7/15/2021 Math for Programmers (Familiarize Yourself with the Basic Concepts & Upgrade Your Programming Skills)

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Propositional Logic, and Proofs

Level Up Your Programming Skills with Math:

Learn Probability, Propositional Logic, and Proofs
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What kind of math is used in computer programming?

While programming itself doesn’t need the programmer actually to engage in hard
mathematics, there are quite a few different branches of math included in the essence of
computer programming.

Basic programming math, algebra, and trigonometry are the most common strains of math
for programming. However, it is recommended that you are familiar with concepts more than
hard mathematics. Knowing probability, propositional logic, and proofs will be extremely
helpful for math programming.

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Math Books for Programmers

These books will educate you further in math programming and mathematical concepts in
general:

Math For Programmers by Paul Orland

This more recent book is filled with fantastic exercises, examples, and
helpful math designs to help you net a career in programming.

Orland’s book focuses on exactly what you need to be a successful

programmer, data scientist, and machine learning.

Mathematics for Machine Learning by Marc Peter Deisenroth

This book is geared towards introducing the reader to what

mathematical functions are essential to getting the hang of machine
learning. These include calculus, algebra, and analytic geometry.

This book aims to more easily blend different flavors of mathematics

into one to teach a programmer or computer science student better the
basics of machine learning.

Amazon Review:

“Brilliant and Precise” – 5/5 Rating

“The explanations are clear, and the book is designed to bring clarity and lucidity onto the
topics, not send the student on an endless pit of proofs and rigor.”

A Programmer’s Guide to Computer Science: A Virtual

Degree for the Self-Taught Developer by Dr. William M
Springer II

Dr. Springer sets out to ensure the reader knows their basic math for programming and
computer science. You’ll get a crash course in some of the most critical topics, including
graphs, problem-solving, complexity theory, and graphs.

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Amazon Review:

“An excellent starting point for the working programmer” – 4/5 Rating

“It is not comprehensive and it is not meant to be. But it does

accomplish its mission well and serves as a nice introduction to a
variety of useful topics.”

Grokking Algorithms: An Illustrated Guide for

Programmers and Other Curious People by Aditya Bhargava

This more casual and lighthearted guide will be great for visual learners
out there. It sets out to easily convey common problems in
programming and how to solve them. This, of course, includes a
healthy dash of discrete mathematics.

Through over 400 drawings of detailed walkthroughs, you will be better

at math programming by the end.

Amazon Review:

“Visual learners start here” – 5/5 Rating

“This is by far the best introduction to algorithms out there, especially if you have not
encountered them before. If you want to learn the basics and learn them well, start here.
After you read this book you’ll be ready for the more dense ones.”

Doing Math with Python: Use Programming to Explore

Algebra, Statistics, Calculus, and More! By Amit Saha

This is the perfect starting point for those who want to explore the kind
of math for programmers with Python. It gives you projects to work on,
emphasizing algebra, probability, and calculus.

Amazon Review:

“A Book That Let’s You Learn On Your Own” – 5/5 Rating

“I’ve learned a more from this book than from others…I’m confident that I’ll be able to
accomplish writing a few useful Python programs after studying this book.”

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Math Adventures with Python: An Illustrated Guide to

Exploring Math with Code by Peter Farrell

This fun book on math programming will show you how to best harness
the power of math for programming. You will explore mathematical
concepts by using the coding language Python.

Amazon Review:

“Wonderful for early high school students and adults first learning
code.” – 5/5 Rating

“If you are new to writing code, it is quite nice to see these graphics produced with simple
code. The author does provide code for the exercises on the nostarch.com/mathadventures
website. Unfortunately, the code is not completely written out.”

Foundation Mathematics for Computer Science: A Visual

Approach by John Vince

John Vince dives right into the nitty-gritty of understanding

mathematical concepts to better succeed at computer science, and nail
math for programming. He blends how it all applies to math,
programming, and the real world, illustrating its importance.

Amazon Review:

“Good book for revision not an introduction.” – 4/5 Rating

“The author teaches mathematical concepts in an interesting and engaging way by making
historical references and relating those same concepts to everyday activities. He makes you
understand why certain mathematical constructs are the way they are.”

Essential Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science by

Harry Lewis

Harry lewis delves deep into all of the significant pieces of

programming math that you will need as a computer scientist. This is a
quick read, with 31 short chapters, each covering a different topic.

Amazon Review:

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“Approachable “Math-Heavy” Textbook, with some Flaws” – 5/5 Rating

“Generally speaking, I thought the authors did an excellent job in the earlier portions of the
book, introducing proofs and theorems in a cautious, slow-paced way that make them feel
more digestible to students who likely prefer to review formal mathematics with as little formal
proof-work as they can manage.”

