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theraje
August 3rd, 2010, 02:35 PM
Hey guys, I was wondering if you could point me to some good math books or math sites, that make sense of mathematics. I'm a programmer, but my math skills are... lacking. I failed high-school beginning Algebra class twice... It was one major reason I had to drop out and get a high-school equivalency (G.E.D.).

I don't get math very well. I lack a lot of the foundations of intermediate mathematics... In high school, my teachers wouldn't give anyone the time of day if they didn't understand something. I've never been good with it - I had to take remedial math classes in elementary school - but I won't let that stop me from trying to become at least "meager" with math.

What I need is a book or a Web site that teaches math to you like a normal human being, and not an astrophysicist. I basically want to start on Algebra or Pre-Algebra level, and work my way up from there. But I also want to actually be able to understand the concepts, and not spend too much time consulting a dictionary.

So, if anyone knows of such resources, please share. You have no idea how thankful I would be for helpful suggestions. Thanks!

LowSky
August 3rd, 2010, 02:48 PM
Your first lesson, if you can get this stuff you know more than you think.
solve for x for the following problems


34+x=90
2x=6
x^5=32
67+x=-5



as for a place to learn

http://www.purplemath.com/modules/index.htm

Cuddles McKitten
August 3rd, 2010, 02:52 PM
http://khanacademy.org/

It has lots of other stuff too, if you want to brush up on something else.

alphaniner
August 3rd, 2010, 02:52 PM
Have you checked your local library? There must be something there.

My grandfather was something of a hobbyist-mathemetician, and I got all of his books when he passed. I really like the books from the 50s and 60s, which are just the math without the flashy BS that is prevalent in modern texts.

Sporkman
August 3rd, 2010, 02:59 PM
To really understand the foundations of math, start with a beginner-level book on set theory.

theraje
August 3rd, 2010, 03:19 PM
Your first lesson, if you can get this stuff you know more than you think.
solve for x for the following problems


34+x=90
2x=6
x^5=32
67+x=-5



as for a place to learn

http://www.purplemath.com/modules/index.htm

34+x=90... x = 56
2x=3... x = 3 (EDIT: sorry, wasn't thinking. x = 1.5)
x^5=32... x = 2
67+x=-5... x = -72

Did these in my head pretty easily... good sign if my answers are correct, I suppose. :P

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I will start poking around and let you know how I do. :)

LowSky
August 3rd, 2010, 03:39 PM
34+x=90... x = 56
2x=3... x = 3 (EDIT: sorry, wasn't thinking. x = 1.5)
x^5=32... x = 2
67+x=-5... x = -72

Did these in my head pretty easily... good sign if my answers are correct, I suppose. :P

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I will start poking around and let you know how I do. :)
Just wanted to point out
#2 was 2x=6; x=3
but you wrote 2x=3 and then answered 1.5 which is right.



Take the problems I just gave you and try to realize that math is just solving for the unknown.

I'm not sure what exactly you really hoping to gain. But the best way to learn math is to try to include it in your day to day. As a programmer knowing how to write IF/THEN statements are very important.

A great way to get your math skills up is to get a hobby that requires them, like carpentry. A great math problem is to get one sheet of plywood and try to build something from the single piece. It involves a bit of geometry and algebra, and plenty of solving for x, and is an amazing IF/THEN piece of labor.

keithpeter
August 3rd, 2010, 03:46 PM
Hello theraje

I suppose this depends on your learning style and the reason why you feel the need to sort out the mathematics now. How did you learn to program?

For working out calculations, try

http://www.wolframalpha.com/

For searchable information about bits of theory at a highish level

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/

Textbooks that coherently explain areas of maths at various levels, most freely published as PDFs.

http://www.e-booksdirectory.com/mathematics.php

And don't forget YouTube. Many maths teachers are doing mini lessons as very short videos.

theraje
August 3rd, 2010, 04:07 PM
@lowsky: Yeah, I guess that's why I originally got 3 as the answer! :)

Programming is my hobby. I get frustrated a lot because there are so many common algorithms that I can't ever understand. Especially 3D graphics math. I mean, LERP and forward kinematics are one thing, but... wow. The vast majority of it goes over my head - not good for one who aspires to be a game developer!

