What is math? How is it useful in the future?

1. What is the nature of mathematics?

The essence of mathematics is not just numbers, but it is a part of mathematics. The essence of mathematics is a study of the relationship between abstract concepts. One must have the ability to think in an abstract manner. In fact, thinking itself is abstract thinking, and mathematics is the most abstract of abstract things.

It should be known to children that the biggest effect of mathematics on ordinary people is to "make things clear." Mathematics represents a person's thinking ability, it shouldn't be a boring course. It is necessary for students to understand that mathematics represents the level that human thinking ability can reach. Being able to master this kind of thinking ability, rather than specific mathematical knowledge, is the primary purpose of mathematics learning.

2. Why do boys typically score better in mathematics than girls? Is genetic talent or do they put in different amounts of effort?

Many students and teachers perceive that men and women seem to have differences in mathematics ability, which I have to admit

However, this difference between men and women is by no means caused by physiological reasons, but by the living environment and social environment. You have to know that a child is no longer a natural, equal creature when they are born, and they grow up in a certain social environment. Parents and surrounding people give different guidance to boys and girls, and the influence of various social concepts and prejudices when they think and when they behave will eventually lead to differences in mathematics abilities between men and women.

As for the influence of genetic talent when learning math, there must be differences. It is common not to want to engage in specialized mathematics research or high-level and difficult scientific research in science and engineering. Many people just want to lay a good foundation in mathematics, master certain mathematical knowledge, learn to use mathematical concepts and perspectives to think and analyze, and use mathematics to solve academic and work problems. The actual problems encountered should not have much to do with talent. Most people can learn and use them very well!

3. Will my child not need mathematics in the future to focus on art or engage in business?

Mathematics is not about doing problems. The essence of mathematics education is to cultivate a person's abstract thinking ability. Isn't art also abstract thinking? A mathematics teacher who is proficient in music once said: Mathematics and music are the most abstract, sophisticated, and complex thinking activities of human beings, and they are the same in these respects. Because mathematics represents the level of human thinking ability.

In business, you need to understand the complex relationship between various environments, resources, and needs in business. Doesn't it require a high amount of abstract thinking ability? The prejudice of mathematics is not necessary for art or business. The possible reasons are that the parents don’t know what math is at all, and the second is even worse. Maybe the parents are confused and don’t even realize the importance of abstract thinking.

4. If mathematics represents the level of human thinking ability, does that mean that mathematics is very important in basic education?

Yes. Mathematics and Language Arts are equally important as they are the most basic human needs. Even if you don't learn a language, you must still communicate. This is part of human nature. This is what language is.

Similarly, a person who does not learn mathematics, who does not know numbers, has to think. Thinking itself is an abstract process, and mathematics is the performance and an evaluable criterion of abstract ability. Therefore, as a person, you are born with language and mathematics. So in basic education, language and mathematics are all necessary and very important!

5. Currently, basic math education is basically taking exams and doing questions. Does this contradict the abstract thinking of mathematics?

It isn't contradictory. Doing the questions is a must, mathematics is definitely not possible without practice, but you must master it to a degree.

For example, if you do a practice question three or five times, you have already mastered it and we don't need to repeat it. When it feels that you are just repeating mechanically, it can stop doing those problems. For children, what they need most is to learn new concepts and challenges, otherwise these problems can become redundant.

6. Is it necessary for children to receive additional math education in advance or skip grades?

This varies from person to person depending on talent. If a person's ability is above average, you won’t be able to learn some fundamental knowledge or requisite theories for higher level math. If a person's skill is average and you teach them some brushing questions and routines, you won't properly exercise their thinking and develop their skills which is not effective and practically useless.

Let's say a student has not established the abstract concept of what the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are, so you let the student learn addition and subtraction arithmetic, and will just memorize it by force. When the teacher tells them 2+3=5, they just remember 2+3=5 and what are 2, 3, and 5. In the end, they don't know the theory behind it at all nor how to apply it, so what's the point of this?

7. Is it necessary to participate in math competitions such as the Olympiad?

The International Math Olympiad for high school students is a very good thing. It represents the highest level of intelligence that human children can achieve. The International Mathematical Olympiad was originally a game played inside the Warsaw Pact countries during the Cold War. But Western countries poked their heads in and wanted to join in. What does it show, it shows that it is an interesting thing to participate in.

The current math education in primary and secondary schools does not exceed the abilities of normal children. It is not an impossible task to learn well. Don't be afraid. Parents can help their children learn mathematics by helping them overcome some of these problems by themselves.

The most common reason why children can't learn math well is that they don't want to think on an abstract level, or their foundation is too poor so they just want to follow the flow and complete the homework. Math competitions exist to address this situation by igniting children's curiosity, guiding children to conduct various analyses, expanding different comparisons and thinking from different viewpoints. This thinking process can sometimes be tiring, but once a breakthrough occurs and results are achieved, they feeling of success after overcoming a difficult problem will help motivate them to think more actively, thereby gaining a great sense of accomplishment and benefiting from it for life.