SpasticMaths in High School and got into IT easy enough.

You need a larger knowledge of Maths to be a Tradie.

We have different levels of Math at our school. Top is the most advanced making its way down to spastic Math.

Advanced Math
Standard Math
Business Math
Development Math

Originally I thought Business sounded the way to go, but as it's lower than standard (what we would normally do if we didn't have a choice) then it may not be enough for some fields of IT I'm presuming.

[raidan]

I work in IT now, and I started off doing a Comp. Sci degree which I hated (and eventually quit). I also hated maths and suck at it. An affinity with maths is not necessary unless you want to become a programmer. However having a logical mind is a great benefit. There are many areas of IT that do not require mathematics in order for you to be good at your job. Server/network management, project management, support, business analysis... In fact a lot of management positions require strong people skills (which are harder to pick up and develop) rather than technical skills (which you can always learn as needed).
To summarise, if you're not great at maths don't let it discourage you. IT does not equal just writing programs and designing CPU architecture.

[Sutto]

I have no doubt that I could cope without it, but would the degrees or scores from Year 11/12 effect the ability to get into certain areas?

[locust]

If you don't like math, odds are you won't like programming.

[Conny!]

I have no doubt that I could cope without it, but would the degrees or scores from Year 11/12 effect the ability to get into certain areas?


The answer is yes. It all depends on what sort of field you are looking into. Help desk and service stuff, probably no maths.

Networking, maybe to work out subnets but who really does that except to get CISCO accredation.

Computer Programming, you will need maths. You may know what the operators do, but having a good understanding of maths encourages logical thinking.

And earlier someone said comp. sci. maths was hard. I lived with a comp. sci student, his maths was piss weak compared to the crap i have to do in Electronics Computer systems engineering.

I've always found higher level maths handy because it helps with analytical thinking, and also it can be easier to understand why somethings happen.

BTW i am doing my 3rd year of Electronics Computer systems engineering and have spent a year working in Broadband, UHF comms as well as control systems; PLCs etc....

[gooey]

work on the interwebby thing.

than u wont not evun need tu hav besic english skilz!

[ratbag]

T... having a good understanding of maths encourages logical thinking...

I've always found higher level maths handy because it helps with analytical thinking, and also it can be easier to understand why somethings happen. What he said. I did comp/sci and digi tech (sorta like elec eng). It will definitely be handy if you need to do any sort of programming or complex problem solving.

[King_Crud]

I have no doubt that I could cope without it, but would the degrees or scores from Year 11/12 effect the ability to get into certain areas?
do what i did. Fuck around at school and get a shit mark. Get a job, fuck heaps of hot chicks, travel the world a bit, taake heaps of drugs, be really cool. Then when you're 28 go to uni as mature age.

[Juice Biscuit]

The only time I have had to do any for of non-in-your-head math is during exams.


Mainly binary and hex related for sys/net admin style exams, but some pretty complex algorithms for security exams.


I haven't had to go into the detail required for an exam once though for work.

The only forumula you will have to remember is

1 + X = Y

Where X = amount of repeated times a end user will do something stupid. Y = the amount of times that you will shoot them in the face because of it.

[s3raph]

Yeah man, theres like no maths at all. The worst stuff I've had to do was for security, learning how RSA works. That stuff I had trouble with. But for programming, you really don't need maths at all, as long as you have a logical mind, then its all good.

[Holster]

There are many areas of IT that do not require mathematics in order for you to be good at your job. ........, project management, ................


Thats only if you don't plan on billing your project or any kind or financial forecasting or cost analysis

[Movius]

You'll need reasonably good mathematical skills to do well in an IT course at uni (particularly the higher-end degrees) if that is what you are aiming for. It's less important when starting out in an 'IT' job. You don't have to be a genius, but you shouldn't be a complete idiot either.

Many of those posting here don't seem to understand what Maths is, you should ignore these people.

[s3raph]

The point is, you don't need to be the type of person who enjoys settling down with a cup of coffee, and a nice big sheet of differential equasions, unless you're doing some crazy computer science shit, or you're planning on designing your own encryption protocol. As long as you can understand the basic concepts behind it, you'll be fine. Oh and stay away from formal specifications for software, they are a tool of satan.

[evil]

I would agree that you need to be good at maths to be a good programmer, however, maths is a broad field. Discrete maths (DEFINITION (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrete_maths)) is what you need to be good at. Basically algorithms, logic, set theory and the like.

In my comp sci degree we did *some* calculus, but I can honestly say I have never used those skills as a programmer. We did some statistics, but on the whole the Discrete Maths part was the most important. It's not like any maths you would have studied at school. I did 4 unit for the HSC which was mainly calculus but we never did any discrete maths.

Having said that, I've worked with some great programmers that haven't done any uni or maths. They're just logical thinkers.

To be a sys admin you won't need any maths skills. There are heaps of training courses out there to learn Microsoft sys admin stuff, which is far easier than learning linux or unix. I'd recommend you learnt both, but starting with microsoft would be your path of least resistance.

[Hired Goon]

You also need maths in IT in order to figure out how much you need to make before you get retrenched because your company cuts your budget back to nothing and then restructures your arse whilst some upper management fuckhead claims it is all part of organizational streamlining and gets a bonus out of it.

Keep that in mind and maybe you'll choose NOT to do maths :rolleyes:

[druid]

I'm a programmer and math keeps popping up in various places. I haven't used 2nd order differential equations (yet) but statistics, optimization theory and discrete maths come in handy. It's not a day to day activity but I'd rather have the knowledge than be without (I probably use some of the skills without realizing).

It's a bit unclear what the thread starter and other people here mean with maths but it's safe to say that "you don't need it" is an incorrect answer. Logic (the science) could be viewed as a subset of math.

Another term that is fuzzy at best is 'IT'. It's too broad and still many people seem to think it mostly covers sitting at a helpdesk and doing desktop builds. For instance, it doesn't really tell anything meaningful if someone says "I study IT".


P.S. To clarify, MATHS stands for:

Mathematical
Anti
Telharsic
Harfatum
Septomin

[King_Crud]

do you have to do regression testing or Ordinary Least Squares? I fucking hate it and i don't understand it (I'm studying for an exam tomorrow so it's on my mind)

[Uther Pendragon]

I did 3 unit maths at high school (one down from the top maths), I wasn't fantastic at it but I was certainly above the average shmuck. I enrolled in first year maths at university and made a complete dogs breakfast of it.

I think being good at maths helps in programming but also it depends on the kind of programming you are doing. Formal methods and computer security (encryption) really pushed my maths abilities but apart from that I haven't used it much.

It pays to be good at algebra as programming is pretty much a souped up version of it. So I guess I am saying it helps but it isn't essential to be a maths genius.

Of course if you are planning on writing software for missile guidance systems ignore everything I have just said.

[dwarfthrower]

I studied Engineering because their maths was more interesting than the computing courses. If you don't like maths then you can probably rule out the programming side of an IT career. It's not so much that the higher level maths is used in programming all that often... but the state of mind required to solve complex maths problems is pretty much the same state of mind you require to write complex software.

But that still leaves you wide open to pretty much anything else. IT sales and marketing people have their own mathematics that bears absolutely no resemblence to logic whatsoever.

[Marshall77]

A friend of mine did programming at TAFE after school. He did general maths. He did multimedia programming for a few companies.
If you want to go to uni I would suggest going for a higher level of maths that you find you can cope with and still get a good mark.

I went to high and fucked up bad. Still ended up doing engineering.
Maths is way important if you want to work in any area of research & development. Everyday programming low level maths, uni/professional programming high level maths.

It will make the logic side easier to understand.