This is not true. I've watched conversations on this over the years on HN, and inevitably you get a few people saying the math is nothing to worry about, and then a bunch of people saying they had to give up because they didn't have the math background (oftentimes these are professional programmers).
My recollection from the bit of time I spent with it was that most of the examples were drawn from mathematics, often times relying on implicit bits of knowledge that would lose a reader unless they'd had long interest/experience in math.
I think the issue in divided opinions here is a matter of lost perception of the range of math knowledge: I've noticed this same communication difficulty when playing new people at Go and they ask whether I'm good or not. I never really know how to reply because on an absolute scale I'm an abysmal player—but against anyone who's never really studied the game I'll appear incredibly skilled.
When people answer that SICP requires very little math background, I think that's an accurate phrasing relative to a more global scale of math knowledge. But in the realm of folks with no particular interest in math, it requires a relatively sophisticated knowledge of mathematics.
If a high-schooler is training for math olympiads or they're on track to study math/CS/etc. at a top-tier university, they'll probably be fine. All the others will likely be completely lost.
From some other replies it seems my recollection of the density of calculus in the exercises was incorrect.
However, I do think the math shouldn't be a great hurdle with the right guidance, but:
> If a high-schooler is training for math olympiads or they're on track to study math/CS/etc. at a top-tier university, they'll probably be fine. All the others will likely be completely lost.
My recollection from the bit of time I spent with it was that most of the examples were drawn from mathematics, often times relying on implicit bits of knowledge that would lose a reader unless they'd had long interest/experience in math.
I think the issue in divided opinions here is a matter of lost perception of the range of math knowledge: I've noticed this same communication difficulty when playing new people at Go and they ask whether I'm good or not. I never really know how to reply because on an absolute scale I'm an abysmal player—but against anyone who's never really studied the game I'll appear incredibly skilled.
When people answer that SICP requires very little math background, I think that's an accurate phrasing relative to a more global scale of math knowledge. But in the realm of folks with no particular interest in math, it requires a relatively sophisticated knowledge of mathematics.
If a high-schooler is training for math olympiads or they're on track to study math/CS/etc. at a top-tier university, they'll probably be fine. All the others will likely be completely lost.
Here's another example from today's thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21301474