Programmer question ?

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Deleted member 61728

Deleted member 61728

Can someone with an average IQ of about 104 be intelligent enough to be a programmer and are above average maths skills always needed plus the geeky glasses ?
 
Are you trolling?

If not, the on the whole yes, no and no.

Is there a specific area of 'programming' you're interested in? We might be able to give a better answer as to what skills you will need.
 
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No.

Ive been learning c++,little bit of Java on and off over the past 2 years and am becoming interested in using that knowledge in a profession.The problem is im not good at mathmatics and from what ive understood to pursue programming in a big way you need very good maths abilty in whatever area you choose of programming is this always the case ?
 
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I think the idea that to be a good programmer you have to have good maths skills is because both require a very logical mind. In my experience the vast majority of languages and systems require only basic maths knowledge.

It's only really when you get into 3d/graphical areas where maths knowledge is important and even then it's more a case of understanding the processes required to get the result you want, rather than grinding out equations to rival Mr Hawking.
 
IQ wise i would say yes, however its a strange question as i dont think IQ is relevant to anybody but mensa and people that like to brag,

Maths a definate No unless as explained above your working on a product thats obviously going to require number crunching. for regular web development i would say reasonable maths is fine.
 
I think maths can help you understand what is going on and is probably more important in unmanaged languages such as C and C++ but even then a basic knowledge of maths is sufficient. I only studied maths to GCSE and have been fine learning languages such as Java and PHP.
 
Maths ability isn't too important, but it depends on what you are programming.

I think being able to think logically and break problems down, and writing good/efficient code (which comes from experience really) is what matters in programming.
 
There's many kinds of intelligence. MENSA "IQ" is only one.. there's plenty of examples of high IQs that fail in relationships, in public scenarios or at the most basics of everyday life. I subscribe to the fact that Genius is another word for hard work.

If you think logically, gain the domain knowledge in the area then it's child's play.
 
Some of the most (supposedly) intelligent people I have ever seen, with Math MAs and so forth, have absolutely no common sense. Yet I've also seen some who are amazingly quick of the draw with unfamiliar tasks (i.e. very quick to learn, or interact with others) but pants with anything logical.

I subscribe to the fact that the Mensa IQ test (and 'IQ' in general) is too narrow a scope to measure true intelligence.
 
IQ is a pretty useless metric and you shouldn't pay too much attention to it.

Some of the most (supposedly) intelligent people I have ever seen, with Math MAs and so forth, have absolutely no common sense. Yet I've also seen some who are amazingly quick of the draw with unfamiliar tasks (i.e. very quick to learn, or interact with others) but pants with anything logical.

Exactly; intelligence/mental capacity isn't a one-dimensional quantity.
 
I think it's a stigma from years ago when the home/business computer became more mainstream, people saw 'programs' wrote in binary, decimal or hex and thought "Ooooo, numbers, must be good at maths then"

No, it's an advantage depending on what solution you're developing (basic accounts, how to work out percentages) perhaps the most mathematically bit I use is MODulus and either rounding up or rounding down costings.

Other than that, Logic rules the way. Can't beat logic.
 
Can someone with an average IQ of about 104 be intelligent enough to be a programmer and are above average maths skills always needed plus the geeky glasses ?

You can probably be a programmer; but unlikely a great one - still, most people do jobs they're merely good at.

You don't need great maths skills for most programming; the art of programming is, after all, to get the computer to do the maths for you. You do need the kind of logical skills that an IQ test is good as assessing. However, at the end of the day, tenacity and discipline count for an awful lot.
 
Can someone with an average IQ of about 104 be intelligent enough to be a programmer and are above average maths skills always needed plus the geeky glasses ?

Geeky glasses are super glued to your face when you sign up. IQ's of below 104 seem to be quite common.
 
I think mathematical ability is a reasonable indication of how well or quickly you will pick up programming. Whilst not directly related, they both use the application of rules to solve problems, and generally, in my experience, the people with strong maths/science backgrounds pick up programming the quickest.
 
It depends on the area of programming you're going into how much Maths will come into it. If you're working on complicated Graphics techniques then yes, Maths will be a large factor, but if you're working on business applications it won't be as relevant. You just need a logical mind with some common sense. Being able to follow code and understand what's going on is the first hurdle. Good analytical, observational and problem solving skills help a LOT in debugging.
 
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