What is Mathematics?
What comes to your mind when you hear a word Mathematics? What would you do if someone asks you to do the Math? Why there is Mathematics? What is its importance in our life? How can we ignore Math?
Numbers, calculations, data, operations, formulas, analysis and problem solving. These are some of the words that associate when you hear the word Mathematics. Some people love it because they find it helpful and challenging but there are also people who find it hard and even hate why it exists. Mathematics is important and it has a use in our daily lives. No matter what profession you are going to choose, you will still use math that is why it is taught to the children even in their earlier years in school. We cannot ignore Mathematics since we use it every day. From counting objects, paying money, buying stuff, looking at the clock and estimating how much time you spend in doing something or waiting, the quantity of the ingredients you use for baking or cooking, these are also because of Math. You use it even in doing little or big things.
The following are some of the applications of Mathematics in real life.
- In the kitchen – In measuring the ingredients for cooking, calculating/estimating how long to cook a certain recipe, you are using math.
- In traveling/commuting – When you go somewhere by bus, train or a taxi, but without the knowledge of simple math, it is hard to know how much you are going to pay or the change you expect to receive. When you are driving your car, you estimate the speed with the use of math. Also, when you go to a gasoline station and pay for gas, you are using math. When you travel, you buy tickets, book a hotel or purchase anything you need before or even during your travel are also related to Math.
- In banking field – When you deposit, withdraw and loan in a bank, you need to have knowledge about the interest and math operations so that you will know how much money you have after the transaction or how much you need to pay for your loan.
- In the field of Engineering and Architecture – Planning, building, maintaining, and other duties of engineers and architects primarily requires mathematics.
- In the field of navigation –Navigation requires math in distance calculation, analysing the radar, estimating time of arrival, directions, ballasting and reading codes.
- Selling and Purchasing – When you sell or buy an item, there is a certain price which requires payment and sometimes there is also a change. Basic knowledge in Addition and subtraction are used. Multiplication are also used in discounts.
These are some of the areas of applications of mathematics. Math plays important role in our daily activities.