Well, the short answer is a big “yes”. Many students get into an aggressive mood when they are trying to learn math and continuously ask, “do we really we need math, anyway?” Even some adults look for every excuse to avoid dealing with this subject and some people state that they just “are not good with figures.” Others claim they don’t need math because they know the basics of arithmetic and that’s all they need to deal with their everyday life. You can still find some individuals that just use a calculator without really understanding the logic behind the operations.

Those who believe this don’t actually realize the magnitude of the question: do we need math? If you really think you don’t need math, then you also don’t truly know what math is.

As a matter of fact, mathematics is one of the best problem solving skills in the world. Fortunately, it is one of the subjects which can be applied to just about any aspect of life to break a problem down into its parts and to solve it in a reasonable way. Have you ever watched Numb3rs on TV? Just imagine how Charlie helps his brother solve crimes using math! After watching this show, you would never again ask yourself “Do we need math?”

As you may know, Charlie is a math genius, but he has to be: the crimes he is solving are enormously complex, and the criminals are usually very smart people. But what makes it more interesting is that most of the crimes he solves don’t involve anything “mathematical” like complex accounting scams. He breaks the circumstances of a crime down into some logical parts of statistical formulas. So, by solving the formula, he actually solves the crime.

In reality, when someone asks “Why do we need math?” the answer is two words: “problem solving.” But, what does it mean exactly? By having a flashback in the history, we can see that even 2000 years ago, math was applied in a way to solve all types of practical problems such as food, water, building construction, transportation, commerce, city planning; in fact all the problems people still have at the current time.

Problem solvers need more than imagination and intelligence to make a good choices and find good answers. They need a structured way of thinking, a logical system that allows them to manipulate aspects of a problem on paper and work out various paths to a solution.

Mathematics offers problem solver a flexible yet beautifully logical system for solving some of the most complex problems in engineering, science and even human behavior, as Charlie on “Numb3rs” does it in the TV show.

So when a child complains and asks, “Why do we need math in school?”, he or she doesn’t really understand that the brain power it requires to solve an easy math problem is the starting point for dealing with some of the largest problems on the planet. We all start to learn math by beginning with some simple little problems.

But what is most exciting is that even the biggest problem in reality is NOT a big problem when you look at it mathematically: that problem is actually a group of smaller problems that simply are not solved yet. For example, an algebraic equation is a problem which involves grouping calculations in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. If you apply some easy rules, even big algebra equations can be solved by any high school student who applies him or herself.

So next time when you are going to ask yourself, “Why do we need math?”, just remember the FBI agents on Numb3rs. They may first show no interest in what Charlie does, or even get mad, but they would never ask such a ridiculous question. Learning math is as necessary as learning every other topics of life.

By the way, did you know that you can learn math online and practice in a way that you will be able to pass your math exams very easily?! Check this out:

Math Practice – Learn How To Ace Your Test