1. Do I have to be super-good at math to take this specialization?

Not necessarily—basic comfort with programming and logical reasoning is more important.
You’ll work with asymptotic analysis (Big-O notation) to evaluate efficiency—but it’s taught clearly, not deeply mathematical.
The course emphasizes problem-solving approaches like divide-and-conquer, greedy, and dynamic programming—these concepts build on logic, not advanced calculus.
Graph algorithms (like Dijkstra’s and Bellman-Ford), NP-completeness, and approximation strategies are introduced, but with practical focus over heavy theory.
If you’re already comfortable coding and understanding algorithm behavior, you’ll manage fine; theoretical CS depth isn’t the centerpiece.