How much math for a computer science major?

Question

I'm at a CC right now finishing up my GE and will be transferring soon. I heard that a lot of CS students burned out because they couldn't handle the math. Up to what level of math is a CS student required to take?

I am finishing up the calculus series, done with discrete mathematics and linear algebra, and will finish differential equations soon. So far it has been really easy for me and I'm just curious if there's more to come or are all those students that I hear about just not cut out for it?

Answer 1

You actually have three questions:

1) Required academic courses for a computer science major

2) Need for mathematics for a CS student

3) Mathematics use for an IT career

The answers are:

1. The school will tell you

2. Quite a bit since the homework typically involves computation solutions (Towers of Hanoi, numerical analysis, numerical problem solutions using successive approximations and penalty functions). No one has much need for you to write a compiler or operating system in a professional position.

3. Not very much unless you work in very specific industries or continue in academics. More analysis and data structure design.

Answer 2

Per my husband (a computer programmer) the only things you might need to add, if you don't already have them is Analytical Geometry and Trigonometry.

Answer 3

Calculus 1, 2, and in some places 3, plus physics, logic. I would say at least half of your time in college you will be seeing some sort of math.

Answer 4

At my university, we were required to take 3 semesters of calculus, discrete mathematics, & statistics. I personally found the first 2 semesters of calc and statistics pretty easy, the last semester of calc (gradients, etc) and discrete math I found trickier.

Each program will have its own requirements. Whether or not the classes you took fulfill the requirements and will transfer over is another issue. But it sounds like you are on the right track.