The Importance of Mathematics

Science, technology and engineering, so essential to the future success of any country, cannot thrive without practitioners having a solid mathematics foundation.

The importance of a solid mathematics education goes much beyond the current conversation of improved proficiency on test scores. I have used the word mathematics very frequently in my career but never until recently thought about the actual meaning of the word.

Once I looked from an Etymology perspective, I found interesting literal definitions in two ancient languages. In Greek, it is “learning.” In Hebrew, its root is “thinking.”

They tell us that mathematics gives us the critical ability to learn and think logically in any field of endeavour. The skills of learning today are more important than knowledge, which is so readily available on the Internet.

A solid foundation in mathematics and science develops and hones the skills of posing hypotheses, designing experiments and controls, analysing data, recognizing patterns, seeking evidence, conclusions and proof, solving problems and seeking absolutes, while being open to new information.

Studying mathematics not only will develop more engineers and scientists, but also produce more citizens who can learn and think creatively and critically, no matter their career fields. The workforce of tomorrow, in all fields, will demand it.

“The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but rather those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”

-Alvin Toffler

“While physics and mathematics may tell us how the universe began, they are not much use in predicting human behaviour because there are far too many equations to solve. I'm no better than anyone else at understanding what makes people tick, particularly women.”

Stephen Hawking

"Do not worry too much about your difficulties in mathematics, I can assure you that mine are still greater."

Albert Einstein

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new."

Albert Einstein

To end off, read this article on ten reasons why maths is good for you…And see if you can complete the problems! Good luck!

https://www.piday.org/10-reasons-why-math-is-important-in-life/