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Victor Warno
Victor Warno

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What does a mathematician say to a developer?

I have been lurking on this website for quite some time. Then, I thought it is time to participate in all this and introduce myself:

My name is Victor and on this day I have been doing the job as a developer for exactly half a year. Before, I was a student of mathematics. Therefore, I had to learn coding in a professional environment. (Yeah, research can also be professional, but refactoring and tests were a rarity!)

It turns out that I find a lot of fun in what software developers do. They do not only find solutions but they also do it together. And everyday there is so much more to learn! This is when we come back to the starting question:

What does a mathematician say to a developer?

In my case, it is mostly: Questions. Questions to my colleagues and supervisors. Questions about coding style, questions about agile (or not so agile) software development. And that is what this site is about, right? Asking questions to get smarter together!

Do you stumble upon mathematics from time to time?

Top comments (3)

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ijlee2 profile image
Isaac Lee • Edited

Hello, fellow mathematician turned developer! Yes, I still find myself using math as a developer. Writing good tests feels very much like writing good proofs.

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Burdette Lamar • Edited

Thanks for this insight, Issac. Don't know that I should call myself (even a former) mathematician; in the 70s I taught college mathematics courses at the 100 (freshman) level.

I do agree that the notion of 'proving' applies well in both areas.

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Victor Warno

Hi, Isaac! Thank you for your comment! I have never looked at tests like that. Maybe, I will write them with another spirit with your approach in mind :)