# Debate on... Math and Computer Science \[Home Thread\]

**URL:** <https://community.wanikani.com/t/debate-on-math-and-computer-science-home-thread/50253>\
**Category:** Book Clubs\
**Created:** [March 21, 2021, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/debate-on-math-and-computer-science-home-thread/50253 "2021-03-21T21:33:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 25

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**Author:** ![NicoleIsEnough](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/nicoleisenough/32/87285_2.png) [@NicoleIsEnough](https://community.wanikani.com/u/NicoleIsEnough)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 7:38am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/debate-on-math-and-computer-science-home-thread/50253/25 "2021-03-22T07:38:38Z")

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> [@Naphthalene](#):
>
> I think whole numbers are the same as natural numbers

Whut. 🤯

> [@Naphthalene](#):
>
> However, 自然数 is ℕ\* (so ℕ without 0)

Fun fact: In maths I am used to ℕ meaning “without 0” in mathematics while in CS it’s always “with 0”. I mean, I understand: The CS peeps wouldn’t be able to count anything otherwise 😉 But why mathematicians think that 0 is not natural is beyond me.

Interestingly, if somebody says “integer” then I don’t consider this to be a normal word but rather a technical term (as I’m German), so when I hear “integer” I always think “limited subset of numbers from ℤ”, e.g. “64-bit integer” 🤷‍♀️

* * *

When it comes to reading, to my great amazement I discovered that I’m currently in a streak of maths-related fiction books 😹  
The first one was [博士の愛した数式](https://community.wanikani.com/t/x/45098) where one of the protags is a retired maths professor, and there is quite some maths talk in there; then [容疑者Xの献身](https://community.wanikani.com/t/x/47665) where one of the protags is a senior high school maths teacher (not that much maths vocab in here but some nice monologues on the beauty and usefulness of mathematics), now I’m reading [1Q84](https://community.wanikani.com/t/x/44548) where one of the protags is a prep school maths teacher (very little maths vocab so far but a nice monologue on why he likes maths), and [すべてがFになる](https://community.wanikani.com/t/x/49806) is starting soon (there is apparently a bunch of CS talk in that one). The second and fourth books are written by engineering professors, so I guess that explains a lot 🤣

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