Add, Subtract, Multiply, Divide - Which are you best at?

[Killian Jones 2,655]

> Taking about calculating

> People talking about how much of a math wizz they are

 

Out of the fundamental operations, I would say I do best adding or multiplying, but I have no information one what I know best, I just use base 10 tricks sometimes.

 

Essentially you only need addition, since all the others are glorified hidden addition. Just repackaged.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,315]

I've admitted it before on this site, so I'll say it here. I have what is called Dyscalculia. It's pretty much like Dyslexia, only with math. I'm 33, but my math skills are pretty much at an elementary school level. I can only do very simple addition and subtraction without a calculator. Even then, I need paper and pencil or I become hopelessly frazzled! I'm surprised that my vote of "I'm bad at all of them" wasn't the only one! I bet I own more calculators than any other member here! I always carry one with me, and have a bunch all over the house.

 

Here's a list of common symptoms. At the risk of sounding totally messed up. I pretty much have all of them! Thankfully, that includes being able to write, and I'm known for my wild imagination in my stories! Sadly, it also includes trouble reading analog clocks. That's just embarrassing!

 

• Frequent difficulties with arithmetic
• Difficulty with everyday tasks like reading analog clocks
• Inability to comprehend financial planning or budgeting, sometimes even at a basic level; for example, estimating the cost of the items in a shopping basket or balancing a checkbook
• Difficulty with multiplication-tables, and subtraction-tables, addition tables, division tables, mental arithmetic, etc.
• Difficulty with conceptualizing time and judging the passing of time. May be chronically late or early
• Problems with differentiating between left and right
• Inability to visualize mentally
• Difficulty reading musical notation
• Might do exceptionally well in a writing-related field — authors and journalists are more likely than average to have the disorder
• Difficulty navigating or mentally "turning" the map to face the current direction rather than the common North=Top usage
• Having particular difficulty mentally estimating the measurement of an object or distance (e.g., whether something is 10 or 20 feet (3 or 6 meters) away).
• Often unable to grasp and remember mathematical concepts, rules, formulae, and sequences
• Inability to concentrate on mentally intensive tasks
• Low latent inhibition, i.e., over-sensitivity to noise, smell, light and the inability to tune out, filtering unwanted information or impressions. Might have a well-developed sense of imagination due to this (possibly as cognitive compensation to mathematical-numeric deficits)
• Mistaken recollection of names. Poor name/face retrieval. May substitute names beginning with same letter.

Edited January 24, 2013 by cuteycindyhoney

[StormzInvader 127]

I guess I can say that I am fine at Math. I am not a whiz or anything, but my skill would do. 

 

For the question, I'd say that Multiplication just comes naturally to me. I mean, I don't know if I am the only one here who experienced it but when I answer some addition questions, I accidentally use multiplication about... 30% of the time. 

[Brook 663]

Multiplying and division, I'm better at that than most others, which is why I consider them to be my best. Adding and Subtraction is too basic to be best at for me.

 

Also I am a master of long division, I always liked how it was, and I know how to do it inside and out. Likewise with vertical multiplying or adding or subtracting, those are all too easy for me.

Edited January 24, 2013 by Brook

[Envy 6,191]

Ewwww... Math! I suck at all of them. Really, I've tried to be good at math, but I always mess one little thing up and get it all wrong, it's the most frustrating subject ever!

[ping111 124]

Well, I don't want to say addition, because I've been adding triple-digit and negative integers since I was in kindergarten (no joke - I turned the 1's into negative signs). Multiplication is probably second-up, because the algorithms are so simple.

[Lunas Husband 2,777]

I kind of suck at all of them so I guess I'll go with the one I don't suck so much at.. which makes since...

 

ahh adding and dividing. 

 

Other 2 I suck sooo much at. which is not a good thing..

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

The old stereotype that women can't do math definitely applies to me. -_- Luckily I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide pretty sufficiently. I'm probably really slow at it, but I don't have too much trouble getting the right answer. As for what's easiest? Adding, definitely. I find it easier to count up than down, and addition doesn't deal with as many large numbers as multiplication.

