Rip Rowan > Blog - Math, No. Set Theory, Yes.

Math, No. Set Theory, Yes.

Apr 3

Written by: Rip Rowan
4/3/2009 9:33 PM

Jeff Atwood couldn't be more right when he says

I have not found in practice that programmers need to be mathematically inclined to become great software developers. Quite the opposite, in fact. This does depend heavily on what kind of code you're writing, but the vast bulk of code that I've seen consists mostly of the "balancing your checkbook" sort of math, nothing remotely like what you'd find in the average college calculus textbook, even.

Exactly. Programming - especially GUI-based web-centric software development of the sort that most people are up to these days - is much more a "right-brained" than "left-brained" activity.

Question for the group: is logic - especially set theory - more right- or left-brained? Modern software development may not be highly mathematical, but it often requires heavy database design and optimization, where a strong aptitude in set theory is a big plus.

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2 comment(s) so far...

This reminds me the code we developed at the college to calculate stresses in precast prestressed HSC concrete beams. Sooo powerfull and efficient, but nearly un-readable for anyone else who was not involved into the project.

By Dario Rossa on 4/4/2009 4:02 AM

I don't have a strong opinion (other than I was never great at math --except geometry-- and I like to consider myself a good programmer), but there was a lot of discussion of this on the Stack Overflow podcast (I assume around the same time as Jeff's blog post).

I think both brain sides are required for just about any task these days. I haven't read it, but attended a Pink ("A Whole New Mind") talk a few years ago at SXSW. Good stuff IRT this.

By Daniel on 4/4/2009 10:57 AM

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