Sunday 5 March 2017

Correcting the equation


Two incidents make me write this.
1. I was interpreting a clause of a law with a colleague and we broke it into scenarios and found the outcome for each scenario. (Probabilities - Math)
2. I came across a meme which said that 'Raise your hands if you haven't applied yet the Mathematics you learned in school'. (I won't)

Not only me but everyone has been using some part of mathematics daily in their life.
When and how? Here it is:

1. At shop:
As a kid, I loved grocery shopping with my mom. More than I understood from school, I understood maths while grocery shopping.
[Used here: MADS, Counting, Measurements, Shapes, Volumes, Discounting]

2. At restaurant:
This example is classic.
You estimate the quantity of what you have chosen to eat basis the ingredients it might contain, number of people to eat it and price tag it has.
You check the bill, divide the bill and leave a percentage of the bill as tip.
[Used here: MADS, Percentage, Probability]

3. While managing time:
Calculating number of years on your anniversary,
number of months till the newborn is due,
number of days remaining for the exams to end,
remaining hours for the result to be out, and
minutes for the train to arrive.
[Used here: Duration between dates]

4. While answering how far?
We are sometimes so weird. We estimate distance from one place to another, not in kilometres or miles but in days, hours or minutes. Maybe, we are brought up in such a way.
However, we divide the distance with speed and get the time measure to answer 'how far?'
[Used here: Distance / Speed = Time]

5. While you grow:
As you grow, the problems come out from books into life.
But the approach continues.
Identify the problem,
State the facts,
Define the variables,
Evaluate the outcomes,
Deduce to solution.
[Used here: Problem-solving approach]

*MADS: Multiplication, Addition, Division and Subtraction

It is not just a subject in school, it is one of the factors that makes the world a better place to live in. 


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