Math education progression? (Please help me)

[bennyboy]

Hi, guys.

I've been playing with game programming, and I've come up against a limitation: in order to some kinds of effects (lightning, compression waves, etc.) I need to actually understand the math behind them, and to apply it confidently (no cut-and-paste for this!). I don't think I can generate original effects without a good knowledge of the math behind them. I also want to work on video/sound editing: compression systems, noise removal, etc.

First, I'm interested in establishing a solid math foundation. I was good in high school, and went as far as basic trig, algebra, and a calculus intro, but I don't remember much. That was more than 20 years ago.

Can someone who's done math in Uni give me a kind of waypoint map of what to study and in what order? I'm guessing total master of algebra and trig first, since calculating gravity etc. obviously depends on those.

I'd like to work my way right up to a bachelor's level and even dabble in Master's level stuff eventually-- I think I can put in about an hour/day on it.

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Here's a game I was working on last year. Please do fast forward past the boring coding talking and look at the actual gameplay-- nothing's more annoying than some goober trying to do a tutorial. If you ever wanted to see Pope Ratzinger explode while quoting the Wizard of Oz and flying a cartoon UFO, here's your chance!

[Sejanus]

Lol the game is cool, I would play it. As for your math, I really don't think someone who hasn't done anything but high school stuff in 20 years will be able to pick up bachelors/masters level mathematics from someone tutoring them online. I would recommend buying an undergrad maths book and starting there, and watch youtube recordings of uni lectures.

[Whateverist]

Don't forget Khan academy online. If you're brushing up on your own, you might find that sort of concise explanation helpful.

[bennyboy]

Lol the game is cool, I would play it. As for your math, I really don't think someone who hasn't done anything but high school stuff in 20 years will be able to pick up bachelors/masters level mathematics from someone tutoring them online. I would recommend buying an undergrad maths book and starting there, and watch youtube recordings of uni lectures.

No no, I don't want a tutor. I just want someone to tell me the progression in which they learned things. e.g. first algebra, then trig, then calculus, then . . . Basically, I guess I need to know what the grade 12 and first couple years of Uni math cover, so I can approach my studies with a sense of order rather than just going wherever the wind blows.

The problem is I'm trying to trace backward like this: "Okay, I'm writing a graphics shader effect for my DirectX game, but I don't understand the calculations. I see sin/cos in there, so probably trig but. . . " I'd rather start with a solid foundation.

Also-- thanks for the comment about the game. I had designs to make an editor so you can put in your most hated person-- mine was Paris Hilton but upgraded to the Pope.

[bennyboy]

Don't forget Khan academy online. If you're brushing up on your own, you might find that sort of concise explanation helpful.

Fantastic. I think just this site alone will set a good enough foundation to start branching out to harder things. Thanks!