Does Programming Require Math?

It seems that the general population has a preconceived notion that mathematics and programming are an intertwined discipline. To be a great programmer, one also needs to be great at math. So, does programming require math? In short, yes programming always requires at least a small amount of mathematics. The degree to which math is used in programming, however, can vary greatly. It is my belief as a software developer, that you do not need to be a mathematician to be a great programmer. That being said, the practice of mathematics will always benefit you in programming. In this article, I hope to explain why.

Before we begin, I want to state that the type of math that is directly applicable to your job is going to vary immensely depending on the industry you want to work in. As a web developer, I have always found that typical business math has been more than sufficient to get the job done properly.

However, this is substantially different than working in a field such as data science. Where you need calculus, linear algebra, and statistics skills or you won’t even scratch the surface of what’s possible. In game development, even a basic arcade-style game like Pong required more mathematical knowledge than most advanced topics in Web Development.

On top of this, I have many friends in the financial and actuarial science industry that want to learn how to program to make themselves more valuable employees. Even if their mathematical jobs do not require much or any programming at all.

So, at this point, we have acknowledged that programming does have a rather intimate relationship with mathematics. However, you may be taking a sigh of relief that math isn’t a critical component of becoming a great programmer. Then why learn math with programming? Well, here are a couple of key reasons why learning math will make you a better programmer.

Why Learn Math With Programming?

Improve Your Code Quality

One of the main reasons that learning math is so valuable as a programmer is that it can directly improve your code quality. As programmers, we must try to find the simplest solutions to our problems. Solutions that are easy to understand, produce fewer lines of code, and reduce the likelihood of introducing bugs.

Math is a tool you use to solve problems. So a strong foundation in math can make this process much easier. Both in writing our code and understanding others.

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