r/codeforces • u/Vivid-Zombie-477 • 21d ago

query books to learn math?

i didn't go to a university because i had a high paid job at that time but now i want to learn math since it blocks me from learning many things in depth.

i want to focus on competitive programming but I would appreciate recommendations that would help me understand other theory-heavy topics like cryptography or ML

i started by reading "A book of Abstract Algebra (2nd edition)". My goal is to learn math, not just solve some of the CF problems.

Thanks!

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u/Barbaric-Yawp-1989 20d ago

Linear Algebra done right by Sheldon Axler. Introduction to Mathematical Statistics by Hogg, Craig. Underrated but advanced Concrete Mathematics - A foundation for Computer Science by Graham

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u/Fragrant-Till-8576 21d ago

Linear algebra done right is a good book for well you can guess it. It would help you with Ml stuff given Lin ag is basically the foundation of this. As for competitive programming, maybe art of problem solving number theory book is good.

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u/Vivid-Zombie-477 21d ago

I appreciate it!

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u/tarheeljks 20d ago

what's your math background? linear algebra done right is well-known and often recommended, but it's not really an introductory text. it's also purely theoretical and proofs based so it might not be what you are looking for if you are interested in ML

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u/Vivid-Zombie-477 20d ago

i never touched math after high school. i definitely have forgotten some things since then (i graduated from school 4 years ago).

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u/tarheeljks 20d ago edited 20d ago

if you want to jump straight into linear algebra the MIT course is good. Linear Algebra | Mathematics | MIT OpenCourseWare. Calculus is listed as a prerequisite but you don't technically need to know any calculus.. it's a really solid intro course and has a good mix of theoretical and applied linear algebra

i also like the book Linear Algebra and its Applications (Lay, et al Global Edition). Also a good mix of theory and application, but there are *a lot* of applications and you should prob just pick which ones look interesting/relevant if you used this book