@keithpeter: I learned to program by just doing it. It started when I was monkeying around with my shiny new Tandy 1000 back in the late 1980s, where I got first acquainted with BASIC. Never could figure out much (mainly learned from looking at code and mimicking what I thought would work), until I went to college in 1999 when we had a programming class.

And yes, I dropped out of high school, and started college all on the same day. :)

Of course, the vast majority of what I know is self-taught... I just never had much of a foundation in math, and want to remedy that while I'm still relatively young and able to absorb things well. I learn best from books, I find.

keithpeter
August 3rd, 2010, 04:22 PM
@lowsky:

@keithpeter: I learned to program by just doing it. It started when I was monkeying around with my shiny new Tandy 1000 back in the late 1980s, where I got first acquainted with BASIC. Never could figure out much (mainly learned from looking at code and mimicking what I thought would work), until I went to college in 1999 when we had a programming class.

And yes, I dropped out of high school, and started college all on the same day. :)

So you like exploring but need structured teaching as well to reinforce the knowledge you are building from the exploration.

Suggestion: get a good textbook (off the web or on paper) that you can understand the first few chapters of. Then find a class or study group locally with an 'adult trained' tutor. A good 'adult trained' tutor will plan classes so there is time for individual interaction at some point in the session....

theraje
August 3rd, 2010, 04:30 PM
So you like exploring but need structured teaching as well to reinforce the knowledge you are building from the exploration.

Thank you for that, keithpeter. That's pretty much exactly me.

As for the tutorship, I may have to do that online. I live in a rather remote area (we don't even have broadband here, just dial-up), and the people here tend to be undereducated (though technically I probably fall into that category). Even if it's coming here or one of the other forums I frequent to ask questions. :)

Åtta
August 3rd, 2010, 05:23 PM
If you're a programmer with an interest in games, I would really suggest that you start making hobby 2d games. That's a fantastic way to learn maths! I was never very good at math (still am not, but I'm getting there), but thanks to my interest in 2d game development, I've learned loads in much less time than I did back in school.

I would suggest that you pick up a simple framework like Pygame (http://pygame.org) or Löve (http://love2d.org) and get to making some super-simple games. Just something like programming something as simple as the trajectory of a ball going through the air requires knowledge of quadratic equations. Figuring out whether or not an object is within the field of vision of a guard requires linear algebra.

Like I said. It's a great way to learn, if you're interested in programming and games.

theraje
August 3rd, 2010, 05:32 PM
If you're a programmer with an interest in games, I would really suggest that you start making hobby 2d games. That's a fantastic way to learn maths! I was never very good at math (still am not, but I'm getting there), but thanks to my interest in 2d game development, I've learned loads in much less time than I did back in school.

I would suggest that you pick up a simple framework like Pygame (http://pygame.org) or Löve (http://love2d.org) and get to making some super-simple games. Just something like programming something as simple as the trajectory of a ball going through the air requires knowledge of quadratic equations. Figuring out whether or not an object is within the field of vision of a guard requires linear algebra.

Like I said. It's a great way to learn, if you're interested in programming and games.

My primary interests are programming and games. :) I've been doing 2D games for years (though nothing too math-heavy), and did a bit of 3D game programming. My main problem is understanding some of the math. I'm not much for copy-paste, but I do tend to type along with examples to go through and make sure I understand it, but the math sometimes just goes way over my head.

I could probably make a 3D Roguelike, but anything involving any degree of real math has always been a major stumbling block for me. But, I'm going to go and research the options mentioned in this thread and see if I can't change that. :)