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Which math is the most helpful in the field of Computer Science

I am planning on attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) as a freshman this fall to study Computer Science and when reviewing course requirements, I saw that there was an open spot for math meaning I could fill it with any math of my choice. Other required math courses were Probability and Statistics. I have taken Calculus AB this year and took the AP exam. I plan on going into Application Development or Cyber Security.

Thank you in advance!!
#math #college #computerscience #appdeveloper #cybersecurity #WPI #cyber-security

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Frank’s Answer

Hey Ralph, congratulations on getting accepted at WPI and also starting C.S. studies! My experience has been that there's never been a type of math that I gained exposure to that didn't have relevance to computer science along the way. Although I haven't used the formal calculus that I learned in college classes much, the underlying concepts of "successive approximation through the derivation of limits or the integration of samples" are foundational to computing's iterative-style calculations! Other types of math that you will find invaluable: Algorithms, Boolean logic, Group & Set Theory, and, believe it or not, Linear Algebra - because of its great applicability to neural networks and machine learning! And the Probability and Statistics (P&S) course that you mention is also relevant! For example, learning how to do Pareto analysis and similar P&S applications pays off when coding analytical applications (e.g., Finance, Physics, Electronics design, and Engineering tasks!) So, as you can see, there's lots of opportunity to use different types of Math in C.S., and I hope the ones I've listed will be helpful to you.
Thank you comment icon That's great to hear, thank you!! Ralph
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Nitai’s Answer

Raplh - First of all, congratulations on getting accepted at WPI. I would recommend to take some courses related to linear algebra, statistics, Number Theory, and Cryptography. Good Luck and All the best.
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Deon’s Answer

The math that is the most helpful in the field of Computer Science is Discrete Mathematics (combinatorics, graph theory, probability, number theory, algebra, information theory, logic). That is because understanding and creating algorithms is one of the key foundations in the field of Computer Science, so Discrete Mathematics will give you the logical thinking skill needed for this area.
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Sheen’s Answer

Congratulations on getting accepted at WPI and to the CS program. There is a lot of buzz around Machine Learning in various industries. I would convey if that is an area that interests you, then Math areas such as Probability & Statistics and Algorithms & Complex Optimizations. Mathematics principles are foundational in ML space.
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