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I've created several systems already, a web based menu system, a payroll system and I am currently developing a patient administration system, I know java,C,C++ C#, javascript PHP and other languages. but the thing here is that I feel I lack knowledge of good math. I am still studying in college but it seems to me that I need to know more about math that concerns programming, what or which part of mathematics should I study for me to improve my programming skills? Algorithm designs? Algorithms? What branch of mathematics?

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Seems that this might answer your question ... programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/136987/… – user48553 Feb 26 '12 at 21:20
@JasonGlover Nope, Didn't find any answer that will suite my question, I am asking where should I start or what part of mathematics should, what books? – KyelJmD Feb 27 '12 at 1:36
Mathematics, even computer science related mathmatics, is a wide field. It depends a lot on what you want to learn. Perhaps this book pointers will help you: programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/85506/… – Doc Brown Feb 27 '12 at 7:40
@DocBrown I've already taken discrete mathematics whats next? do you have any suggestions – KyelJmD Feb 27 '12 at 10:42
Do look out for all those Mathematical tools available to analyze algorithms for their perfromance and costs. – Maxood Feb 27 '12 at 11:13

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I don't know which topics you are interested in, there are plenty of choices, so pick the ones you like most. Here are some mathematical topics which I had to deal with the last 15 years in my job as a programmer:

  • discrete mathematics / combinatorics / graph theory

  • linear algebra, especially vector calculus and linear equations

  • numerical mathematics

  • optimization (AKA operations research)

  • computational geometry (just some basics)

And since you called "Algorithms" a mathematical topic, yes, I sometimes needed some things from the "Algorithms and data structures" lessons I took at the university.

(But that's me, perhaps in your career you will have a different focus.)

EDIT: found this links, maybe useful for you:

http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2006/03/math-for-programmers.html

http://www.elegantcoding.com/2011/06/math-for-programmers-tng.html

And this book is a really good one about discrete mathematics for programmers:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0201558025/?tag=stackoverfl08-20

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Information theory is missing – SK-logic Feb 27 '12 at 13:08
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I'd probably also add statistics – jk. Feb 27 '12 at 13:59
@Sk-logic: as I said, this is my personal record (and one can find information theory as a pointer within the first blog article I linked to). – Doc Brown Feb 27 '12 at 14:36
@DocBrown, of course, it's just a part of discrete math. It just deserve being highlighted - it would save a lot of time on learning all the other essential topics you've listed. – SK-logic Feb 27 '12 at 14:38
I've already taken statistics last term. but thanks for this – KyelJmD Feb 27 '12 at 15:48
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