• Inky@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    This post confuses me. Why would code be simpler than the math notation? Both involve symbolic abstraction of basically the same complexity

    • hglman@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Its got to be a relatively small group who knows enough to understand loops and is also afraid of math symbols.

      • DogMuffins@discuss.tchncs.de
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        1 year ago

        Maybe not so small?

        I never encountered these math symbols but for loops are like step 3 in any programming language after variables and conditionals

        • stoneparchment@possumpat.io
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          1 year ago

          lol, like 2.5% of the USA are programmers and even if we say twice that number have experimented and taken programming classes, that’s like 1 in 20 people who would even have ever encountered a for loop. This nsf report says ~70% of highschoolers have taken Algebra 2 or a more advanced math course, which is when sum notation is usually introduced. I think 70% is a little greater than 5%!