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Is algebra useless?


Shadow _Destruction

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Nah, you will use Algebra plenty in life. The maths that you MAY not use in life are calculus and trigonometry(Unfortunately I have to learn it, calculus at least, not trig). Algebra is one of those basic math types in which it can help in your life infinitely.

 

Now I do despise math incredibly and struggle with it, but it is one of those things which will be more prevalent in your life past high school.

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Even though I was never good at math, I can still appreciate being taught it because it is a basic skill everyone should have.

Now, I don't use algebra as much in everyday life as my high school teachers would have hoped, but I can still understand why it is taught to students.


Who thinks algeabra is useless i never seem to use it unless im in school

There will be quite a few things you will be taught in school that you will never use out in real life  :maud:

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I actually use the algebra I learned in school sometimes. I've come across quite a lot of moments where something needs to be figured out and I realized that the problem can be solved with algebra. Now, I haven't really used calculus or trigonometry as ComT mentioned but if I were to become a game developer or something I would certainly need it.

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Even though I was never good at math, I can still appreciate being taught it because it is a basic skill everyone should have.

Now, I don't use algebra as much in everyday life as my high school teachers would have hoped, but I can still understand why it is taught to students.

There will be quite a few things you will be taught in school that you will never use out in real life  :maud:

Algebra isn't one of them, surely you have tried to figure out the price of an item on sale, the tip needed on a bill, or how much money you can spend given a fixed amount, etc. These will occur in your life, algebra isn't useless.

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Algebra isn't one of them, surely you have tried to figure out the price of an item on sale, the tip needed on a bill, or how much money you can spend given a fixed amount, etc. These will occur in your life, algebra isn't useless.

Nowhere in my post did I say algebra is useless.

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Yes, but the last sentence could be taken as such and I was stating that Algebra is not one of them. Not so much to correct you as you did say it is a basic skill.

I was implying that algebra hasn't been something that I personally use.

Hence why I said "I don't use algebra as much in everyday life as my high school teachers would have hoped, but I can still understand why it is taught to students."

The keyword there is "I"

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I was implying that algebra hasn't been something that I personally use.

Hence why I said "I don't use algebra as much in everyday life as my high school teachers would have hoped, but I can still understand why it is taught to students."

The keyword there is "I"

Yep, I get that, the point of this isn't to determine the quantity of use to the individual, but that it is useful. My statement was more in reference to your last statement anyway, the rest is irrelevant to my post. Here, let me do this as this was my fault, by you I was more so addressing everyone not just yourself. Poor wording on my part, I get conversational on the forums.

So you have never wanted to know the total cost of two items?

 

Something that's completely useless is history, but at least that is fun.

Which is terrible, history was my number one choice for a major, but the opportunities after college are so slim. Hell to have even somewhat of a chance to do anything you have to at least have a masters. Way too much work despite my love of it.

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I used to feel that way, that algebra was completely pointless and useless for that matter. However, it proves to be quite useful when it comes to suddenly needing to know something when you only know certain amount of information. So I can't say it's completely useless, it is though for most people. Thing is, schools have always been that way there's so much random stuff you never use taught for whatever reason making you feel it's all pointless. I find it inefficient to waste time teaching stuff that doesn't matter to you directly. Would be better to have it more student orientated, though it's not as we know exactly what we want to be yet it is guaranteed you'll likely end up needing algebra at least occasionally.

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Who thinks algeabra is useless i never seem to use it unless im in school

I updated your topic title to better represent you opening question. I'm 38. I have spent a career dealing with discrete math and business calculations. I can tell you that that foundations of algebra are used more that you would think. Would a person working as a short order cook use logic and algebraic processes? Probably not. Would someone in a job dealing with the need to find a solution with only part of the question? Oh yes.

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I use algebra in my life multiple times every day. The same can be said for trigonometry, calculus, and sometimes differential equations as well.

 

Every time people make comments about algebra being useless, I just laugh. You know why? Because every time you drive over a bridge thinking it'll hold your weight, you're placing your faith in some engineer's algebra skills.

Edited by Admiral Regulus
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Basic algebra is essential to everyday life. Anything past that is obscure and rarely used but most people. For example, matrices. If there is a practical purpose, please tell me, but as far as I know, matrices are completely unnecessary in everyday life. :lol: But calculating the value of x for the price of a food item on sale or how much to give a waiter as a tip is algebra that has a practical application.

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IMHO, I think algebra is just a different way of looking at math. It might not be the most useful thing in the world, but it's still basically arithmetic with some new tips and tricks.

 

However, after Algebra II, there isn't much stuff you need to learn. I took a trigonometry course last semester, and about 75% of the way through, the curriculum stopped teaching useful stuff and started to look more like someone ate a lot of numbers and then pooped them out. In my opinion, for your final year (or two years) they should teach you something like consumer math or economics -- something that you'll use in the future but is still math.

 

Because I don't think I'mma use trigonometry or calculus much in my life...

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Algebra is not useless in the slightest, but the way its taught serves to put students under an illusion. 

 

You use algebra every day, probably before you even learned it. Sure, you aren't using the exact numbers and letters, but you do use it. The classes are to set a framework of thinking, not to teach you to mash numbers together. Unfortunately, some people have forgotten this. 

 

The biggest problem is the absolutely inane way that word problems are presented. I feel as if the mathematicians who make them have no idea how life works outside of their office. For example, what girl called Sally is standing in the checkout line with $20 and writing an equation for how many apples and oranges she can buy if apples are $2 and oranges are $1?, which doesn't make sense either. What apple is $2? Is this the Great Depression? Furthermore, if you need to write that down to figure it out, you have way more problems than the "magic of math" is going to solve. 

 

I think that there should be more real-world situations. Perhaps take students through the things they do on a daily basis and show them the algebra involved, rather than making some ridiculous examples that don't relate to anyone except whatever man or woman living in a cave at the bottom of the ocean thinks is completely realistic. And yes, the point of it is not to make it realistic, but when you're trying to teach, you can give better examples than that pathetic drivel

Edited by ARagY
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Basic algebra is probably one of the very few things in school that I actually find useful

Edited by TR-8R
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However, after Algebra II, there isn't much stuff you need to learn.

 

Wrong. Without calculus, you can't even calculate how long it will take a ball to fall to the ground, or how far you will travel before you can come to a complete stop in your car. Without Taylor series, you wouldn't be able to get an approximation of the sin, cos, or tan values when you push that button on your calculator.

 

 

 For example, matrices. If there is a practical purpose, please tell me, but as far as I know, matrices are completely unnecessary in everyday life. :lol:

 

Bridges. Bridges, people!

 

No matter how obscure and useless you think some mathematical concept is, I can give you an example of some way someone has used that concept to improve your life.

Edited by Admiral Regulus
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Bridges. Bridges, people!

 

No matter how obscure and useless you think some mathematical concept is, I can give you an example of some way someone has used that concept to improve your life.

Yeah, I see what you mean. ^^ I was more talking about matrices being practical in everyday life for the everyday person, though. The average person has no need to learn matrices. But I'm aware that people have used these mathematical concepts and principles to improve our lives in more ways than one. :)

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