this may be off topic

Quote:

---

1+1 = x

---

Bad arithmetic expression. System Failure. Rebooting Now.

Kernel Panic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

System Stalled

Hi Sphyenx and welcome to AO,

No, you don't need to be a maths genius to work with computers. Algebra is probably the most useful branch, but only when you are working with spreadsheets, designing a system or fault finding.

After algebra I would say that statistics is the next most useful.

Cheers

And 1 + 1 = 2

We are computer PEOPLE, not computers................we use hexadecimal :p

First of all welcome.
IMHO the most important thing in working with computers is the will to go learn. If you get into computers you will be learning new stuff nearly everyday and as a wise man (me :)) once said " There is only one thing more important than having knowledge that is being able to find it."

How much a "master" of math you need to be is dependant, in part, on where and how into the wide realm of computers you want to go.

For example, if you want to venture into the depths of programming, a good math mind is certainly a plus. Especially if you want to get into more nitty gritty languages such as Assembly. Having math skills also helps when you're dealing with base-10 to hexadecimal to binary number conversions, etc (something that drove me nuts in classes). College computer science degrees are heavy in math, and I have the Calculus II scars to prove it. ;)

However, switch majors to MIS like I did, which is more centered on networking and business applications rather than programming, logic, and algorithms, and you'll find you can get by with a lot less math knowledge. You don't need a math genius to configure your network. Some basic math courses and perhaps a business calculus class, and you're good to go (such was the case at my university).

Some other things to consider though -- Math skills do aid in the development of critical and analytical thinking, something that's of vital value to everyone in computers, be it networking, security, or programming. There is a common skill set shared between the two, so it's definately a plus to be as good at math as you can become. You are going to find yourself looking at firewall logs just as critically and analytically as you would a perplexing calculus formula.

So, the answer in short is not necessarily, but it's certaily good to have. And I am far from being a math genius myself. Heck, I've forgotten just about everything I learned in my two calculus courses, as I couldn't derive myself out of a wet paper bag now.

1 + 1 = 10
00000001 + 00000001 = 00000010

1 + 1 = b

you people are all sheep to the communist school system


pathetic