What type of Math should I study to prepare for game programming?

Question

Next year I will be starting a degree in game programming. I have been told to brush up on my math. Which chapters of math text books should I read over?

The course is described as:

The Qantm Bachelor of Interactive Entertainment (with a Major in Games Programming) focuses on specific areas which are critical to developing knowledge and skills in games programming for interactive entertainment. Students of the Major in Games Programming learn C++ programming, work with mathematical functions and artificial intelligence to design and program games for a variety of devices. To broaden students' perspectives on the games development pipeline, the major includes specialised courses in script writing, character development, games design, agent systems and 2D and 3D animation.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

I would say that your best bets are linear algebra and discrete math.

Answer 2

This is what you want if you want to get a solid foundation and a really good head start: http://chortle.ccsu.edu/VectorLessons/vectorIndex.html.

I don't even do computer graphics and I can tell you that I have still needed to know every one of the topics mentioned in the link. The Maths involved is simply useful across the field.

Answer 3

Trigonometry is an obvious one.

Answer 4

I'd also add Newtonian Physics into the mix - concepts such as momentum, inertia, acceleration are very worthwhile.

Answer 5

Having studied that course at Qantm a few years back ('06 graduate), I know approximately what you're in for ;)

All the maths you will need will be taught as part of the course - however it is done at a blazing pace, and if you miss any of the tutorials you will need to scramble and get your head around it yourself. I remember missing the class on collision detection, and boy was that painful.

All the answers given already are spot-on for the useful concepts for game math. One extra thing you might want to get on top of early is state machines (for AI).

Answer 6

You should brush up on basic geometry as well.

Answer 7

I have asked myself many times what areas I should study to be a good game programmer. After a bit of research, I ran across this article from Binary Creativity which I highly recommend:

Things You Need to Know before Interviewing for a Game Programming Position

Although this article's audience is someone who is preparing for an interview, I still believe the first section in this article (Math) gives you an idea of what you should know, or at least be comfortable with.

Answer 8

Having taught for a Game Design and Development program, I would recommend the following topics:

• Trigonometry
• Vectors
• Newtonian Physics
• College Algebra
• Linear Algebra (including quaternions)

Answer 9

My suggested list of must-know mathematical topics for game programming in order of priority:

1. Trigonometry
2. Linear algebra
3. Graph theory
4. Game theory
5. Discrete mathematics
6. Statistics
7. Lambda calculus