Mathematical Structures for Computer Science by Judith L.

Gersting

In this hefty tome, readers will be introduced to the exciting and

multifaceted relationship of math programming. With a gentle pace
through the chapters, you will feel familiar with the material by the end.

Amazon Review:

“This text is a fine work. The progression through material is logical” – 4/5 Rating

“There are good explanations of basic concepts and methods, general proofs, specific
examples, and practical discussion of application. I would recommend this book to those
interested in logic, proofs, math, and computer applications.”

Mathematical Programming: Theory and Methods by S. M.

Sinha

This book covers everything from linear programming to its

implementation in our daily lives. Readers will get a clear picture of
what the marriage of math and programming is like. There are detailed
and challenging proofs for you to explore and hone your skills.

Amazon Review:

“Excellent except for the unbelievable amount of typos” – 4/5 Rating

“The proofs presented are very rigorous, and the author every now and then brings up
interesting facts to help students develop intuition (as when he mentions Lagrange Multipliers
and their relation to the Simplex method). There are lots of exercises (no solutions!).”

Mathematics & Physics for Programmers by Danny Kodicek

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This guide is aimed at programmers who want to make the most out of
mathematical education. This also includes physics for game
developers. This is an excellent resource for math programming and
has further use for game developers.

Amazon Review:

“Very useful resource” – 4/5 Rating

“And while this book certainly had material relevant for doing so, I probably would have
appreciated a little more detail on the subject. That’s not to say that this isn’t a useful book, it
certainly is… But it covers a vast range of topics, from 2D (and some 3D) physics to AI
pathfinding.”

Introduction to Applied Linear Algebra: Vectors, Matrices, and

Least Squares by Stephen Boyd

This intro text to algebra is perfect for math programming. Although it

may be a starter text, this outlines all you need to know when
programming while using mathematical concepts.

Amazon Review:

“I would recommend this book to people who don’t like math” – 5/5
Rating

“This book is a treasure of diverse applications ranging from stock market, car control to
medical imaging and machine learning. Every piece of theory is justified with clear
applications, thus keeping the reader engaged and, at times, absolutely amazed.”

Calculus For Dummies by Mark Ryan

It’s no surprise that a For DUmmies book makes the list of some very
complicated subjects. After this book, you’ll know all the basics of
calculus and can better use them for math programming.

Amazon Review:

“Don’t Even Bother Learning Calculus Without This Book!” – 5/5 Rating

“I am a great student but I had a full 5 years between high school and college. Needless to
say, calculus is far from the easiest course to take after a break like that. Anyway, I started

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with a D and ended at 88.9%!… Unlike my professor, this book is memorable, hilarious, and
easy to read and comprehend.”

Discrete Mathematics by Gary Chartrand

Chartrand makes the topic of discrete mathematics more accessible.

With knowledge of discrete mathematics, calculus, and algebra, you
can better apply it to programming. It’s a relaxed and casual read about
a denser subject.

Amazon Review:

“A Text Essential for Advanced Mathematics” – 5/5 Rating

“I wish I had access to such a textbook while I was an undergraduate. I intended to earn my
degree in mathematics but lost interest while taking a transition course in advanced
mathematics because the textbook used (interesting enough still used) provided insufficient
information and too few examples. I now am reading this for pleasure, believe it or not.”

Digital Design and Computer Architecture by David and Sarah

Harris

This is an excellent starter text in showing the reader the fundamentals

of digital design. Familiarizing yourself with computer architecture, so
you can further enhance your programming skills.

Amazon Review:

“A hardware and low-level focused book” – 5/5 Rating

“It does a great job of walking the student through everything from the basic construction of a
transistor, to a complete microarchitecture, to programming. The writing style is precise, the
knowledge contained in the book is thorough, and the exercises and examples are
challenging. This is a beast of a textbook.”

An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata by Peter

Linz

What better way to enhance your programming math skills than by going in-depth with the
pillars of computer science? Peter Linz goes smooth on the reader here, not bogging you

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down with mathematical jargon.

Amazon Review:

“A must-have book for Theory of Computation and Automata” – 5/5

Rating

“Concepts are illustrated in a lucid manner with suitable examples.

Large amount of practice problems and keys to some hard problems.”

Algorithms Illuminated: Part 1: The Basics by Tim

Roughgarden

Familiarizing the reader with the very essence of computer science,

Tim Roughgarden aims to make the reader a better programmer
through his excellent guide through algorithms and technical skills.

