Do network admins/engineers need MATH ?

Ungadunga911

So im currently taking trig which takes up most of my time each day cause iv never been one for math, then i have calculus after. Do networkers use trig or calculus ?

E Double U

I've used math for subnetting. Nothing trig or calc related in my networking days.

NavyMooseCCNA

I had to take calculus and pre-calc for my accounting degree. I'm math challenged and it has always been my weakest subject. I never used anything beyond arithmetic or simple algebra. I could easily have gotten my degree and worked without suffering with those two math courses. I certainly have never used anything more than arithmetic in IT.

EagerDinosaur

I do mostly development, with a bit of network stuff. I've only occasionally had to use basic calculus and trignometry.

On the other hand, I've found basic statistics often quite useful. I sometimes want to answer questions like "do the test results for this proposed change to the system indicate that performance will be improved?", Student's T-test can help with that. On one occasion I suspected that a particular system component was dropping messages when under load, the Poisson Distribution helped me understand that issue.

Just occasionally, maths helps me win arguments and fix problems that would otherwise have been made worse by following the recommendations of whoever talked loudest. It's very satisfying when that happens.

clarson

while there isn't any requirements to need to know math. it is always nice to know some geometry and trig when installing/relocating equipment. and knowing some calculus will be useful for understanding anything that is changing over time.

and the most useful skill when working with numbers is the need to be precise. that is a very good skill when working with computers/networking/etc. in IT there is on one working because they are close go getting it right.

TechGromit

You may not use or need it in the real world, but that isn't going to fly not doing your homework or taking that college level exam in school. You still have to jump through the hoops to get that degree.

TechGuru80

You only need addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division....so you can calculate your pay and PTO!

willieb

Ungadunga911 wrote: »

So im currently taking trig which takes up most of my time each day cause iv never been one for math, then i have calculus after. Do networkers use trig or calculus ?

In the last 20 years of my networking career I've used basic arithmetic a lot, but never algebra, trig, or calc, all of which I have taken in school. Someone might prove me wrong but it's nothing you need the classes for.

Giving a few examples you'll use basic math for subnetting, hex to dec and dec to hex conversions, STP, and timers galore. Numbers everywhere. The good thing is when the calculations start repeating themselves you start remembering the answers and it gets easier.

pierrevilleres

As a network engineer, I didn't encounter any projects/tasks which require in-depth and advanced maths (trigonometry, calculus, differential equations and whatnot).

Tekn0logy

You will need Calc if you are a Computer Science major, no way around that. Trig is probably a prerequisite. You could switch to IS major to **** Calc, but you are taking a chance since some shops want specifically Computer Science grads. Even as an IS major, you will still need Algebra and maybe Statistics. You will need discreet math (logic) and understanding of binary and hex. Yes, there are calculators to do all the subnetting and any other data, however on interviews you are expected to know this stuff in your head and on cert tests you will not be allowed a calculator.

MacGuffin

EagerDinosaur wrote: »

I do mostly development, with a bit of network stuff. I've only occasionally had to use basic calculus and trignometry.

On the other hand, I've found basic statistics often quite useful. I sometimes want to answer questions like "do the test results for this proposed change to the system indicate that performance will be improved?", Student's T-test can help with that. On one occasion I suspected that a particular system component was dropping messages when under load, the Poisson Distribution helped me understand that issue.

Just occasionally, maths helps me win arguments and fix problems that would otherwise have been made worse by following the recommendations of whoever talked loudest. It's very satisfying when that happens.

I like this post. Calculus as it is taught in college today is mostly towards preparing people for graduate school, or so it seems to me. I still see value in the courses even though many of the specifics of the coursework rarely come up but the concepts of integration, derivation, and limits will. I took courses on numerical computation and found them not only interesting but often useful. Perhaps "numerical computation" is not what the course will be called where you go to school but the basic premise is breaking calculus down into a form that a computer can perform. Basic ideas of approximation, interpolation, limits, and such, in a form that can be done by a short bit of code (or maybe not so short) will come up once in a while.

I would recommend everyone take a statistics course. As an engineering student the recommended statistics course tried to cram what most majors would have in three courses into one. I later found a basic statistics course intended for liberal arts majors (as opposed to engineering and computer science majors) that took a slower pace and found it frustratingly slow at times but better than the drinking from the firehose that the other course required. That's just my personal experience on the coursework. Whatever path you take you will find having a grasp of statistics helpful. Even if statistics is not required for your degree I would recommend taking at least one course on statistics.

Trigonometry will come up as a network engineer if you have to do anything with the hardware. Making things fit, figuring out how much wire you'll need, and so on, will require some idea of trigonometry.

Boolean logic, different number bases, and permutations/combinations, will all come up. Some basics of algorithms will come up as well, and as soon as it gets into any kinds of optimizations then it gets into the realm of calculus and statistics very quickly. Cheap and fast hardware can cover up a lot of "sins" in bad code but better understanding of the math behind it all can make life easier.

Day to day your math will be quite simple but when you need that advanced math you will REALLY need it. Again, the need to do a proper integration or derivation is not likely to happen but you will need to at least understand the concept. I believe that a lot of people underestimate just how often they use these skills because it's become so ingrained in their thinking from having taken the courses. I suspect a lot of people became very successful without a formal education in calculus, but they had to understand the concepts at some point to get there.

They don't require these math courses just to be mean, they serve a purpose. That purpose may not be clear now but it should in time.

alan2308

I don't recall ever using any math beyond basic arithmetic and some very light statistics on the job. For my bachelors degree in IA, I had to take a statistics class. For my masters degree in IA, only a research class that required a basic understanding of statistical concepts. SPSS did the heavy lifting.

Its a different discussion if you're doing any heavy programming, but I don't ever go too far beyond basic scripting in Bash, Python and PowerShell.