As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, computer science (CS) majors tend to struggle for reasons that have very little to do with computers. More often than not, such struggles are rooted in weaknesses related to math.

In this article, I want to show what kind of math to expect as a CS major, why these courses are important, and how to prepare yourself while you are in high school. If you plan on getting a CS degree, you need to come to grips with one important fact first: computer science has more to do with math than computers.

Did you know that you can use a spreadsheet to do your math homework? Well, sometimes. One example of a situation where you can use a spreadsheet is for finding an equation that matches a set of points, also called "curve fitting".

The simplest form of curve fitting involves only two points. If you remember your geometry (or just think about it long enough), you know that the simplest equation to fit two points will be a line (although it doesn’t really look like a curve). For most people, this will be the most advanced curve fitting they ever learn to do by hand.