Hello!
Going into my senior year. Currently attempting to take and finish MVC over the summer. I know Linear Algebra is an obvious option for another math class that will assist with Comp Sci, but I want to try and take 2 math classes this year. So what should the second one be?
I have heard Differential Equations as a natural progression but I have also researched and found that its use seems highly limited in Comp Sci
I am also taking a Concepts of Mathematics course at CMU this summer that that appears to be proof-based/discrete math so I’m not sure if taking a straight Discrete Math course is a good option or redundant.
Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance!
In addition to a course on linear algebra, I’d recommend a calculus-based probability/statistics course for a potential CS major. BTW, Concepts of Mathematics course at CMU is not a course on discrete math.
Okay. I am homeschooled so I have mostly been learning out of textbooks for math (with some assistance from online resources such as Khan Academy, MIT OCW, etc.) and I don’t have the option of taking math at a university, so would you recommend I take a more standard high school class such as AP Stats that might offer more resources? Or would finding a calculus-based probability textbook be more beneficial? (I’m not really scared of only using a textbook)
Also, thank you for clarifying! I was told by Pitt that it can be a stand in for their Discrete Structures for CS class so I assumed it had some sort of Discrete element but I guess not. Should I look at taking a Discrete Math class then or is probability/statistics more important right now?
Thanks for the reply!
You could do AP stats, but it’s certainly not a substitute for any college-level probability or stat course. Unless you need some AP credit, you’d be better off taking a college-level course online (e.g. at Coursera or edX).
CS covers a broad spectrum of areas (probably should be broken into a number of different majors, IMO). But regardless of which field in CS you’re going to pursue, a course in discrete math is a requirement for CS major at any college. If you feel confident, I’d suggest taking a discrete math course at CMU instead of the Concepts of Mathematics course this summer. Is it too late to switch? If it is, you can certainly take a discrete math course online instead of the probability/statistics course. Neither is a prerequisite of the other, so you can take them in any sequence.
I don’t recommend AP Stats or an algebra-based stats class, it’s not going to help you at all for a CS major.
Choices: Differential Equations/Linear Algebra, Discrete Math (very helpful), a college-level calculus based Statistics and/or Probability course. Joining competitive match competitions like USAMO will help a lot, especially with Discrete Math.
Discrete math
Calculus based probability and statistics
Differential equations