
Ask HN: Can i learn Math - blobb
Hello guys i have a question and i need clean answer to clear my mind so im 22 year old and now im practicing front end development and i dont know anything in math so i want to learn math because i see now i need to learn math someone can tell me is to late to learn math or not if not how can i learn math how to develop my logic or critical thinkin and so on. Sorry for my bad english.
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ColinWright
"Math" is huge, and I mean _HUGE_ \- there's vast amounts of it, and most of
it you won't care about, and is irrelevant to you.

For most people, yes, you can learn math. In particular, you can learn the
bits of math that are relevant, interesting, and useful. But for some parts of
it, it won't be easy.

Some parts you'll find obvious once it's explained to you in a way that suits
how you think. Other parts will seem mysterious and completely opaque.

Get used to it - that's how it is. But don't give up!

So, what kind of math do you already know? If I say that 3+5 _x_ =13, would
you be able to work out what _x_ is?

If I asked for the slope of the graph of x^3-3x+5 at x=2, would you know how
to do that?

These are things that are in everyone's grasp, and if you don't know them yet,
it's just because you haven't done it yet. If you're in Front End development
you can certainly learn to do these sorts of things (although they may not be
exactly relevant to you just now).

So, what sort of stuff do you already know, and have you yet checked out the
Khan Academy link?

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blobb
I said man i dont know anything in math.

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ColinWright
I'm pretty sure that's an exaggeration. Can you count to ten? Do you know what
8 plus 5 is? Do you know what 3 times 5 is?

Seriously, start here:

[https://www.khanacademy.org/math](https://www.khanacademy.org/math)

If you get stuck there are on-line resources and people who will help. If you
don't make time for it or put in the effort, nothing and no one can help.

Everyone starts from the beginning, some later than others. Take your chance
now, it's never to late to start, but starting sooner gives you the best
chances.

~~~
blobb
I know adiddition multiplication division in basic not with higher numbers
like 899×99 or 88/177.

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omginternets
I really don't mean to be rude, but you should work on your grammar and
punctuation first. Being able to express yourself clearly is essential to any
learning endeavor.

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brudgers
Because the question is perfectly clear, the comment is rude and unproductive.
Please stop.

~~~
omginternets
I beg to differ. It may not be enjoyable for OP to hear my criticism, but I
insist that it _is_ productive. You can't expect to go far in the professional
world writing like that.

Again, I suspect OP is a bright guy (especially since he's trying to learn on
his own!), but the way he writes does him a huge disservice.

~~~
blobb
Thanks for support man

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adrianN
[https://www.khanacademy.org/math](https://www.khanacademy.org/math)

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playing_colours
It's never late to learn maths, particularly if you are really interested in
it. I am 31, and last year I started to study remotely for BSc in Mathematics
at Open University (UK). I really enjoy it, but you have to allocate time for
it and stay disciplined. The same for you: you can start with
[https://www.khanacademy.org/math](https://www.khanacademy.org/math) at your
own pace. My advice for you is to set clear goals, scopes you want to cover
during some time period, and allocate time for study in your schedule. These
preparations can help you to stay on track. Don't torture yourself, make it
fun. Good luck!

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fauria
I would recommend BetterExplained, there you can find many concepts explained
in layman's terms: [http://betterexplained.com/](http://betterexplained.com/)

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opk
I'd recommend some of the courses MIT have available. I recently used it to
remind myself of some of the stuff on vectors that I needed for work.
[http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/](http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/)

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daw___
Speaking from experience as I taught myself math at the age of 25, it is not
too late to start. I would recommend starting from set theory and
combinatorics, which do not require any advanced math knowledge and will help
improving your critical thinking.

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ctmkpp
What is your specific goal? What are you trying to achieve with math? I would
start there first. If your goal is to get a math major level of understanding
of math, then I would look at what the standard curriculum is in universities.

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blobb
Math that can help me to be a good programmer.

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arethuza
That in itself is quite an interesting question - there are bits of (quite
simple) maths that are useful in general programming (logic etc.), maths that
can be used in particular domain areas (simulation, crypto etc.), maths that
models computation itself and can underlie the design of languages (Turing
Machines, Lambda Calculus etc.)...

~~~
puredemo
Discrete math would be the most relevant branch for CS.

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puppetmaster3
Can you watch a video for 15 minutes?

[http://youtube.com/watch?v=Vv1BUCkgsr8](http://youtube.com/watch?v=Vv1BUCkgsr8)

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ColinWright
That's pretty advanced for someone who claims to know absolutely nothing about
math.

~~~
puppetmaster3
mmm... depends what country you grew up in.

But I'll say if you can do derivatives, you know some math, up to that, you
know _of_ math.

~~~
ColinWright
Exactly - the OP says he knows no math at all, so a video talking about
derivatives is _way_ out of reach.

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threatofrain
Question: where do you live? Near San Jose?

