Ask HN: Did studying proof based math topics make you a better programmer?
I did a lot more math before focusing on programming, so it&#x27;s hard for me to say.<p>Doing a lot of math definitely helps you think rigorously. Doing programming <i>forces</i> you to think rigorously.[1] So it&#x27;s not clear if math is a value add in that direction.<p>I think the only way math has helped me is that mathematicians tend naturally to think &quot;functionally&quot;, so for me switching from C&#x2F;Python to more abstract functional programming (be it in Scheme or ML based languages) was fairly easy. In fact, I was already trying to program functionally in Python before I knew what that even meant.<p>On the whole, I would say: Study more math if that&#x27;s what interests you - but not with the expectation of becoming a better programmer.<p>[1] See also my prior comment that discusses a Field&#x27;s medalist&#x27;s comparison between math and programming: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=36344681">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=36344681</a>