Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

Ruby Ruby Foundations Numbers Math

Posted by Justin Hein
Justin Hein
14,811 Points

Math Skills? | Ruby Required?

Hi,

Just curious, how often within Ruby on Rails will I be needing complex math knowledge? I am not very good at math complexities and just wondering to what extent do I need to understand this documentation?

3 Answers

Ken Alger
STAFF
Ken Alger
Treehouse Teacher
Ken Alger
Ken Alger
Treehouse Teacher

Justin;

It all depends on what type of programming you are trying to accomplish. You can utilize Ruby (or any language really) quite a bit without having the need to get into trigonometric or transcendental math. I think the point of that video was to show how it can be done in Ruby should you need it.

Happy coding,

Ken

Justin Hein
Justin Hein
14,811 Points

Great, so if I wanted to create a website that acted more like a Twitter, would that need a lot of math?

Maciej Czuchnowski
Maciej Czuchnowski
36,441 Points
Maciej Czuchnowski
Maciej Czuchnowski
36,441 Points

"(...) basically I failed every math class I've ever taken. Seriously, you can be a programmer if you're bad at math" - Hampton Catlin

This quote comes from one of the courses on Treehouse :)

Twitter-like app in Ruby on Rails will not require you to know math.

Ken Alger
STAFF
Ken Alger
Treehouse Teacher
Ken Alger
Ken Alger
Treehouse Teacher

Justin;

I'm not a Twitter developer so I cannot speak about their specific code, but I can't think of where a basic Twitter type sight would need trigonometric or transcendental math for its basic features. Treehouse has some social media design courses, the one in Ruby Build a Simple Ruby of Rails Application is similar to Facebook. Both the Android and iOS Libraries have a Build a Self Destructing Message App, which while I have not gone through them, sound closer to the Twitter model of social media.

There may indeed be some math involved, but advanced calculus, trig, and geometry is likely not necessary.

Ken