Last week we introduced you to Dr. Sara Ochoa and explained how math helps her keep our furry friends happy and healthy, this week we want to introduce you to software engineer Eric Friedman.
The most played PC video game couldn’t have been created without math. Of course, computers do a lot of the work, but if engineers didn’t understand linear algebra, it would be game over.
Friedman started playing video games at age four and at age 12 realized that you need programming to make computer games. Fortunately for his future career, Friedman always enjoyed math.
“If there’s something in the world you want to draw in a 3D game, you need to know its position. It involves 3D vectors,” he said. “Then if you want to rotate the object or shift its orientation, that’s represented by a matrix [...] If you want to do a racing or fighting game where two things collide, it’s all math.”
Even if he hadn’t specifically pursued game development, Friedman says, the ability to learn algebra and geometry trains your brain to think logically, and that translates to the tech world in general. “And if you want to do something fun, like gamins,” he said, “it’s a prerequisite.”
