[helpPeople]

Since we are comparing in this thread, why are computer science grads often afraid of math based solutions?

For example, I had a physics problem and a computer science buddy was opposed to solving it ourselves. He insisted we needed an expert. When at worst it needed differential equations that ended up cancelling out. It wasn't a hard problem, it just took some effort.

Is this a rare experience? Or have other people found a reluctance of math in comp sci?

[jolmg]

Why do you think them being a computer science person has anything to do with it?

[true_religion]

So, I did computer science almost two decades ago and our school as part of an engineering degree. Our school taught differential equations as an optional course. However, for all other engineers it was a required course.

Today, computer science at my old school is part of liberal arts and differential equations isn’t listed anywhere on the curriculum.

Because many aren’t taught differential equations it’s hard to know what they can do, or how to use them so it’s easier to just get an expert.

[ncmncm]

When you want engineering done, hire an engineer. If you need science, hire a scientist.

I have not been able to discover which of those a Computer Science graduate is. By observation, a piler-on of frameworks, most usually. But some scientists and some engineers get CS certification, so you can't be sure, by the label.

[perl4ever]

Quite possibly a plumber. But you don't want a real scientist to do your plumbing.

[ThrowawayR2]

I can't really blame him/her. CS focuses mostly on discrete mathematics. While there are some required calculus courses in a CS program, IIRC they don't go up to diffeqs and most CS courses never really make much, if any, use of the calculus that is taught.

[perl4ever]

I can say, as a CS graduate, that I liked discrete math and hated anything in-discrete. I avoided statistics (as opposed to discrete probability) entirely.