Programming

You can definitely learn basic levels of programming without getting too deep into the math, enough to put together simple programs that can automate small tasks.

The issue is that math is incredibly important for enterprise level programming, particularly for optimization. Programs you write for yourself can be slow, inefficient beasts that hog way more resources than they need. If you wanted to write code as a job though, you'd need to be able to find the line between speed and accuracy, and that can require some complex math.

You don’t need to know math or physics to build a house. Sure, it can help if you know those things, but it’s not essential.

Same goes with programming. Math and programming are two separate skill sets, but knowing one can probably help with the other.

Also, a question for you. Why do you want to do Common Lisp? If you’re skeptical about your abilities I recommend to start with a more common programming language (like Python, Java, C#). Easier to find good learning resources.

I've often thought that I am.

I find that I understand most of the things when I sit down and do a lesson or exercise, but the problem I have is that I don't stick with it. The gulf between where I am and what constitutes useful programming feels insurmountable, and it drains the motivation right out of me until I wander off and forget all about it.

I feel you, OP: when I started college I was afraid too that I was too bad at math for programming, but it turns out you just have to be good at logic, understanding how things work, breaking down problems and finding solutions, all of which have nothing to do with math ;)

You might have to learn and work slower, and spend more time learning any underlying math, but no, I would reject the idea that someone doesn't have the mental capacity to code.

Try start with How to design programs 2nd which has a online version. The authors believe everyone could have fun programming and so am I.

Most of the time, you just don't need that much math to write codes and to be a good application developer.

Programming is a lot more about logic than math. If you’re good with logic, you’ll be good with programming. All the mathy bits you can do with libraries or ask for help.

It’s pure logics and some maths. I suck al logics so I’m not good at programming. But anyway I try to learn to do basic stuff. I won’t use the word “dumb” tho.

Most common reason for being bad at programming is finding it boring and thinking the tools are needlessly obtuse.

If anything this is a sign of great intellect.

Depending what you don’t like about math, it might or might not be an indicator. If you like problem solving and understanding why math works the way it works, but hate the rote repetition a lot of schools use to teach it, then you’ll fit right in. That’s how I was at that age. (Disclaimer: I’m old now. They’ve changed the way they teach math a few times I think. I’m not sure if my experience is directly comparable to kids in school these days)

Similarly, don’t look at schools that teach Computer Science and conflate that with what it’s like to be a developer. Most real dev work is totally different. CS fundamentals help at times, but aren’t as big of a deal as CS programs would have you believe. (Again, I think there’s a wider variety of educational options these days too. In my day you had to get a CS degree just to get a recruiter to talk to you, even though it was mostly inapplicable).

Why are you interested in learning lisp? Some hobby that requires it? A potential career? Tell us more about the career and maybe we can share knowledge about how mathematical it is.

Unless you want to go into advanced physics or math as a career, programming is not math heavy at all. Graphics programming uses a lot of math but it’s mostly vector math, matrix transformations and trigonometry.

I had bad grades in maths. I do programming myself. Not for a living but out of passion.

They're not necessarily related one to another. Sure, there is maths involved, but it's not integral. What is integral, is digital logic. That is the most fundamental aspect.

Being bad at math does not make you dumb. I failed math at school, and thought I will fail computer science.

I had very hard time in calculus 1 and 2, but appreantly I'm great at discrete mathematics. Introduction to mathematical logic was so fun, I took an advanced course in temporal logic.

Finished the degrees second in my year. Got into a multidisciplinary masters program and finished that too.

I'm now the guy that gets the problems others failed to solve in the lab.

On another note, the person I got to know that is best at learning math, sucks at every other subject in life. He can read math books cover to cover and then use it even a year later. He can't prooerlly feed him self, not from home made meals his mom packed for him as a student and not shopping from the store. If you can take food from the the refrigerator into your plate without making a huge mess or poisoning your self, you are already ahead in life.

tl;dr being bad at math doesn't make you dumb. School level math has almost nothing to do with programming and Uni level math.

I know I am.

I've done basic programming and I find it very tedious and boring. I was good at math in junior and high school, but I really find it isn't all that math-centric. It's more a question of how you are at tolerating repetitious data entry.

Have you even heard of systemd? Of course you can't be too dumb for programming. Be lucky enough and you can build the cancer that will slowly grow and eat a hundred distros.

Yes. Some people are too dumb to eat without someone's help.