Here's How Little Math Americans Actually Use at Work

[ashling]

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/04/heres-how-little-math-americans-actually-use-at-work/275260/

Less than a quarter of employees do any calculations more complicated than basic fractions, and blue-collar workers generally do more advanced math than their white-collar friends.

[HuckleB]

1. So...?

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. Math is for the menials.

[CBGLuthier]

3. and most of them use english

What does that tell us? English class must be way more successful than all the math classes?

I spent a few years programming computers using pretty much zero math. I build things out of wood then I have to do some of that fancy fraction math. I have seldom in my life needed any of the advanced math fields.

[RockaFowler]

4. I use Math EVERYDAY

My job is all about numbers. Without Math I wouldn't be able to do a thing all day. Not a bad day, then!!

[Donald Ian Rankin]

6. What do you do? N.T.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

5. So why'd I get algebra/pre-algebra in 6th, 7th, 9th, and college?

Over and over it was 'again with the algebra?'

[MindPilot]

7. I use more math at home than I do at work

But I work with a lot of real high-end engineers, scientists and a few people who actually have "mathematician" on their business cards. I don't actually have to do much math, but it is nice to sort of understand what is on the ubiquitous whiteboards.

[tabbycat31]

8. I can't think of any math I've used as an adult

That I initially learned after 5th grade.

One of my HS math teachers had a book called 'when are we ever going to use this' and it listed the occupations that the math was used in. 99% of them were engineering. I know the current trend is to encourage everyone to become engineers, but it's not a job that everyone is capable of succeeding at.

Despite math (and science) being my worst subjects in school, my job does involve numbers and calculations. I have a magic number/percentage and I have to figure out how to get to that number.

[rrneck]

9. Still too much for me.

I hate math.

[House of Roberts]

10. Nice to know I'm in the top 14% at something.

I program CNC machinery so I need the geometry/trig every day.

[kentauros]

15. Same here, for mapping.

Although I don't have to use the trig any more with Autocad. Sometimes I need to do a calculation by hand, and I do need to know the math behind some of the functions. Other than that, it's generally not an everyday thing.

The person that creates our lisp files, though, does do the math in order to program it.

I would guess, too, that while engineers probably do some calculus, most of that is handled daily by Excel and other design software. Either they wrote their own spreadsheets, or they got copies from someone that did all the programming work ages ago.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

11. Computer guys use the odd bases all the time

If you remember learning bases other than base 10 counting, computer programmers wind up needing to know base 2 - binary - base 8 - octal, and base 16 - hexadecimal. Some, anyway. Less today than in the old days, I think.
Or, as some wise person once said, the world is divided into 10 kinds of people - those who know binary, and those who don't.

[kestrel91316]

12. I had to take calculus in college as a foundation for physics, biochemistry, etc.

And it was also relevant in vet school physiology and nutrition (calculating feeding formula ratios).

In clinical practice I only use basic math, though. Multiplication/division/fractions. I couldn't do calculus now (35 years later) to save my life - and I got straight As all the way through math.

[MrSlayer]

13. I use algebra and trig a lot at my job.

I'm a construction electrician. At least I used to be.

[left lowrider]

14. Math is also mental training for abstract thinking in general

The obvious point being missed here is that learning isn't just about utility.

Math is a great mental exercise - especially when it gets into algebra and calculus.

People need to learn "how to learn" and "how to think" to be smart in general.

[surrealAmerican]

16. Agreed.

Welcome to DU.


It's also useful to have at least some understanding of statistics if you plan on any political activity, like maybe voting.

[Recursion]

17. I do differential equations most days

Nice to be off the chart...

[XRubicon]

19. By hand or in software?

[Recursion]

20. Depends. If they're Laplace-able, by hand

Otherwise in Maxima.

[XRubicon]

18. I used trig yesterday and algebra today...

[angstlessk]

21. I am a simple bookkeeper but get asked questions that belong in the statisticians realm

and each time I produce a number I explain how I came to the answer and remind them I am a bookkeeper and not a statistician