The Mathematical Hacker (2012)
In Steve Yegge’s linked post:> Math is a lot easier to pick up after you know how to program. In fact, if you're a halfway decent programmer, you'll find it's almost a snap.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.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.To be clear, this isn't some attempt at gatekeeping. It's just that mathematics is a very deep, difficult, and misunderstood subject. I think maybe only true philosophy is harder because there, it's usually not even clear what the questions are.