The Mathematical Hacker (2012)
In Steve Yegge’s linked post:<p>&gt; Math is a lot easier to pick up after you know how to program. In fact, if you&#x27;re a halfway decent programmer, you&#x27;ll find it&#x27;s almost a snap.<p>This couldn’t be more wrong. Mathematics is the hardest thing I have ever done. I’m sorry, but mathematics is orders of magnitude more intensive and difficult than most programming. A simple fact that shows this is the amount of programmers who have no formal training in engineering or computer science but we’re able to self-teach the concepts. The same cannot be said of mathematics, which requires deep, dedicated study. Most programmers I know know very little mathematics, and it’s not like I’d claim I know a lot either. I’ve forgotten more than I know.<p>He even mentions how little math he took, so I’m not sure he’s an authority on the subject. Most of his post is just surface level platitudes. I’m generally confused why I see his posts referenced so frequently.<p>To be clear, this isn&#x27;t some attempt at gatekeeping. It&#x27;s just that mathematics is a very deep, difficult, and misunderstood subject. I think maybe only true philosophy is harder because there, it&#x27;s usually not even clear what the questions are.