Mathematics refresher course

Hello dear Lainon, I'd like to go to a Computer Science school. To sum up quickly, I have a low level in math, I haven't practised maths for a few years and I'd like to brush up. Would you have any sites, videos or even books to recommend that would be useful to help me get back up to speed in math?

whats your current level? do you know algebra, trigonometry ect

>>36790 I know algebra, but since I've stopped practicing, I've got huge gaps, and the same goes for trigonometry.

Libretexts has a lot of free and good textbooks on math (and other stuff too): https://math.libretexts.org/Bookshelves I also like MIT OpenCourseWare (ocw.mit.edu), which has a lot of really good problem sets, practice exams, and, best of all, lectures by good mathematicians

>>36792 Thanks, it's very interesting

Off the beaten path, you should be sure to read "How to Solve It" by George Polya. It will help you both with learning math more efficiently before you get to you CS classes as well as with methodically finding the solutions to your projects and assignments. The toughest part of both math and programming for newbies is how much rope to hang yourself with the subject gives you. Polya helps keep you aware of the wider significance of whatever technique you're working on without getting lost before you've got your intuition.

>>36789 Your situation is pretty common. If you don't use math you forget it. Check if the school has remedial math classes. You probably won't get credits for them, but they'll catch you up. I took two semester's worth of remedial math when I went to college. I now have a math degree.

I hated math all my school years and couldn't do it to save my life. Barely passed in it. Still went into CS, and actually had good professors/TAs, and ended up getting the best grades in math-related courses, and getting my bachelors with a good gpa, and finally a good comfy job. Good luck anon!

>>36791 Read Precalculus Mathematics in a Nutshell by George F. Simmons. It's not too big book and it's also pretty cheap but still good and covers pretty much everything you need to know before you can start learning more advanced topics.

It would have been nice for you to check the math thread we already had instead of starting an entirely new one. >>21248 While >>36798 and others are right to recommend starting with a review of Precalculus since its what you need to delve into basically every kind of mathematics above high school maths like algebras, topologies, calculus, tensors, groups, categories, and basically everything else; I would recommend actually starting with Discrete Mathematics with Applications by Sussana S. Epp instead. It's a wonderful introduction and overview of all the mathematical concepts specifically relevant to computing and applications of them (like FSA's, graph theory, groups, logic, etc). It doesn't assume a heavy math background so I managed to handle it well despite never passing precalculus, and eventually I did beat calculus and linear algebra, and more! Practicing programming, you'll develop a mathematical intuition naturally without even trying to.

The math you learn in school has little to do with the maths you'll be using in CS, or in pursuits related to software. Most of the maths you'll need will be taught in that school, such as combinatorics and graph theory, so don't waste time trying to bone up on them yourself. >>36794 This lain knows what's up. Also read "How To Prove It" by Velleman, who's a maths-CS guy; the book will edumacate you on all the logic you'll need to analyse programs as mathematical objects. Unlike Polya, IMO, Velleman's book is accessible to anyone with a grasp of US-American high school level maths because like a good software guy he builds his way up to the genuinely difficult stuff.