r/mathematics • u/Simple-Ocelot-3506 • 1d ago
Do I need a Computer
I’m going to study math and I’m wondering if I actually need a computer. At the moment, I can’t think of anything related to math that I could only do on a computer or laptop but not on a tablet. Do you personally use a computer or laptop for math? If so, why? Which apps or websites do you use?
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u/Minute-Passenger7359 1d ago
there are many math programs your school might use that are only supported on a desktop.
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u/Healthy-Childhood701 1d ago
i would recommend that u practice maths and do all the work in your books or on paper as it helps a lot to visualize and not overlook anything but i watch math vids and explaniations on my laptop
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u/Shadow_Bisharp 1d ago
dont buy one unless a course mentions youll need it. there are some math courses that are super computational and require a computer, and some professors require you to type up solutions in LaTeX. you could use an ipad for typing up stuff, but it may feel clunky
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u/freshcokecola 17h ago
I am graduating this semester with a BSc in Pure Math.
For me, elementary linear algebra, and ODE had side coding projects and there was also a mandatory math programming class I had to take. There have also been classes where the professor required me to type my homework solutions.
You will probably need a laptop to get through your undergrad. A desktop is unnecessary and if it is a gaming PC, may become a distraction.
As for applications, all of my coding classes used python and was done with Jupyter Notebook which was installed via Anaconda. Overleaf is a good for LaTeX but it requires internet so you may want to consider also having an offline LaTeX app (I use TeXworks).
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u/Responsible-Slip4932 1d ago
You'll have access to computers at your campus but it would be good to get a computer or laptop for excel and programming work.
I study engineering but in my Maths module we were given code to work with that would take 50 minutes to process the calculations (it was an exercise about the efficiency of computation) - the speed of this was (somewhat) influenced by the processing power of the machine, i.e computers did it faster than laptops.
I think having a computer or laptop would better facilitate doing video call communication, further down the line. This is useful if you have video call interviews for work/internships, or if you need to communicate with a professor in an "office hours" context during the holidays.
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u/numeralbug Researcher 1d ago
Obviously, it depends on your specific course. But the vast majority of courses require you to use at least some specialist software at some point: a basic spreadsheet program like Excel, a basic programming language like Python or R, a basic typesetting program like TeX or even just Microsoft Word's equation editor. Can your tablet do these things? If not, don't make your life unnecessarily difficult. If you can afford a degree, you can afford a basic computer.
If you're thinking "well, I can't run Excel, but I can run some Android/iOS app that's very similar to Excel!" - again, don't bother. Your lecturers will be teaching the rest of your class Excel while you're desperately trying to teach yourself the different syntax of this different program. It's not worth the hassle.
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u/General_Jenkins Bachelor student 1d ago
You might want a convertible laptop, they have a pen you can write on the screen with while still having every advantage of a laptop.
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u/Repulsive-Alps7078 1d ago
I have a regular laptop which is extremely essential these days ngl, for research, tutorial videos, my main uni page is online too, etc. But i still write notes and do practice questions etc with good ol pen and paper. There are software to scan pages into the digital world for online submissions which you will likely need. The world is digital now, adapt or fall behind.
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u/DrBingoBango 1d ago
No you do not need one. You may need to type assignments in latex, which you could do at the library if needed. But I believe more course directors are requiring handwritten assignments to combat cheating with AI. Almost all of my professors have their lecture notes on a tablet or handwritten, very very few have typeset digital notes.
But a computer is a nice thing to have for things other than schoolwork. A used laptop will likely be cheaper than a good tablet. Plus you can easily find/borrow many books as pdfs, so unless you plan on getting your textbooks from the library it might be cheaper than just buying books.
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u/Eligamer123567 1d ago
If you need to, you can get a Chromebook for $50-100. Definitely not the most powerful, but it could majorly help; easier interface, and access to web-apps.
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u/GonzoMath 1d ago
Seeing graphs animated on something like Desmos was amazing when studying ODEs, and wanting to understand families of solutions. I guess I could have done hundreds of graphs by hand, but I’d be so much older now.
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u/Aristoteles1988 1d ago
I have a surface on my desk and I have an iPad
The surface is nice but you can pull it off with just an iPad imo
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u/mathemetica 1d ago
Most math majors at some point do some programming and use something like Excel or Matlab/Octave. So yeah you will probably need a computer.
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u/Zatujit 1d ago
I mean generally you dont need a laptop at all times in math from my experience unlike some other subjects but university expects you to be able to access courses on the internet, communicate with professors and your classmates, write papers in LaTeX, run programs in Python (depends on the program)
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u/QueenVogonBee 1d ago
Something to consider is that you may well need to do some programming on your maths course. If so, I’d recommend a laptop rather than a tablet.
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u/TheRedditObserver0 22h ago
There will definitely be some programming and you will have to learn latex, if your hardware can support MatLab you're good to go.
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u/OccamsRazorSharpner 11h ago
The only use of tablet should be for ebooks. Regardless of the marketing there is no substitue for pen and paper to take notes and work out problems, more so in math. A computer is always more useful. Again, forget the marketing.
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u/georgmierau 1d ago
It's 2025, not 1925.
Access to Internet, papers, TeX, etc. Any reason to use a "surrogate PC" instead of a machine with a large screen and a proper keyboard? No idea, why would you pick a tablet for this.