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Coding and math are closely related fields. In fact, many mathematical concepts are used in computer science, and a strong foundation in math is often essential for success in coding.
For example, concepts such as
- Algorithms
- Data structures, and
- Computational complexity
are all based on mathematical principles. Additionally, many of the algorithms used in computer programming involve the use of mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
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Mathematics is used in various fields of computer science such as:
- Game development
- Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
- Simulation
- Cryptography
How Exactly are Math and Coding Related?
Coding is about 0s and 1s and therefore people often wonder if coding involves math. Coding requires different levels of math for different types of programming.
For instance, those pursuing game development or machine learning require extensive knowledge of mathematics, while web developers and software engineers need a basic level of math such as basic algebra, how to use variables and formulas, order of operations, etc.
An experiment conducted by Walden University indicated a statistically significant difference in mathematics growth from September to June in preschool students who were taught computer coding compared to students who were not taught computer coding.
If you research, you will find out that more data needs more math. Elaborate algorithms are applied by the programmers to sort, analyze and convert data into something useful, while coders need algorithmic thinking and computational thinking to write bug-free codes.
How Coding Helps Children in Learning Mathematics Concepts?
Coding can help students learn math by providing a hands-on, interactive way to understand mathematical concepts. By writing code, students can experiment with different mathematical principles and see how they work in action.
This can make math more engaging and interesting for students, and can also help them develop important problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Mathematical concepts are used in computer science, so learning to code can also provide students with a foundation for a future career in technology.
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Types of Math Used in Coding
Binary Mathematics. Binary mathematics is the backbone of computer programming and one must know it to master programming. The binary number mathematics uses only two digits – 0 and 1. Computers represent numbers using binary code in the form of digital 1s and 0s inside the central processing unit (CPU). The processor inside the computer can execute only binary commands. Binary code simplifies the coding process.
It is used for basic-level instructions in hardware programming. Beyond this, within binary mathematics, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are also used.
Statistics: Statistics deals with quantitative data. It is the practice of collecting, organizing, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting. For advanced programming, a deep understanding of statistics is a must because it is used for data mining, data compression, artificial intelligence, and network and traffic modeling. It is also used for speech recognition, vision, and image analysis.
Calculus: Calculus studies rates of change. There are two types of calculus – differential calculus helps in finding the rate of change of a function; and, integral calculus finds the function when its rate of change is given.
In computer science, calculus comes in handy for graphics programming, image processing, and other visuals. It is mostly used in games, simulations, etc.
Discrete Mathematics: Discrete mathematics is a branch of mathematics concerned with the study of objects that can be represented finitely (or countably), says an article on The University of Chicago website. It caters to a wide range of topics such as logic, number theory, counting, probability, recurrences, and graph theory.
It provides a base for virtually every area of computer science such as algorithms, computer systems, computer architecture, computer security, databases, distributed systems, functional programming, operating systems, machine learning, and networks.
It is evident that math and coding are related and that math is involved in programming. It is also clear, math is not only closely related to computer programming, but it also serves as a foundation for it. Therefore, a good knowledge of math will provide a profound base for anyone interested in computer programming.
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