What Level of Math....

[Einsman Schlegel]

I'm curious, as I've began my studies again on the importance of Math in SL.  As I'd say so far I've seen Algebra I being the highest level so far of what I've 'seen'.  Or am I missing something?

Eins.

 

[Void Singer]

depends on what you are doing. geometry and trig are very useful in scripting, calculus doesn't see much use (though it sees some) and is less useful than an understanding of discrete math and alternate bases. anything else is just special purpose.

[Pussycat Catnap]

Addition and subtraction are very useful, but usually not yer understood by the average resident or builder.

Alla dem prim's iz gots number-thingies on em, ad up teh numberz roight an yeh can'z gows rong.

And yet there is still rampant accidental encroachment, or items build in random haphazard layout causing portions to overlap and flicker...

1 + 1 = 2, but in SL it more often = 1.97.

 

[Dubious Longfall]

What it really boils down to is that much of second life is mathematics based, as is much of the world around you in real life as well. Everything from building to scripting in second life uses mathematics, even the point at which you stand is a number that can be taken, manipulated, and output however you wish. I think the only limits to mathematics is with the functions and operators we can use, and really those 'limits' aren't very limited at all. We can add, subtract, multiply, divide, and even use more complex functions like and, or, xor. We can apply these mathematics to everything from color to prim size to simple calculations and outputs. Basically, if you can think it, it can be done! I have seen everything from Group theory to Order theory (linked parts), Combinatronics, Geometry, Trigenometry, Topology of course is a huge part of second life, Measurement theory alongside it, I could go on and on.

[Willow Danube]

1 + 1 = 11.

Very simple.

[Void Singer]

no,

1+1=10

(it's a computer after all)

 

I'd recomend at least up to geometry for builders, at least up to trigonometry for scripters, and everybody else can get away with basic math. to be ahead of the game I'd recommend trig, calc, and algebra respectively, with extra attention to number theory for scripters.

topology, set theory and other advanced topics are mostly special use within SL and not really required to understand or achieve most things in SL and formulas and instruction for achieving goals that use them are available at a more basic level for the most part.

[Willow Danube]

---

Void Singer wrote:

no,

1+1=10

(it's a computer after all)

---

I'm using the Abacus...

[Perrie Juran]

[Kelli May]

I had to drag a lot of my high school trig out of deep memory for SL building. Working out the length of the long side of a triangular prim and such, and angles for constructing polygons. Basic algebra is handy for scripting, because handling expressions with variables is more or less what algebra does. Boolean algebra helps in understanding conditional statements.

Knowing what a radian is and how they make angles easier to calculate is a huge help for scripting (2*pi = 1 full circle).

Binary comes up less in SL scripting than you'd think, but it's still handy to know.

Vectors are big in scripting. Most tasks with them you can handle by just imagining them as three variables stored in one, or as an x-y-z coordinate, but trickier stuff comes up with unit vectors, magintudes and when you need to combine them as dot products and cross products.

Slightly trickier are quaternions for 3D rotations; I still don't have those down yet.

 

[Void Singer]

the abacus can do binary too

[Void Singer]

it's easier to ignore the internal math for rotations and just learn the formulas ( the big thing is that order is important)

binary isn't a requirement, but if you can do boolean algebra, you're really already there (it's just multiple booleans)

[Kelli May]

---

Void Singer wrote:

it's easier to ignore the internal math for rotations and just learn the formulas ( the big thing is that order is important)

binary isn't a requirement, but if you can do boolean algebra, you're really already there (it's just multiple booleans)

---

Yes, that's the line I take whenever rotations come up. I just about know enough to make them work now, without really being sure about the detailed maths. 

[Vladi Hazelnut]

For building and sculpting I can't see where you need anything more than basic skills. I build and sculpt and the most I use is my desktop calculator because I suck at basic math. I have yet to need to use any formula or geometry to build in second life, although I do know them. Scripting might be a different story depending on what you are scripting. I don't really script so I couldn't say for sure. But most of the ones I know that script it seems prior knowledge of programming and coding helps. Although I guess sl scripting is not quite like regular programming. You have to sort of learn as you go from what I hear. I myself gave up on it, I just get friends to do it for me now that why I know it will be done right lol. That being said if you had prior coding or programming skills you would already have the required math skills to go with it. But for building and sculpting a basic calculator is all you need, if that even. I only use it to figure out how many vertices I might need when I divide stuff up or something.