Math Resources for C/C++ Programmers

Question

My degree is in Electrical and Computer Engineering but i'm currently employed as a Software Engineer. I took all of the algebra, geometry and calculus classes that one would expect from someone with my degree however I must admit, I think I learned just enough to pass the test but never really saw a use for it and therefore never really retained much of the material.

Now that i've matured some, I see the use for it all of the time. I KNOW that there are lots of places that math knowledge would improve my coding so i'm ready to relearn the old stuff and learn some new stuff.

What are your favorite resources out there? (Resources that can tie math into programming are even better if you have any!) Books? Websites? Blogs?

Answer 1

I don't use a lot of "real math", but when I need to remember those formulas that I used in school I go to Google. A lot of the results end up Here

Answer 2

I found this blog on the subject intresting:

http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2006/03/math-for-programmers.html

also has some recommendations for books.

Answer 3

Wolfram MathWorld is one of my favorite resources for all things math. Wikipedia has plenty of math resources as well.

Answer 4

I think these books will help you on designing algorithms:

Introduction to Algorithms

Concrete Mathematics: A Foundation for Computer Science

Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications

Answer 5

Well, there's always Stack Overflow. :) In all seriousness, if you have a specific question that involves both math and programming, you could do far worse than posting it here.

Answer 6

Hacker's Delight is a great little book about math and programming. The blurb:

A collection useful programming advice the author has collected over the years; small algorithms that make the programmer's task easier. At long last, proven short-cuts to mastering difficult aspects of computer programming. Learn to program at a more advanced level than is generally taught in schools and training courses, and much more advanced than can be learned through individual study/experience. An instant cult classic for programmers!

Answer 7

Thanks for the answers! I'm looking more for resources that'll give me a breadth of knowledge, not a lot of the depth. I want to answer those hunches in my head that say "There must be some simple math that makes this nasty problem simple" but i wouldn't even know what to google since i dont know the math that exists.

Answer 8

Alot of the best resources have already been mentioned, but since you specifically called out C++ you should have a look at Numerical Recipes in C++, 3d ed, ISBN-13: 9780521880688.

Also, one of the best mathematics resources on the web is MathsChallenge.net, and its companion site Project Euler.

Answer 9

I favourited a similar Stack Overflow question a few weeks back which contains some good info on the subject:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/434647/essential-math-for-excelling-as-a-programmer

Answer 10

I really like the book Mastering Technical Mathematics 3rd Edition. It's kind of a bird's-eye view of mathematics with a technical focus. It starts out with such simple concepts as addition and multiplication, but as it explains the concepts it also explains how computers do the calculations. About half-way through you'll find quadratic equations and calculus. Page 442 begins the discussion of "General Time-Space Hypervolume". I didn't see anything about matrix math in there, but for a good "everything about math in a nutshell"-type book it's great.

Answer 11

Knuth. http://www.amazon.com/Art-Computer-Programming-Volumes-Boxed/dp/0201485419

Or as I like to refer to it: The guy that made me realize I hadn't actually invented or discovered anything that hadn't been known for years.

Answer 12

I've had this type of experience myself...one of the more comprehensive starting points I found was MIT's OpenCourseWare site. They actually offer their entire Mathematics for Computer Science course materials (and a lot of other course materials for that matter) online, and for free. Here's the link to the Math course:

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/6-042JFall-2005/CourseHome/index.htm

It's not the be-all end-all of computer math, but it is a great place to get started, and figure out what other research you may need to gather.

Answer 13

Math Refresher for Scientists and Engineers (by John R. Fanchi)

Just-In-Time Math for Engineers (by Archibald L. Fripp, Jon B. Fripp and Michael L. Fripp)