What kind of maths is needed for computer science?
Are you interested in doing computer science as a career? If you are, you might be curious about the skills needed for this subject. Particularly, people may be worried about what maths is required since this can be a challenging subject for many. So, read on to gather more insight!
Do you need to be good at maths to take it?
There’s a range of maths involved in computer science, so don’t think just because maths isn’t in the subject title that you won’t have to do any! Becoming a good computer scientist does involve an advanced understanding of some core subjects like maths.
This means that you should have a fair knowledge of maths to succeed in computer science. You can measure if you’re good enough or not by possibly checking out your maths qualifications so far. You could even ask a teacher or tutor for guidance.
The kinds of maths involved
Let’s take a look at the types of maths you’ll have to tackle in computer science. For most computer science jobs, you need an understanding of discrete mathematics, calculus, and abstract algebra.
Additionally, you might want to know about graph theory too. The maths you’ll learn can help you as a computer scientist. It can guide you into understanding computer programming languages, differential equations, data structures, and more! For example, calculus is used in scientific computing and computer graphics. Other types of maths, including number theory and discrete mathematics, may be more relevant to computer science.
They are put to use in all corners of your profession, from software engineering to machine learning. Without knowledge of maths at an advanced level, you could struggle at some of the tasks you’ll have to do as a computer scientist and will find it harder to integrate into this technological world. With that being said, it depends on your specific company and profession in determining how much maths you’ll have to do. Perhaps research different jobs if you’re concerned about this.
Do you need maths A level?
It’s definitely recommended. Computer scientists use maths every day, making maths more or less essential for these types of jobs. Secondly, maths can help you gain an understanding of the logic that working in computer science requires. Therefore, universities and employers will be looking for you to have a maths A level to demonstrate that you are up to the job.
There will be ways to avoid doing maths A level revision course. You could do a foundation course or similar. You can find courses that will give you the required knowledge on the internet – and some of these courses are free too! Perhaps it might be worth checking these out if you don’t have a maths A level, as it will improve your chances of getting recognised.
In conclusion, there’s a wide range of maths required for computer science! This subject includes maths skills daily, so you should consider studying it at A level or on a separate course if you want to give yourself the best chance of becoming a computer scientist.
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