Amazon Review:

“An excellent, clear intro to important concepts in the analysis of

algorithms!” – 5/5 Rating

“The author, Tim Roughgarden, has taught this material to Stanford computer science
students for many years, and has been honing his exposition all the while. It is the first of
what is to become a series of small texts that cover the same content as the Coursera
Algorithms Specialization.”

Algorithms Illuminated (Part 3): Greedy Algorithms and

Dynamic Programming by Tim Roughgarden

After becoming more comfortable with ROughgarden’s previous works,

this is the motherlode of math programming. There are fantastic and
comprehensive math problems for you to solve in this complete guide.

Amazon Review:

“My favorite instructor who taught me so much” – 5/5 Rating

“Prof. Roughgarden has impacted me on three levels. First, he made

the algorithm knowledge clear and I may owe my future job to him. Second, he ignited my
passion for algorithm, math, and general computer science, the journey is so fun guided by a
charming master. The third level inspiration was his direct-to-the-essence minimalist

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philosophy, things get simple after you know the essence and only in this way can you hold
more.”

The Art of Doing Science and Engineering: Learning to Learn

by Richard W. Hamming

This is a more conceptual text aimed at tailoring your thought process

towards different problems in logic, math, and programming. This is a
fantastic resource to gain scientific inspiration from.

Amazon Review:

“Developing Better Thought Processes for Effective Problem Solving” –

5/5 Rating

“I realise this book is not groundbreaking, but I’ve enjoyed his thought process as it differs
from many similar books where it leaves me to reflect on things I was taking for granted in my
thinking. And any book that’s a cause for reflection on one’s thoughts is a worthy exercise if it
means overall better progress for oneself.”

Numerical Methods in Engineering with Python 3 by Jaan

Kiusalaas

Regardless of what Python version you are using, Jaan Kiusalaas’s

guide introduces you to essential fundamentals that you will need in
math for programming. It features equations, data fitting, and more.

Amazon Review:

“Good addition for your machine learning bookshelf” – 4/5 Rating

“Concise and well explained; if you are looking for easy to read and unencumbered
implementations of numerical algorithms, this book is a great addition.”

A Student’s Guide to Numerical Methods (Student’s Guides)

by Ian H. Hutchinson

This guide introduces readers to the vital field of mathematics, numerical analysis. It’s helpful
to both programmers and physical scientists, containing useful knowledge for future math
programming.

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Amazon Review:

“Four Stars” – 5/5 Rating

“Excellent resource for the beginner. It has a very nice choice of topics,
and it is well written.”

Mathematical Logic (Dover Books on

Mathematics) by Stephen Cole Kleene

Logic is one of the most crucial math programming concepts and is

tackled in this book. It’s perfect for those with no prior knowledge of
logic, proofs, and commands.

Amazon Review:

“Comprehensive, not so clear” – 3/5 Rating

“The book is comprehensive and more sophisticated and detailed than

I needed, but you can’t blame the book for that. I’ve given it a good/fair rating because the
exposition and organization could have been better.”

Introduction to Probability, Statistics, and Random Processes

by Hossein Pishro-Nik

Probability is a big concept in math for programming. It’s aimed at

several different scientific fields, particularly engineers, programmers,
and other areas of science.

Amazon Review:

“Great book, amazing professor, killer price.” – 5/5 Rating

“Pashro-Nik is an amazing professor. I have had the pleasure of actually being in one of his
probability courses. He wrote this book to make the material more accessible and cheaper
for students. “

The Humongous Book of Trigonometry Problems by W.

Michael Kelley

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This book is chock full of 750 trigonometry problems. It’s billed as being
for those who ‘don’t speak math,’ which is perfect for beginners. This is
a good practice book if you plan on learning math for programming.

Amazon Review:

“Outstanding book and invaluable companion for any Trig student…” –

5/5 Rating

“I had to re-learn Trigonometry after having learned it some 35 years ago. For explanations of
various concepts, this book is far superior to the Larson text. The Humongous book covers
all the Trig topics in the Larson text, so it definitely covers the Trig topics in a High School
level course.”

Essential Calculus Skills Practice Workbook with Full

Solutions by Chris McMullen

Since calculus is another one of programming math’s fundamentals,

getting a necessary hold on calculus is a must. This workbook offers
the reader a chance to flex their math design muscles.

Amazon Review:

“Too easy for college level but perfect for high school” – 3/5 Rating

“This workbook is for PRACTICING not studying, I’ve used this workbook for my [college]
Calculus classes but found that it wasn’t very helpful because their questions are relatively
easy but they are definitely helpful in terms of refreshing your memory and tutoring high
school students.”

Written by Bryan Wirtz - Updated on June 13, 2021

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About Bryan Wirtz

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