[Envy 6,191]

I'm not so good with math. Any kind. Beyond the basics/lower numbers, it's too much. That's not to say that I'm incapable of more complex math, I just hate math and thus don't even want to spend too much of my thinking on it... Does that even make sense? xD

 

EDIT: Wow, I already posted in this topic. Oh well, it can't be helped as this forum doesn't indicate whether or not we've posted in a topic before or not. =/

Edited December 4, 2013 by Envy

[Smarts 1,623]

Multiplication is my strong point. In my opinion, it's the easiest out of the four. Yes, I find multiplication easier than addition. Shocking, isn't it? Anyway, I find it hard to explain. When I look at a multiplication problem, I can easily figure it out, no problem. When it is an addition, subtraction, or division problem, I have to concentrate and figure it out slowly. It's the weirdest thing.

[caramba2654 602]

Subtraction.

 

Why, you might ask?

 

[Okeen 49]

Multiplication.

Math is'nt and never will be my strongest subject, But hey, I'll pass it.. I think..

Edited December 4, 2013 by LogicalAventa

[Moonlight 7,288]

I'm the best at addition and subtraction. I'd say that I'm average at multiplication and division, not good but not terrible either. It just depends on the problem. 

[Frith is Magick 1,471]

Best to worst: Adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing. I have always done decently well in math, but I cannot divide mentally to save my life, except for a few basic numbers, naturally.

[Celtore 2,770]

I think I'm best at multiplication. I hardly ever "directly divide", I multiply my numbers by a unity fraction or simplify until I can't any more. Dividing just leaves me with an ugly looking result that could just be an approximation rather than the actual answer.

 

As for adding and subtracting, they're very easy for regular numbers. They're a bit annoying to deal with sometimes though.

[Shanks 10,816]

That is all fairly basic math which I have mastered years ago, but I get to a huge stumbling block with Algebra which I cannot seem to retain no matter what I do.

[Lucky Bolt 35,085]

Hmm....none of them. Cause I suck at math.  Ok ok...I am good at adding but that's it imao

[TheRockARockster 52,103]

Adding and subtracting but I suck at multiplying and dividing.

I've never really been the greatest at math and please don't get me started on algebra.

[Frostgage 7,976]

In my head, I suppose adding. But multiplication/division are actually much easier when working with exponents and/or variables. You can often simplify things down very neatly with few steps - the same can't be said of addition/subtraction

[Dreambiscuit 10,091]

I don’t use very much math in real life so it’s mostly simple addition for me. I can do the others but not as easily. Fractions are pretty good too, but I have my own methods for that, and you won’t find them in textbooks.  Anything I really need I have a calculator for.  

[Splashee 28,566]

8 hours ago, Frostgage said:

In my head, I suppose adding. But multiplication/division are actually much easier when working with exponents and/or variables. You can often simplify things down very neatly with few steps - the same can't be said of addition/subtraction

That's cool to know.
I noticed in some Youtube videos that people tend to have special tricks to take away some multiplication and division stuff from the equation to simplify it, but it still ends up a mess for me trying to follow it. Once my mind loses track, there is no way to get back at it without restarting.

Addition is really cool, and working with addition using signed numbers makes subtraction kinda useless.

[Stone Cold Steve Jobs 22,441]

Let me put it this way:

I am 27 years old. I was taught long division when I was 9. To this day I still have no idea how to do long division.

[Here No Longer 5,276]

I can do all of them in my head.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,183]

I'm bad at math. Really bad at math. Well... higher mathematics. I can do algebra easily, same thing with trig.

[Brony Number 42 10,072]

3 hours ago, Stone Cold Steve Tuna said:

Let me put it this way:

I am 27 years old. I was taught long division when I was 9. To this day I still have no idea how to do long division.

Learn it in a different base, like hexadecimal, using a multiplication table. That is a good way to understand.